A Japanese story about a strong little boy and the adventures he has with his animal friends.

Traditional stories have been told aloud for hundreds of years. Even though they aren’t meant to be taken literally, they stay with us because they share timeless truths about what it means to be human.

This book gathers fifty folktales and parables from many different cultures—Sufi, Zen, Taoist, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, African, and Native American. Even though these stories come from far‑away places and different times, they all share simple truths, gentle humor, and the idea that we can learn from the wisdom of people who lived long ago.

Reading a story quietly to yourself feels like a private adventure. But hearing someone tell a story out loud is something we experience together. Just like music on a page becomes real when someone plays it, a story becomes richer when it’s shared with a group.

Across North and South America, Native peoples have shared stories for generations—tales told aloud long before they were written down. In this collection, more than forty myths from thirty different tribes, from the far northern Arctic to the tropical forests of Guiana, invite readers to explore a powerful idea: all living things are connected by the same spirit.

The author's stories take place in places kids know well. There are school hallways where locker doors slam like a noisy song between classes. There are county fairs with bright lights and whirling rides. There are cozy homes where parents send kids to bed with milk and cookies.

Anyone who teaches, lead, or speaks in public has had the experience of needing to fill short...

People all around the world tell stories that teach us about wisdom and fairness. These tales help us remember that when people use good judgment and treat each other kindly, everyone can live together in peace. Wisdom tales show us how important it is to listen, think carefully, and do what’s right.

Tricksters are some of the most exciting characters in stories from all over the world. They’re clever, playful, and full of surprises. Sometimes they act a little foolish, sometimes they’re amazingly wise—and often they manage to be both at once. Their adventures remind us that using our wits can help us stand up to bullies, solve problems, and even have a little fun along the way.

Every culture on Earth has its own lovable fools—people who mean well but somehow manage to mix things up anyway. Even though they often choose the wrong thing to do, their hearts are usually in the right place. By listening to their stories, we learn how to make better choices ourselves… and how to laugh when we have a silly moment, too.

Insects have been part of our world since the very beginning. Sometimes they buzz in our ears or give us itchy bites, and sometimes they amaze us with their bright colors, clever tricks, and tiny superpowers. People everywhere have watched insects closely enough to imagine what their lives might be like, giving them stories, personalities, and even heroic moments.

What does it really take to be a hero? Do you need giant muscles, towering height, or endless power? Not at all. Sometimes being a hero starts with quick thinking, a brave heart, or the simple choice to help someone else. When we read about the bold characters in these stories, we can feel our own inner hero waking up, reminding us that we all have the power to do good.

This book is perfect for anyone who adores cats. All around the world, people see cats as special—sometimes magical, sometimes mysterious, always full of personality. The nine stories in this collection show cats at their very best. Some are sweet, some are sneaky, some are brave or stubborn, but every single one is clever.

In his Apologetics class at Monsignor Bonner High School, Ed Stivender had a special reputation—he was the class clown. One day he pushed Father McGinnis just a little too far, and the teacher gave him a surprising punishment: Ed had to take part in a debate about The Existence of God. And even tougher, he had to argue the side against God’s existence.

Feathers: A Jewish Tale from Eastern Europe is a beautifully illustrated children's picture book that teaches a timeless lesson about the dangers of gossip.

In many Native American traditions, the spirit world and the natural world are closely connected. What happens to animals, people, or the land can echo in the world of spirits—and the other way around. Choctaw storyteller Tim Tingle shares this idea through tales passed down by the Five Civilized Tribes: the Creek, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Seminole nations. In these stories, the spirit world steps into our world in surprising and unforgettable ways.

When two hungry travelers use a "magic" stone to start a soup, they inspire a stingy village to come together and contribute their own ingredients.

The author grew up in the mountains of western North Carolina listening to stories that many kids in America had never heard before. He didn’t realize it at the time, but he was learning old tales that had traveled across the ocean with Scots‑Irish families long ago. In the 1950s, people in the Appalachian Mountains were still telling these stories, most of them about a clever, brave, and sometimes very lucky character named Jack. Versions of Jack appear in almost every culture, which makes him feel familiar no matter where you’re from.

When ten suns make the earth too hot to inhabit, a brave archer must use his skills to bring balance back to the world.

The author—famous for telling some of the spookiest stories around—have gathered a whole collection of chills and thrills in this book. The tales are grouped into fun themes so kids can pick exactly the kind of scare they’re in the mood for. This collection is packed with scares, laughs, and unforgettable moments—just right for kids who love stories that make their hearts race and their imaginations soar.

Jewish folklore is full of stories that have traveled across many lands and cultures. Over hundreds of years, these tales have carried the joys and challenges of being Jewish, showing both the struggles people faced and the strength they found along the way.

The Woman Who Flummoxed the Fairies is a charming Scottish folktale about a clever baker woman who is kidnapped by cake-loving fairies.

Not everyone can turn a near‑disaster into a hilarious story—but Brummett sure can. He can make you laugh about the time he jumped off a thirty‑foot windmill into a water tank that turned out to have only three feet of water in it. He can even make a day that began with three giant scorpion stings sound like something you’d tell around a campfire. And somehow, he can turn the moment his three‑year‑old grandson got tossed off a bull—flying higher than Brummett had ever seen a kid fly—into a tale you can’t help but chuckle at.

Maybe it’s because his mother was a teacher. Or maybe it’s because he spent so much of his life in classrooms—first as a curious first grader, then as a hopeful college student, later as a seminarian, and now as a visiting writer who travels to schools all over the country. Whatever the reason, school has always been at the heart of Donald Davis’s stories, and this book gathers his very favorite school adventures.