Best Teen & Young Adult Fairy Tale & Folklore Anthologies
It includes Thumbelina, a little girl no more than a thumb-joint high, The Emperor's New Clothes, the tale of a man who cares only for his appearance and The Little Mermaid, who longs to one day marry a human prince. Hans Christian Andersen (1805-75) was born in Odense, Denmark, the son of a poor shoemaker and a washerwoman.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"He complained that the story of the princess and the pea was shorter than expected (3 paragraphs) but there's a ton of stories he can read instead."
"He was a great psychologist and most of his tales are not focused on love stories (unlike majorities of tales around the world)."
"Second, there is a hyperlinked table of contents for instant access to any of the stories, unlike many of the free ebooks I've seen."
"So if you, like me, are determined to try and re-visit your childhood via fairy tales written by Hans Christian Andersen no matter what, at least take pity on yourself--or pity on your children if you're trying to read the stories to them--and read this version."
"My daughter (who is 3 1/2) is totally all about "frozen" and "the little Mermaid" and I was telling her that the stories were written a LONG time ago... She loves the other stories and we haven't tackled the long ones yet, cause I read to her at bedtime, and we generally only get in 4-5 pages before she zonks out!!"
"I remember these stories growing up."
"I ordered and read this book after reading the Snow Queen."
Long-recognized master of Norse mythology Kevin Crossley-Holland pairs with award-winning artist Jeffrey Alan Love for an exceptional look at the Viking gods. Meanwhile, Love’s eye-popping expressionist illustrations, rendered in acrylics and ink, decorate almost every page, beautifully creating an often sinister atmosphere that expands the tone of the text. The brutal, mischievous, and fascinating stories of Norse mythology unfold in lively and dramatic retellings, which introduce the gods and goddesses of Asgard, as well as the dwarves and giants of Midgard and Jotunheim. This stunning volume, heavily illustrated with somewhat gruesome, predominantly black acrylic and ink paintings in block print and silhouette style, provides an excellent introduction to Norse mythology.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great choice to all readers who love the Norse Mythology."
"Absolutely beautiful illustrations to go with classic stories."
"Stunning illustrations and a very entertaining read!"
"This is a brilliantly executed book that covers so much information that I can see children talking about these myths, gods, goddesses, realms, long after they have closed the book. There is also a lot of text, so I would say this book is best for children aged 9/10 years and above, though I’m certain there are a few adults who would love this book too."
"Each one is written as a simple narrative, so that it feels like a collection of nighttime stories, rather than an academic text."
"With striking illustrations and in-depth coverage of all the popular and less-popular Norse myths, this would make a great gift for a young (or old) reader."
Here between two covers you will find an inexhaustible source of delight for children and adults alike: the world's best folktales, chosen by the internationally known storyteller Jane Yolen. Selections include tales from the American Indians, the brothers Grimm, Italo Calvino's Italian folktales, as well as stories from Iceland, Afghanistan, Scotland, and many other countries.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I teach elementary school, and I originally got this book because I was instructing other teachers on how to incorporate multicultural folklore into their classrooms."
"Just got it and was able to capture my 4.5 yr old’s attention while reading a couple of the stories out loud."
"My wife is a storyteller with Spellbinders & she tells stories mainly to 5-year olds in the local schools."
"Purchased this book used for a college class and it arrived looking brand new!"
"The writing style changes to reflect the region and it has a logical method of progression through the book of short stories."
"An amazingly diverse set of folk tales from around the world, some make you laugh, some make you think, some both."
"Absolutely loved, loved, reading this book to my 3 kids."
Best Teen & Young Adult Fairy Tale & Folklore Adaptations
See where the futuristic YA fairytale saga all began, with the tale of a teenage cyborg who must fight for Earth's survival against villains from outer space. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future. “This series opener and debut offers a high coolness factor by rewriting Cinderella as a kickass mechanic in a plague-ridden future.” ― Kirkus Reviews on Cinder. “First in the Lunar Chronicles series, this futuristic twist on Cinderella retains just enough of the original that readers will enjoy spotting the subtle similarities. But debut author Meyer's brilliance is in sending the story into an entirely new, utterly thrilling dimension .” ― Publishers Weekly, starred review for Cinder. “Singing mice and glass slippers are replaced with snarky androids and mechanical feet in this richly imagined and darkly subversive retelling of ‘Cinderella. Marissa didn't actually go to Stadium High School, but she did attend Pacific Lutheran University, where she earned her bachelor's degree in Creative Writing.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I have never been to Beijing so I can't verify what changes are made in this version, but I loved how Meyer described the contrasting worlds of glitz and glamour and the dreary and impoverished. I also was fascinated by the descriptions of the Lunar kingdom that is mentioned through myths in this installment, but I have a feeling it will become a primary setting later in the series. The two main ones are the deadly illness that is slowly wiping out the population of the city and the impending attack from the ruthless Lunar kingdom. I also enjoyed seeing the little Cinderella tidbits that Meyer threw into the fray such as Cinder's orange "classic" car and her prosthetic foot that keeps falling off. I was especially intrigued by the way Meyer used the cyborg prejudices of Cinder's neighbors to mirror the neglect of the Cinderella from the fairy tale. Prince Kaito, or Kai as he is known to Cinder, is a unique hero in the land of young adult literature."
"I hope it this gets turned into a movie they found actors who can portray this well because those I feel were the best moments in the book."
"I have bought this book for many friends as it is a fun adventure to get lost in."
"People don't look too kindly on cyborgs, so Cinder mainly keeps to herself and gets her work done. I liked Marissa Meyer's take on the fairy-tale and the changes she made in making it her own, but regardless of these changes there is still the familiar story that many of us grew up knowing. When Peony falls ill of the plague, once again Cinder is looked at with disgust by her stepmother and offered up as a "volunteer" for a plague vaccine (which has not boded well for said volunteers). For all that I thought was predictable, I still didn't want to put down the book, and Meyer did surprise by leaving us with an open ending. I'm very interested to find out how Meyer continues on with the fairy-tale retellings while weaving together the overall conflicts she started here in Cinder."
Best Teen & Young Adult Country & Ethnic Fairy Tales & Folklore
From the authors who wrote and illustrated Ola, Leif the Lucky, and Children of the Northlights comes their collection of Norwegian folktales. Known for their vibrant and imaginative interpretations of Scandinavian folklore, Greek and Norse mythology, and American history, the books of Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire have entertained readers for more than seventy-five years.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Beautiful reprint."
"Superior quality printing."
"D'Aulaires' Book of Norwegian Folktales was originally published in 1938 with the title East of the Sun and West of the Moon. They quickly realized that there were already near perfect translations available so they relied on an old Norwegian edition, Dasent's translation, and their own translation to perfect the stories. He found a poor girl to be his bride, but she messed things up, so he had to leave her and marry someone else. The stories were easy to read and very fascinating, because it exposes the reader to a culture they might not understand, but also might not get a chance to experience otherwise."
"Three grandkids are enthralled with myths and folk tales."
"The binding doesn't look very sturdy, pages are thick old fashioned cream color."
"Any D'Aulaires fans will enjoy!"
"My children have treasured these books since they were very small.I hope someday that I will get to share them with grandchildren."
"Wonderful illustrations...exciting, but not too scary for children......a favorite book that I am giving to a young reader."