Folk Myths

When Henry H. Neff published the second book of his Tapestry series, Kirkus Reviews proclaimed that “young readers will clamor for more.” With The Fiend and the Forge, Neff unveils his most riveting adventure yet. Astaroth has claimed the Book of Origins, and the world is thick with goblins and trolls.

After Dorothy and her dog, Toto, are whisked away from Kansas by a cyclone, they embark on a remarkable odyssey accompanied by the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman, and the Cowardly Lion. As they travel through enchanted lands toward the Emerald City, they find perils and colorful opponents including the wonderfully evil Wicked Witch.

From the mid-1980s into the early 1990s, the greatest athlete of all time streaked across American sports and popular culture. Stadiums struggled to contain him. Clocks failed to capture his speed. His strength was legendary. His power unmatched. Video game makers turned him into an invincible character—and they were dead-on. He climbed (and walked across) walls, splintered baseball bats over his knee, turned oncoming tacklers into ground meat.

This classic tale is a fantastical fable of two dear friends - one of whom goes astray and is literally lost to the north woods, while the other undertakes an epic journey to rescue him. This charming, strange, and wonderful story is a timeless allegory about growing up and the challenges of staying true to one's self, and it served as the wintry inspiration for the blockbuster hit Frozen.

Captured centaurs and satyrs, incompetent seers, people who suddenly change sex, a woman who remembers too much, a man who cannot laugh—these are just some of the colorful characters who feature in the unforgettable stories that ancient Greeks and Romans told in their daily lives. Together they created an incredibly rich body of popular oral stories that include, but range well beyond, mythology—from heroic legends, fairy tales, and fables to ghost stories, urban legends, and jokes. This unique anthology presents the largest collection of these tales ever assembled.

You think you know the story of Little Red Riding Hood? THINK AGAIN! This retelling of the classic story, told from the wolf's perspective, will give you a fresh spin on this famous tale. Was the wolf just really hungry for apples? Was Little Red Riding Hood rotten? This fun fractured tale will leave you with a whole new understanding of the classic story.

Ever since Soren was kidnapped and taken to the St. Aegolius School for Orphaned Owls, he has longed to see his sister, Eglantine, again. Now Eglantine is back is Soren's life, but she's been through an ordeal too terrible for words. Deep within Soren's gizzard, something more powerful than knowledge tells him there's a connection between these mysterious events.

Meet Zeus, a tiny hamster with a mighty appetite for power. His cage sits atop a high shelf, so he can watch the other pets from above. But being king of the gods is a tough job: You've got to issue orders and decrees, make sure to stay in tip-top shape by running on your exercise wheel, and most importantly, lead your minions on epic journeys. And Zeus the Mighty has one giant task in front of him: Find the "golden fleas" and solidify his position before the other gods rebel.

By feeling a pea through twenty mattresses and twenty featherbeds, a girl proves that she is a real princess.

Magical retellings of three classic fairy tales, read by Tamsin Greig and Stephen Mangan. "Pinocchio": When Geppetto makes a wooden puppet of a little boy, he is astonished when the puppet comes to life! But Pinocchio dreams of being a real boy.... "The Princess and the Pea": The King and Queen have made all the plans for their son's Royal Wedding, but the Prince still hasn't chosen a bride. Will he ever find a wife who is a princess through and through? "Tom Thumb": A woodcutter and his wife are desperate for a child - even one as small as his father's thumb.

Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school...again. No matter how hard he tries, he can't seem to stay out of trouble. But can he really be expected to stand by and watch while a bully picks on his scrawny best friend? Or not defend himself against his pre-algebra teacher when she turns into a monster and tries to kill him? Of course, no one believes Percy about the monster incident; he's not even sure he believes himself.

The Emperor loves to wear the most fashionable and finest clothes in the land. However, when two strangers suggest that they can weave him a special suit - which is invisible to anyone who's not worthy and wise - it has to be seen to be believed. A magical retelling of the classic fairy tale, read by Tamsin Greig.

Having sold millions of copies in print, Bernard Evslin’s classic retelling of the Greek myths captures the excitement and enchantment of these stories that have influenced many of today’s popular films and novels. Easy to understand and fun to read for both adults and children, it is no wonder this book has been taught in schools all over the world.

Athena always knew she was smart and special, but she didn’t realize that she was a goddess! When she’s whisked away to Mount Olympus Academy, she worries about fitting in and dealing with her dad (Zeus). Luckily, she meets the Goddess Girls and finds the best friends she’s ever had.

Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold onto. Jude learned this lesson when she released her control over the wicked king, Cardan, in exchange for immeasurable power. Now as the exiled mortal Queen of Faerie, Jude is powerless and left reeling from Cardan's betrayal. She bides her time, determined to reclaim everything he took from her. Opportunity arrives in the form of her deceptive twin sister, Taryn, whose mortal life is in peril.

Coryn and the Band have returned to the Great Ga’HooleTree and restored order. With the ember safely hidden away, the tree shakes off its gaudy golden glow and recovers its natural majesty. Meanwhile, deep in the Palace of Mists, Bess finds an ancient map fragment that reveals that there are not five owl kingdoms - as has been thought since time immemorial - but six. Coryn and the Chaw of Chaws set off to find this unknown land and, in a landscape of perpetual winter, discover a monastery of serene, learned owls, the likes of which no one has ever seen before.

Cinderella shows a young schoolgirl that there is much more to being a princess than parties and fancy clothes. Listen along as Cinderella teaches a young girl what it truly means to be a princess.

Tor is adjusting to life with the power of the Night Witch, especially with his best friends, Engle and Melda, by his side. But when a mysterious girl washes up on shore claiming a band of cursed pirates is on their way to Emblem Island, life changes fast. The girl, Gemma, is from an underwater city that was destroyed by the terrible Calavera pirates, and she warns Tor they are now on their way to his home. The trio of friends must come up with a plan to stop the pirates from getting an ancient relic that would give them the ability to control the high seas.

Harriet Hamsterbone is not your typical princess. She may be quite stunning in the rodent realm (you'll have to trust her on this one), but she is not so great at trailing around the palace looking ethereal or sighing a lot. She finds the royal life rather...dull. One day, though, Harriet's parents tell her of the curse that a rat placed on her at birth, dooming her to prick her finger on a hamster wheel when she's 12 and fall into a deep sleep. For Harriet, this is most wonderful news: It means she's invincible until she's 12!

Together, these three volumes form an essential collection for anyone fascinated by mythology, folklore, and the cultural heritage of Japan. Each story in this anthology is not just a tale. It's a window into the ancient soul of Japan, its people, and its enduring legacy.