Book picks similar to
Tale of a One-Way Street and Other Stories by Joan Aiken


childrens
childrens-books
fairy-tales-legend
it-is-short-take-it-on-a-trip

The Bad Beginning


Lemony Snicket - 1999
    It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune.In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing.With all due respect,Lemony Snicket

Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm


Jacob Grimm - 2012
    Containing a painstakingly-researched selection of artwork by some of the most famous illustrators from the 1850s to the 1950s--including Golden Age legend Kay Nielsen, beloved bestselling author Wanda Gag (of "Millions of Cats," 1928), British darlings Walter Crane and Arthur Rackham, and giants of nineteenth century German illustration Hermann Vogel, Otto Speckter, and Viktor Paul Mohn--this compilation also includes beautiful silhouettes culled from original publications from the 1920s that run throughout the entire layout. For adults and children alike, this collection brings to life the magic of fairy tales and their illustrations. About the Brothers Grimm: Brothers Jacob (1785-1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786-1859) were German academics and linguists who spent years collecting popular fairy tales and folk tales such as "Cinderella," "Snow White," and "Rapunzel." Their resulting compilation of over 200 stories Kinder- und Hausmarchen (Children's and Household Tales) is one of the most famous collections of tales in the world, influencing generations of writers, composers, artists, academics, and filmmakers.contains:Hans in LuckThe travelling musiciansthe golden birdThe fisherman and his wifethe Tom-Tit and the bearThe twelve dancing princessesRose-BudTom ThumbThe grateful beastsJorinda and Joringelthe wonderful musicianThe queen beeThe dog and the sparrowFrederick and CatherineThe three children of fortuneKing Grisly-BeardThe adventures of Chanticleer and PartletSnow-DropThe elves and the shoemakerThe turnipOld SultanThe lady and the lionThe miser in the bushThe king of the golden mountainThe golden gooseMrs FoxHansel and GretelThe giant with the three golden hairsThe Frog-PrinceThe fox and the horseRumpel-Stilts-KinThe goose-girlFaithful JohnThe blue lightAshputtelThe young giant and the tailorThe crows and the soldierPee-WitHans and his wife GrettelCherry, or the Frog-BrideMother HolleThe water of lifePeter the goatherdThe four clever brothersThe Elfiv-GroveThe SaladTHe NoseTHe five servantsCat-SkinThe Robber-BridegroomThe three sluggardsThe seven ravensRoland and May-BirdThe mouse, the bird and the sausageThe Juniper Tree

The House Above the Trees


Ethel Cook Eliot - 1921
    A wonderful fantasy written by Ethel Cook Eliot, first published in 1921. The illustrations include line drawings along with 5 color plates from Anne Anderson.

The Chocolate Touch


Patrick Skene Catling - 1952
    It's an enjoyable story that pulls in even reluctant readers.

Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg


Gail Carson Levine - 2005
    It's bad enough that she has no idea what her special talent is, but some of her behavior is remarkably, well, human. Prilla is heartbroken that she does not seem to fit in. She desperately needs help from Mother Dove, the most important creature in Neverland, who created and cares for the magical egg that prevents all who live in Neverland from growing old and dying. But tragedy strikes as the island is hit by a hurricane, and the Never egg is destroyed. Mother Dove must pick three fairies to set out on a dangerous quest to repair the egg. She chooses Rani, the best water-talent fairy; Vidia, the most selfish, but fastest fast-flying-talent fairy; and, to everyone's surprise-Prilla. The three embark on a journey filled with danger, sacrifice, and adventure. The fate of Neverland-and their world as they know it-rests on their shoulders.

The Legend Begins


Isobelle Carmody - 2005
    Little Fur loves and tends to the Old Ones, the seven ancient trees that protect her home, a small, magical wilderness nestled magically in a park in the midst of a large, bustling human city. When she learns that evil forces are out to destroy her beloved trees, the intrepid halfling must embark on an ambitious and dangerous journey into the human world and down into an ancient cut in the earth, in search of a way to save not only the Old Ones, but the Earth Spirit itself. Geared to young middle-grade readers who are, like our troll heroine, still innocent and natural champions of our earth, Little Fur is an eco-fantasy as wise and fey as it is adventurous and suspenseful.

