The Beggar’s Opera, by John Gay (Barron’s Educational Series, 1962)

The Beggar’s Opera, or at least the edition I recieved for review, and I, have an unusual history. Ever since I received this book in the mail, one thing after another manifested to distract me from my mission. Every time … Continue reading

Merlin’s Kin: World Tales of the Heroic Magician, by Josepha Sherman, (August House, 1998)

Merlin’s Kin is a clever, well-researched exploration into the theme of the heroic magician that can be found in every culture around the world. Josepha Sherman, well known for her previous folklore collections, Once Upon A Galaxy, and Trickster Tales, … Continue reading

Maiden, Mother, Crone: The Myth and Reality of the Triple Goddess, by D.J. Conway (Llewellyn Publications, 1994)

To put things in perspective, Christianity and its worship of a dominant male figure has been in existence less than two thousand years. In contrast, the female trinity of the maiden, the mother, and the crone is stated to have … Continue reading

The Princess Tales, by Gail Carson Levine, (HarperTrophy, 2002)

Gail Carson Levine revisits three favorite fairy tales, and reinterprets them with a wry sense of self-aware humor in this compilation of the first three books in her Princess Tales series. In The Fairy’s Mistake, twin sisters are given very … Continue reading

The Little People, by Neil Philip (Harry N. Abrams, Inc, 2002)

Interested in fairy tales? Then I have a book for you. The Little People: Stories of Fairies, Pixies, and Other Small Folk, is just that, a beautiful illustrated compendium detailing numerous aspects of the mythical creatures found in folklore and … Continue reading

The Legend of Holly Claus, by Brittney Ryan (HarperCollins, 2004)

Somewhere beyond the Arctic Circle, ringed by magical glaciers, lies the Land of the Immortals, the kingdom known as Forever. Ruled by Nicholas, better known as Santa Claus, it’s a happy place where the immortal souls of those who’ve truly … Continue reading

The Frog Princess, by E.D. Baker (Bloomsbury, 2003)

The Frog Princess is a twist on the old Frog Prince story, taking the theme of a prince whose transformation into a frog can only be reversed by a princess’ kiss, and adding a whole new dimension to it. In … Continue reading

Tales From The Brothers Grimm And The Sisters Weird, by Vivian Van Velde (Magic Carpet Books, 2005)

This is an amusing, entertaining collection of retold fairy tales, in which the original material has been turned upside-down, inside-out, and in some cases, tossed in a blender for good measure. Thus, in this collection, you’ll find everything from a … Continue reading

Swan Sister, edited by Terri Windling and Ellen Datlow (Simon and Schuster, 2003)

In the same vein as Windling and Datlow’s A Wolf At The Door, Swan Sister is another collection of fairy tales retold for young adults, with stories from some of the most talented authors in the field, including a number … Continue reading

Red Rider’s Hood, by Neal Shusterman (Dutton, 2005)

The teenager known only as Red Rider is content to cruise the streets of his urban neighborhood, doing favors for people and delivering money to his grandmother, who acts as the unofficial banker for his family. However, his predictable life … Continue reading