Have you ever heard the silly story about the woman whose beehive hairdo was sprayed so stiff that tiny creatures decided it would make a perfect home? Everyone seems to know someone who knows someone it happened to—though the details always get a little mixed up. That’s the magic of urban legends. They’re modern folktales, passed along as “totally true,” even though they always happened to a “friend of a friend.”

This book gathers exciting stories from almost every continent, offering short, fast‑moving tales that grab young readers right away. You’ll find funny adventures, clever trickster tales, tall tales, and stories about families—perfect for both middle‑grade readers and younger kids who love a good yarn.

Do you know how the Teddy bear got its name? It all began when President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt went on a bear‑hunting trip in Mississippi. His friends wanted the very best guide for the president, so they chose Holt Collier. Holt had been born into slavery and had grown up to become the most skilled bear hunter in the South. He promised he would find a bear for the president—even if he had to “lasso one and tie it to a tree.”

at is a boy who wants more from life than collecting coal from the Fire Sea.

Newton is a misfit...

Twelve million years ago, rhinos, elephants, and camels roamed North America. They would gather at...

After an incident shatters their family, eleven-year old Samantha and her older sister Caitlin are...

Henry Khoo's family treats him like a baby. He’s not allowed to go anywhere without his sister...

When Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a rogue herd of elephants in his reserve in South Africa...

Swept up in the Gold Rush of 1897, young Jack London headed north to strike it rich in the Klondike...

Deep below ground, there is a secret hospital for magical creatures. At Saint Philomene's Infirmary...

Mr. Quisling is definitely up to something mysterious, and Emily and James are on high alert. First...

In the final book in the series the Chronicles of Prydain, Taran and Prince Gwydion must retrieve...

Talking cats, a missing princess, swordfights with villains, and secret identities combine in this...

The day the First World War broke out Alfie Summerfield s father promised he wouldn t go away to...

Martina Rivera has a remarkable imagination. But with two extroverted brothers at home, she’s always...

When a forty-seven-foot sailboat disappears in the Gulf Stream in the throes of a disastrous storm...

Color your way around the world and discover the landmarks, animals, and people that make each...

Twelve-year-old Brine Seaborne is a girl with a past--if only she could remember what it is. Found...

After a slight misunderstanding involving a horrible governess, oatmeal, and a jar of tadpoles...

Twelve-year-old Lizzie Durango and her dad have always had a zoo to call their home. Lizzie spends...

Have you ever wondered how experts train a gorilla? Or what design features make a great gorilla...

A long undisturbed bedroom. A startling likeness. A mysterious friend. When twelve-year-old Prince...

This is the first longer-format, middle-grade collection from #1 New York Times–bestselling author...

Did you know that many of America’s Founding Fathers―who fought for liberty and justice for all―were...