The Sleeping Beauty


Trina Schart Hyman - 1971
    How could everyone in a castle - even the flies on the walls - sleep for a century and then wake up? This magical, beautifully illustrated tale begins when the king excludes the most difficult fairy of the kingdom from a feast celebrating the birth of his beautiful daughter Briar Rose. Furious, the fairy storms in and curses the baby, pronouncing that on her fifteenth birthday she will be pricked by a distaff (from a spinning wheel) and fall down dead. The youngest fairy softens the curse to a century-long sleep. Despite the fact that the king burns all the spinning wheels in the kingdom, 15-year-old Briar Rose finds herself in the tower where the evil fairy and her fate await her. The drama of the spell unfurls as she and the other inhabitants of the castle fall instantly asleep, from courtiers to kitchen maids. Thorny briars - moodily captured by Trina Schart Hyman's masterful paintbrush - grow up around the castle. Hyman depicts those who died attempting to break through the maze of thorns to reach the legendary sleeping beauty in a nightmarish illustration. But goodness and true love prevail when the perfect prince does finally find his way through the thick vines.Hyman won a Caldecott Medal for her work in Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges, and her version of The Sleeping Beauty makes us believe in the magic of the spell. The scenes inside the castle are alive with color and movement and rich with details that children will devour eagerly. Moods and expressions are rendered exquisitely, especially those of the wild, red-haired beauty Briar Rose. This wonderful read-aloud classic is one of Hyman's best.

Timeless Tales of Beatrix Potter: Peter Rabbit and Friends


Beatrix Potter - 2014
    This volume brings together twenty-one of Potter's tales and verses in one book. Hear Peter Rabbit outwit old Mr. McGregor, and Squirrel Nutkin come within a tail's length of being an owl's dinner. Listen as a family of mice save the kind tailor of Gloucester, and as Peter and Benjamin Bunny battle a barn cat. Learn how one fierce rabbit is set on the road to honesty. Although each story stands on its own, several are linked together by events and characters. The following stories are included in this book: -The Tale of Peter Rabbit -The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin -The Tailor of Gloucester -The Tale of Benjamin Bunny -The Tale of Two Bad Mice -The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle -The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher -The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit -The Story of Miss Moppet -The Tale of Tom Kitten -The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck -The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies -The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse -Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes -The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse -Cecily Parseley's Nursery Rhymes -The Tale of the Pie and the Patty-Pan -The Tale of Samuel Whiskers or The Roly-Poly Pudding -The Tale of Ginger and Pickles -The Tale of Mr. Tod -The Tale of Pigling Bland -The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes The world of Beatrix Potter is as appealing now as when it was first created at the turn of the twentieth century.

The World's Best Fairy Tales


Belle Becker Sideman - 1967
    ContentsJorinda and JoringelPuss in BootsThe Emperor's New ClothesBilly Beg and His BullLittle One Eye, Little Two Eyes, and Little Three EyesThe Red ShoesThe Steadfast Tin SoldierSnegourka, the Snow MaidenThe Three Little PigsThe Shoemaker and the ElvesDoctor Know-It-AllThe Six SwansDick Whittington and His CatRapunzelAladdin and the Wonderful LampThe Three BearsRumpelstiltzkinThe Golden Headed FishHansel and GretelThe Brave Little TailorThe Gingerbread ManA Horned GoatSeven SimonsThe Little Match-GirlEast of the Sun and West of the MoonThe Musicians of BremenBlue BeardThe Princess on the Glass HillThe Half-ChickSleeping BeautyThe Magic CarpetJack the Giant KillerTwelve Dancing PrincessesLittle Claus and Big ClausThe Colony of CatsSindbad the Sailor

Peter Pan


J.M. Barrie - 1911
    M. Barrie Peter Pan, the mischievous boy who refuses to grow up, lands in the Darling's proper middle-class home to look for his shadow. He befriends Wendy, John and Michael and teaches them to fly (with a little help from fairy dust). He and Tinker Bell whisk them off to Never-land where they encounter the Red Indians, the Little Lost Boys, pirates and the dastardly Captain Hook.

Beauty and the Beast


Marianna Mayer - 1978
    This acclaimed best-seller, first published in 1978, transports readers into a world of pure magic and mystery.

The Seventh Princess


Nick Sullivan - 1983
    There people start bowing to her, calling her Princess Miranda, and catering to her every whim. It seem like a dream come true ... until she discovers that the evil Duke Rinaldo has hatched a devilish plot to make her his next victim.

