Myths For Children

Ling Li loves to listen to the songbirds that live in part of the Great Wall near her village. After a soldier kills them, she travels to see the Jade Emperor with hope that he will bring them back to life. Can Ling Li meet the emperor’s challenge and save the birds’ song?

Magotu is the most beautiful girl in her village. She will not settle for just any husband—he must be as beautiful as she is. When she finally comes across a man who meets all of her standards, she immediately agrees to marry him. To her chagrin, she finds that her vanity has put her in a bad situation—her new husband is nothing like she thought. Can Magotu find a way to escape?

Potano, the chief of the Timucua people, must save his daughter from a demon. Together with his strongest warriors, he must overcome the demon's challenges. Will he be able to rescue his daughter? Or will they fail after they fall into the Devil’s Millhopper?

After Jaidutt’s father squanders his inheritance, he must find a way to take care of his family. Hoping to start a business, he asks a merchant for a loan. Instead of giving Jaidutt money, however, the merchant challenges him to turn a dead rat into gold. How will Jaidutt complete this impossible task?

In a small Japanese village, a maiden is sacrificed to a dragon so their town will not be destroyed. Kotoshi is next to be sacrificed, but she hopes to fight back! Instead of trying to eat her, the dragon asks for her help in return for her life. Will Kotoshi be able to help the dragon’s baby and end her tyranny on the town?

In this Welsh tale, Nel loves to knit stockings for her brothers as she walks her family’s land. One day, a fairy leaves her a gift—a golden chair! To keep the fairy from stealing it back, Nel must use her wit and knitting supplies to keep her chair safe while she and her family carry it home. Will Nel’s plan work? Or will the fairy steal the gift back?

In this reimagined Japanese folktale, Binbou is a poor, kind man. One night, he rescues a raven from the snow and takes care of it. The next day, he meets a beautiful woman who wants to marry him. To help Binbou, she weaves a brocade cloth to sell but he is still unhappy. Will Binbou’s greed drive his new wife away?

The princess wishes for a new topping on her toast. After years of eating marmalade, she realizes that she does not like it and wants something new! A sea captain is sent on a quest to find the new topping. All hope seems lost until the captain meets an old woman with a strange new ingredient. Will this new ingredient make the princess happy?

It is time for the Chinese emperor to choose his successor. Instead of one of his lazy sons, he decides to choose someone who is not from the royal family and devises a special test. Who will be worthy to become the next emperor?

When Sekka was a little girl, her mother disappeared into the snow. For years, she asked her father why her mother left. As her father is dying, she learns her mother’s secrets and who she really is. As her mother returns, Sekka learns the secrets of the Snow Spirit and their terrible price she must pay to be with her mother. What fate will Sekka choose— love or immortality?

In this Japanese tale, two sets of fox parents arrange for their children to marry. Everything seems to go as planned, but there’s a problem—in order to secure the marriage, each set of parents lied to the other about their child’s beauty! What happens when their dishonesty comes to light? Will the fox-bride and her husband still love each other?

In this Japanese folktale, Farmer Shiba’s crops are being destroyed by Kappa Dai, a mischievous water creature that lives in the nearby river. As his crops continue to disappear, Shiba must find a way to trick this creature.

In this Chinese folk tale, an old widow’s son is killed by a tiger. After she demands justice from the magistrate, he grants it to her, but not quite in the way she expected. Will she be able to move past her grief and find a way to survive on her own?

In this Persian folktale, Hassan is in love with Neeloufar, a beggar who sits outside his shop. He wishes to marry her, but she has a secret—her family is royalty! Will her father, the King of Beggars, allow Hassan to marry his daughter? Will Hassan be able to accept her family’s business?

This time, the magic mirror (with a little help from the magical fairy, Maryrose) sends Abby and Jonah into the story of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. And they have a task: Find the enchanted ruby and bring it back to help Maryrose. But to do so, Abby and Jonah must follow the 12 sisters from their palace to the secret spot where they go dancing. Abby and Jonah will have to learn some moves of their own - and dancing isn't easy when you don't know the steps!

John Flanagan returns to the world of Ranger’s Apprentice to find out what happens when Will’s apprentice, Maddie - the Royal Ranger - returns home to Castle Araluen. The Kingdom may have been at peace for a number of years, but there are always those who would commit treason to take power for themselves. When Maddie learns of a plot against the crown, she must go undercover to find out more - and hopefully stop it. But going undercover isn’t easy when you’re the princess - even if you’re trained as a Ranger.

It has all been leading to this. Every victory. Every loss. All the thrills and sadness; the hope and despair. Bobby Pendragon's heart-pounding journey through time and space has brought him to this epic moment. He and his fellow Travelers must join forces for one last desperate battle against Saint Dane. At stake is not only the 10th and final territory, but all that ever was or will be. Everywhere.

Happenstance, a boy with unusual green eyes, awakens with no memories. Falling in with the adventurer Lord Umber and his band of misfits, this boy with many uncanny gifts soon discovers that he may be the strangest one of all.

Have you ever noticed how fireflies look like stars that have fallen from the sky? According to this Indonesian tale, that’s how they came to be! A greedy man overeats the stars with the help of a coconut tree and learns a lesson when he fails to properly thank the friendly tree.

Masha is a lovely little girl who lost her way in the forest. Now to find her way back she will have to plan a trick on the bear who had held her captive.