Coraline and Other Stories


Neil Gaiman - 2009
    There's another mother and another father in this house and they want Coraline to stay with them and be their little girl. Coraline must use all of her wits and every ounce of courage in order to save herself and return home ... but will she escape and will life ever be the same again?Elsewhere in this collection, a sinister jack-in-the-box haunts the lives of the children who ever owned it, a stray cat does nightly battle to protect his adopted family, and a boy raised in a graveyard confronts the much more troubled world of the living. From the scary to the whimsical, the fantastical to the humorous, Coraline & Other Stories is a journey into the dark, magical world of Neil Gaiman.All other stories in this collection beside Coraline were originally published as M is for Magic.

The 13 Clocks


James Thurber - 1950
    It is beautiful and it is comic. It is philosophical and it is cheery. What we suppose we are trying fumblingly to say is, in a word, that it is Thurber.There are only a few reasons why everybody has always wanted to read this kind of story: if you have always wanted to love a Princess; if you always wanted to be a Prince; if you always wanted the wicked Duke to be punished; or if you always wanted to live happily ever after. Too little of this kind of thing is going on in the world today. But all of it is going on valorously in The 13 Clocks.

The Girl with the Silver Eyes


Willo Davis Roberts - 1980
    The attempt succeeds until Mr. Cooper asks Katie too many questions.

The Children of Green Knowe


Lucy M. Boston - 1954
    M. Boston's thrilling and chilling tales of Green Knowe, a haunted manor deep in an overgrown garden in the English countryside, have been entertaining readers for half a century.There are three children: Toby, who rides the majestic horse Feste; his mischievous little sister, Linnet; and their brother, Alexander, who plays the flute. The children warmly welcome Tolly to Green Knowe... even though they've been dead for centuries.But that's how everything is at Green Knowe. The ancient manor hides as many stories as it does dusty old rooms.And the master of the house is great-grandmother Oldknow, whose storytelling mixes present and past with the oldest magic in the world.

The Silver Crown


Robert C. O'Brien - 1968
    What magic powers it possesses she has not yet discovered, but the sudden changes in her life are unmistakable: her house is burned down, her family has disappeared, and a man in a dark uniform is stalking her. Can Ellen ever find her family? Can she use the power of the silver crown to thwart the powers of darkness? What diabolical force hides inside the mysterious castle in the woods?

Ferno the Fire Dragon


Adam Blade - 2007
    First, the horses were attacked. Then, the river dried up. Now, the last of the crops has mysteriously burnt to the ground. Everyone is terrified. But Tom isn't afraid. He's always dreamed of a quest-a real quest!-and vows to go to the king and bring help for them all. But Tom soon learns that his village is not the only one in trouble. People are in trouble all over the kingdom. Hope is nearly lost. That is, until Tom is sent on the greatest quest of all--the Beast Quest.

Guardians of Ga'Hoole Collection


Kathryn Lasky - 2009
    This series is filled with adventure, suspense and heart. When Soren, a young owlet, mysteriously falls from his nest one evening, he's plucked up and taken to the sinister St Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls. Once there, he must use his wits and bravery to escape his captors. The first three books in the Ga'Hoole series follow Soren, Gylfie, Twilight and Digger, four orphaned owls that must fight their way through many dangers to take refuge with a group of brave owls thought only to be a legend - the Guardians of Ga'Hoole!

Challenge to Efrafa (Watership Down)


Judy Allen - 1999
    But to do this they need to outwit the evil General Woundwort.

A Year Without Autumn


Liz Kessler - 2011
    Now she discovers that in the year that's gone by, tragedy has struck and her friendship with Autumn will never be the same again. But what caused the tragedy?