In these twelve modern myths and tales for the young and the young at heart, Jane Yolen transforms the impossible into the familiar and real. Among the outlandish wonders are an Alice grown tough in Wonderland, a dear--but dead--mother’s homecoming, a bridge that longs for a goat-eating troll, and a mutiny among Peter Pan’s troops.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-7. This solid collection of short stories is a good introduction to various types of fantasy. Three of the 12 pieces are new and the rest have been published in other compilations. There is something here for everyone?tales that are scary, gross, or fanciful. Some of the selections are reworkings of parts of children's classics, such as Alice in Wonderland (Alice learns how to be tough with the Jabberwock) and Peter Pan (Captain Hook is singing a new tune now that he is married to a modern-day feminist). "The Bridge's Complaint" puts a different spin on "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" by relating events from the bridge's point of view. The tales are set in different times?some in the past, some in the present, and some in the near or distant future. "Wilding" is a chilling futuristic look at New York City's Central Park, based on the gang violence that occurred there in the late 1980s. There's a story of a frightening sea monster, one about a fairy, and another about aliens; all will chill and delight the imagination.?Virginia Golodetz, St. Michael's College, Winooski, VT
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
Grade 5-7. This solid collection of short stories is a good introduction to various types of fantasy. Three of the 12 pieces are new and the rest have been published in other compilations. There is something here for everyone?tales that are scary, gross, or fanciful. Some of the selections are reworkings of parts of children's classics, such as Alice in Wonderland (Alice learns how to be tough with the Jabberwock) and Peter Pan (Captain Hook is singing a new tune now that he is married to a modern-day feminist). "The Bridge's Complaint" puts a different spin on "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" by relating events from the bridge's point of view. The tales are set in different times?some in the past, some in the present, and some in the near or distant future. "Wilding" is a chilling futuristic look at New York City's Central Park, based on the gang violence that occurred there in the late 1980s. There's a story of a frightening sea monster, one about a fairy, and another about aliens; all will chill and delight the imagination. Virginia Golodetz, St. Michael's College, Winooski, VT
(School Library Journal )
(School Library Journal )
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More About the Author
Born and raised in New York City, Jane Yolen now lives in Hatfield, Massachusetts. She attended Smith College and received her master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. The distinguished author of more than 170 books, Jane Yolen is a person of many talents. When she is not writing, Yolen composes songs, is a professional storyteller on the stage, and is the busy wife of a university professor, the mother of three grown children, and a grandmother. Active in several organizations, Yolen has been on the Board of Directors of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, was president of the Science Fiction Writers of America from 1986 to 1988, is on the editorial board of several magazines, and was a founding member of the Western New England Storytellers Guild, the Western Massachusetts Illustrators Guild, and the Bay State Writers Guild. For twenty years, she ran a monthly writer's workshop for new children's book authors. In 1980, when Yolen was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law degree by Our Lady of the Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts, the citation recognized that "throughout her writing career she has remained true to her primary source of inspiration--folk culture." Folklore is the "perfect second skin," writes Yolen. "From under its hide, we can see all the shimmering, shadowy uncertainties of the world." Folklore, she believes, is the universal human language, a language that children instinctively feel in their hearts. All of Yolen's stories and poems are somehow rooted in her sense of family and self. The Emperor and the Kite, which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1983 for its intricate papercut illustrations by Ed Young, was based on Yolen's relationship with her late father, who was an international kite-flying champion. Owl Moon, winner of the 1988 Caldecott Medal for John Schoenherr's exquisite watercolors, was inspired by her husband's interest in birding. Yolen's graceful rhythms and outrageous rhymes have been gathered in numerous collections. She has earned many awards over the years: the Regina Medal, the Kerlan Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Society of Children's Book Writers Award, the Mythopoetic Society's Aslan Award, the Christopher Medal, the Boy's Club Jr. Book Award, the Garden State Children's Book Award, the Daedalus Award, a number of Parents' Choice Magazine Awards, and many more. Her books and stories have been translated into Japanese, French, Spanish, Chinese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Afrikaans, !Xhosa, Portuguese, and Braille. With a versatility that has led her to be called "America's Hans Christian Andersen," Yolen, the child of two writers, is a gifted and natural storyteller. Perhaps the best explanation for her outstanding accomplishments comes from Jane Yolen herself: "I don't care whether the story is real or fantastical. I tell the story that needs to be told."
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Something for everyone,
By A Customer
This review is from: Twelve Impossible Things Before Breakfast: Stories (Hardcover)
Rather like a "Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears" for a younger audience, this book is for anyone who enjoys a good fractured faerytale or stories from the fantasy realm. It has everything, from Yolen's continuation of Alice in Wonderland to the sad story of an Appalachian girl whose mother has returned to life as a vampire. While stories like "The Bridge's Complaint", a twist on the old Billy Goats Gruff story (told by an intellectual bridge) and "Lost Girls," a feminist version of Peter Pan, gave me a good laugh, stories like "Mama Gone," the vampire story, and "Bolundeers" were both sad and heartwarming. "Sea Dragon of Fife" was a tale of legendary proportions and "Wilding" added a bit of sci-fi to the bunch. You won't put the book down until you've read ALL of the stories--many times. And it's by Jane Yolen, it can't be BAD! Get it and be sure to read "Harlyn's Fairy" and "Winter's King," my personal favourites.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Impossible Not To Enjoy,
By A Customer
This review is from: Twelve Impossible Things Before Breakfast: Stories (Hardcover)
Yolen is a literary genius, with a beautiful ability and talent to weave stories, either new or traditional in nature. Most of these short stories were gems. "Lost Girls" is a fractured version of Peter Pan, in which Darla, a lover of the Barrie story, finds the real Never-Never Land isn't all fun and games. "The Winter King" and "The Babysitter" also stand out, the former a fairy tale of a boy born to be a cold king; the latter an almost urban legend of a babysitter and things that go bump in the night.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing!,
By jleopia (Mtn. View, CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Twelve Impossible Things Before Breakfast: Stories (Paperback)
Defently one of the best books I've ever read. It contains 12 different stories that are happy, sad, and some were downright scary.
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