Folk Myths

For two years, Cyrus and Antigone Smith have run a sagging roadside motel with their older brother, Daniel. Nothing ever seems to happen. Then a strange old man with bone tattoos arrives, demanding a specific room. Less than 24 hours later, the old man is dead. The motel has burned, and Daniel is missing. And Cyrus and Antigone are kneeling in a crowded hall, swearing an oath to an order of explorers who have long served as caretakers of the world's secrets, keepers of powerful relics from lost civilizations, and jailers to unkillable criminals.

The struggle of good versus evil continues as Bobby Pendragon follows Saint Dane to the territory of Zadaa. Saint Dane's influence has fueled the fire of discontent between two warring tribes: the Rokador and the Batu. This is also the territory where the Traveler Loor lives as a member of the Batu. Together she and Bobby must work to thwart Saint Dane's efforts to destroy Zadaa.

Young Twig lives in the Deepwoods, among the Woodtrolls, but he isn't one of them. In a brave attempt to find out where he belongs, Twig wanders into the mysterious, fascinating, and sometimes hazardous world beyond the Deepwoods. In his travels he encounters myriad peculiar creatures, like his wise guardian, the Caterbird; the Slaughterers, a peaceful race who butcher animals for their livelihood; and the vicious, bile-swilling Rotsucker.

This breathtaking, full-color illustrated fantasy is inspired by Chinese folklore, and is a companion to the Newbery Honor winner Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. Pinmei's gentle, loving grandmother always has the most thrilling tales for her granddaughter and the other villagers. However, the peace is shattered one night when soldiers of the Emperor arrive and kidnap the storyteller. Everyone knows that the Emperor wants something called the Luminous Stone That Lights the Night.

Thirteen-year-old Anna Ballinkay has never been normal. Her family uses their psychic abilities to help run the Ravenfall Inn, a magical B&B between the human world and the Otherworld. But it’s hard to contribute when your only power is foreseeing death. So when fourteen-year-old Colin Pierce arrives at Ravenfall searching for his missing older brother, Anna jumps at the chance to help. But the mysteries tied to Colin go much deeper than either of them expects...

A young prince must find a princess to marry. But he has trouble finding the right one. Finally, he finds a princess who shares his interest in soccer. But how can he find out if she's a real, true princess?

Jack trades his father's only cow for three magic beans. When an enormous beanstalk grows outside his window, Jack's adventure begins. What happens when Jack wakes the sleeping giant? Will Jack get back all the things the giant has stolen from his father?

Matt Thorsen knows every Norse myth, saga, and god as if it was family history - because it is family history. Most people in the modern-day town of Blackwell, South Dakota, in fact, are direct descendants of either Thor or Loki, including Matt's classmates Fen and Laurie. When the rune readers reveal that the monsters of Ragnarok are coming and kids will stand in for the gods in the final battle, Matt can hardly believe it. Matt and his friends must race to put together an unstoppable team to prevent the end of the world.

Booted from one exclusive school to the next since his foster mom's death three years ago, 16-year-old Seph McCauley knows he's different. But he doesn't understand why he can summon menacing ravens, freeze summer ponds, and torch all he touches. And then Seph makes the mistake of trusting his new headmaster. If you like Harry Potter, you'll love Seph McCauley.

Did you know that Cinderella’s stepsisters got their eyes pecked out by birds? Really. And that Rumpelstiltskin ripped himself in half? And that in "The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage", a mouse, a bird, and a sausage all talk to each other? (Okay, I guess that one’s not that grim.) Those are the real fairy tales. But they have nothing on the fairy tales in this audiobook.

Almost as light as a penny and with wings beating more than fifty times each second, these tiny Central American hummingbirds migrate 2,000 miles to reach their spring home. Listeners will enjoy learning about the ruby-throated hummingbird along with a retelling of Mayan tale.

In this story from the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest, you’ll learn how the trickster raven brings light back to the world from a greedy chief.

In this Chinese folktale, an unhappy young bride named Shui-mu must do all the chores in her mother-in-law's household, until a gift from a mysterious old woman brings change. This Cinderella-like story of overcoming cruelty and rewarding generosity is the origin of the revered Water Mother legend.

In this classic Jewish folk tale, a selfish queen captures a lovely starling in an attempt to keep his beautiful birdsong close by. But a starling without freedom cannot sing, so he seeks to escape his cage.

A long time ago in Japan, a great warrior was pestered by a large rat. He tried using traps and his sword, but the rat was too clever. Strong cats and speedy cats are no match for this clever rat. Will the samurai’s new cat be able to outsmart the rat?

After a disagreement on what quality makes a great king, four animals learn that no one quality is more important than another.

Learn about how eggs grow and hatch, and how baby chickens can be hatched using an incubator.

Mallory hasn't quite adapted to life in her new town of Eastport yet. Maybe it's because everyone is obsessed with keeping the town's reputation as the most cursed town in the US. And thanks to the nightmares she's had since arriving, Mallory hardly sleeps. Combined with the unsettling sensation of being watched, she's quickly becoming convinced there's more to her town. Something darker.

The young boy Peter, together with his friend the bird, manages to catch a hungry wolf who has come to his garden, looking for food and chasing all the animals, including a duck whom he manages to swallow. After the wolf has been caught with a lasso, hunters arrive, intending to shoot him. Instead, Peter proposes to bring him to the zoo, and the hunters, Peter, his grandfather, and the animals form a procession to deliver the wolf.

Jason is born the son of King Aeson. His destiny is to rule Iolcus, the land that his father's brother, King Pelias, has taken from him. When Jason comes of age, he returns to Iolcus. But the king is not yet willing to give up his throne. So he cunningly persuades Jason to accept a dare to bring back the famous Golden Fleece of Colchis. Jason accepts the challenge, unaware that he is being conned into a dangerous and perhaps fatal journey far, far from the land he loves.