Irish Fairy and Folk Tales


W.B. Yeats - 1888
    Yeats included almost every sort of Irish folk in this marvelous compendium of fairy tales and songs that he collected and edited for publication in 1892.-- Yeats was fascinated by Irish myths and folklore, and joined forces with the writers of the Irish Literary Revival. He studied Irish folk tales and chose to reintroduce the glory and significance of Ireland's past through this unique literature.

A Tangled Web


L.M. Montgomery - 1931
    Now Aunt Becky, the eccentric old matriarch of the clan, has bequeathed her prized possession: a legendary heirloom jug. But the name of the jug's new owner will not be revealed for one year. In the next twelve months beautiful Gay Penhallow's handsome fiancé Noel Gibson leaves her for sly and seductive Nan Penhallow; reckless Peter Penhallow and lovely Donna Dark, who have hated each other since childhood, are inexplicably brought together by the jug; Hugh and Joscelyn Dark, separated on their wedding night ten years ago for reasons never revealed, find a second chance—all watched over by the mysterious Moon Man, who has the gift of second sight. Then comes the night when Aunt Becky's wishes will be revealed...and the family is in for the biggest surprise of all.

Disney's The Little Mermaid


Stephanie Calmenson - 1992
    She gets her chance after making a deal with an evil sea witch, but something’s fishy! Can Flounder, Sebastian, and Scuttle help make the little mermaid’s dream come true? Find out in this full-color retelling of Disney’s classic film, The Little Mermaid.

Scary Stories Treasury


Alvin Schwartz - 1981
     Reviews "A wonderful collection of tales that range from creepy to silly to haunting. ...Gammell's drawings add just the right touch..." -- John Scieszka, Entertinment Weekly"Guaranteed to make your teeth chatter and your spine tingle." -- School Library Journal"Read these if you dare." -- The New York Times

I, Trissy


Norma Fox Mazer - 1972
    That's exactly how she feels when her father moves out of their house and gives her a typewriter so she can put down on paper the things she's always making the mistake of saying out loud.Trissy feels good about pouring out her problems on the typewriter. And she has plenty of problems, what with her parents' upcoming divorce, the fight with her best friend Steffi, her father's new girlfriend and her mother's boyfriend.Lately all Trissy seems to be good for is finding trouble and quarreling with everybody. Are things ever going to be right again?

Politically Correct Bedtime Stories


James Finn Garner - 1994
    Problem was, these stories, many of which found their way into the general social consciousness, reflected the way in which these men lived and saw their world: that is, the stories were sexist, discriminatory, unfair, culturally biased, and in general, demeaning to witches, animals, goblins, and fairies everywhere.Finally, after centuries of these abusive tales, which have been handed down--unknowingly--from one male-biased generation to the next, James Finn Garner has taken it upon himself (that's right, yet another man) to enlighten and liberate these classic bedtime stories and retell them in a way that is much more in keeping with the society in which we live today.Politically Correct Bedtime Stories, then is the fruit of Garner's labors. We'd like to think that future generations of fairy-tale fans will see this as a worthy attempt to develop meaningful literature that is totally free from bias and purged from the influences of a flawed cultural past.

The Princess Bride


William Goldman - 1973
    Morgenstern classic, The Princess Bride. But as a grown-up he discovered that the boring parts were left out of good old Dad's recitation, and only the "good parts" reached his ears.Now Goldman does Dad one better. He's reconstructed the "Good Parts Version" to delight wise kids and wide-eyed grownups everywhere.What's it about? Fencing. Fighting. True Love. Strong Hate. Harsh Revenge. A Few Giants. Lots of Bad Men. Lots of Good Men. Five or Six Beautiful Women. Beasties Monstrous and Gentle. Some Swell Escapes and Captures. Death, Lies, Truth, Miracles, and a Little Sex.In short, it's about everything.

The Farthest-Away Mountain


Lynne Reid Banks - 1976
    Dakin wants three things more than anything else: to visit the farthest-away mountain, to meet a gargoyle, and to marry a prince. Everyone in her village thinks she's crazy, especially since no one has ever been to the farthest-away mountain. But one day, when she is nearly 15, she hears the mountain calling her. Dakin sets off on a tantalizing journey that will change her life, and the lives of others, forever. From the Hardcover Library Binding edition.

The Goose Girl


Shannon Hale - 2003
    And when she was older, she watched as a colt was born, and she heard the first word on his tongue, his name, Falada.From the Grimm’s fairy tale of the princess who became a goose girl before she could become queen, Shannon Hale has woven an incredible, original, and magical tale of a girl who must find her own unusual talents before she can lead the people she has made her own.