Folk Myths

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!

After sixteen years, the secret is ready to be told. The true king of England is near! But first he must pull the sword from the stone.

Cole Randolph never meant to come to The Outskirts, but when his friends were kidnapped on Halloween he had to try and save them. Now he’s trapped in a world that lies between wakefulness and dreaming, reality and imagination, life and death. Cole’s search for his friends has led him to Elloweer, another of the five kingdoms that make up The Outskirts.

"What is your favorite story?" is the question children across the country often ask professional storyteller Pleasant DeSpain. As he attempts to answer, his list grows longer and longer, until he confesses he likes them all. An untiring researcher of oral traditions, DeSpain is known for his concise versions of world folktales specifically crafted for retelling. This new, digital recording of 10 stories is excerpted from DeSpain's 22 Splendid Tales to Tell from Around the World, Volume One.

In the midst of war, Soren's sister, Eglantine, unwittingly becomes a spy for Kludd, leader of the Pure Ones, a group of evil owls. She is brainwashed by an owl sent by the Pure Ones to infiltrate the Great Ga'Hoole Tree. Her odd behavior eventually attracts attention, and Soren and his friends vow to find out what's wrong with Eglantine. They ultimately learn what happened and help her reverse the effects of the brainwashing.

Get ready to hop on a mythical time machine and journey to the icy forests, grand palaces, and enchanted lands of Russia. This book is your gateway to a magical world filled with talking wolves, firebirds with glowing feathers, and the mysterious, ever-tricky Baba Yaga. Perfect for listeners aged 7–12 (and adventurous adults!), this beautifully written collection of Russian fairy tales and mythology for kids is designed to spark the imagination, teach valuable lessons, and introduce young minds to the rich tapestry of Russian culture, legends, and traditional folk stories.

Princess Harriet has absolutely no interest in brushing her hair, singing duets with woodland animals, or any other typical princess activities. So when a fairy tells a very bored Harriet about 12 mice princesses who are cursed to dance all night long, she happily accepts the quest and sets off with a poncho of invisibility and her trusty battle quail. But when she arrives at the Mouse Kingdom, she discovers there's more to the curse than meets the eye, and trying to help is dangerous business...even for a tough princess like Harriet.

It's not easy being Princess Rose. Especially when a fairy curses you and you find yourself avoiding all sharp objects...and then end up pricking your finger anyway, causing you to slumber for a hundred years or so. And it's not easy being The Prince. Especially when your mother has some ogre blood and tends to chow down at the most unfortunate moments. A walk in the woods would help, you think. Until you find a certain hidden castle...and a certain sleeping beauty. Happily ever after? Not until the prince helps the princess awaken...and brings her home to Mother.

For thousands of years, these tales have thrilled audiences. In this audiobook, master storyteller Jim Weiss makes mighty Hercules, greedy King Midas, beautiful Arachne, brave Perseus, and dangerous Medusa understandable to children, while emphasizing character over violence.

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.

Princess Harriet Hamsterbone hasn't been home for long, but she's already missing her life of grand adventure. How's a girl supposed to have any fun when her parents are constantly reminding her to be careful and act like a princess? So when her pal Prince Wilbur needs help retrieving a stolen hydra egg, Harriet happily takes up the quest. The thief's trail leads them to a wicked witch and a tall tower. It isn't long before Harriet discovers that the egg isn't the only one locked inside.

Thor's hammer is missing...again. The thunder god has a disturbing habit of misplacing his weapon - the mightiest force in the Nine Worlds. But this time the hammer isn't just lost, it has fallen into enemy hands. If Magnus Chase and his friends can't retrieve the hammer quickly, the mortal worlds will be defenseless against an onslaught of giants. Ragnarok will begin. The Nine Worlds will burn. Unfortunately, the only person who can broker a deal for the hammer's return is the gods' worst enemy, Loki - and the price he wants is very high.

Winner of the Newbery Medal, Cynthia Rylant has also received the Caldecott Award and numerous other honors. In The Beautiful Stories of Life, Rylant vividly retells the Greek myths of Pandora, Pygmalion, Narcissus, Perse­phone, Orpheus, and Psyche. Exploring classic themes of love, destruction, vanity, and redemption, these tales will introduce young listeners to the exciting world of Greek mythology.

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.

You think you know the story of "Three Billy Goats Gruff"? You're in for a surprise. The troll SAID he wanted to gobble up the billy goats, but what's the real story behind his stomps and roars? A classic fairy tale gets a trip-trapping twist as the troll tells all.

Aphrodite delights in helping mortals find love, but she is definitely not delighted by the constant attention from the godboys at Mount Olympus Academy. So she comes up with the perfect plan to try and deflect some of that attention: She'll help a fellow goddess girl, Athena, find her very first crush. After giving Athena a fabulous makeover, Aphrodite is suddenly an afterthought as the boys at MOA go gaga for Athena's new look. And Aphrodite is a bit unprepared for just how much attention one of her best friends is now receiving.

In the third book in Rick Riordan's epic Norse mythology series, Magnus and his friends take a boat trip to the farthest borders of Jotunheim and Niflheim in pursuit of Asgard's greatest threat. Life preservers are mandatory for this wet, wild, and wondrous adventure.

I’m sure you’ve heard the name Thor, especially with all the superhero movies. In this book, we’ll tell you all about how he was born and all of the interesting things he did. But before all that, we’ll also take a quick look at what myths are, where they come from, and why they’re important.

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.

A clever monkey and a cunning crocodile face off in a tale of friendship and betrayal, showing how intelligence can outsmart danger—one of several engaging stories in this book.