This book presents medieval tales that answers many questions in a highly entertaining format. The author offers solid historical background for each story so that young readers have a framework to enhance the significance of each story. As readers explore these action packed stories, young readers will be able to imagine themselves pulling Excalibur from the lake, untying the Gordian Knot, or fighting with Roland and the Frankish army. These adventurous stories will teach readers the importance of courage, resourcefulness and respect.

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.”

The hills and small towns of western North Carolina in the 1950s come to life in this collection of stories by master storyteller Donald Davis. He’s shared his tales everywhere—from the World’s Fair to the Smithsonian to the National Storytelling Festival—and now he invites readers into the adventures of his own childhood. His stories follow him from his earliest school days all the way to the moment he begins to understand the big changes happening in the world, including the loss of friends during the Vietnam War.

The people of the Appalachian Mountains have a special kind of humor—dry, colorful, and full of down‑to‑earth charm. Sometimes they poke fun at their own everyday mix‑ups, and other times they tease the outside world and its fancy ways.

Italian Americans make up one of the largest cultural groups in the United States. You may have seen Italian-American characters in books or movies, but those stories don’t always show the real lives of the people who came here from Italy and built new communities. This book shares traditions and tales collected directly from Italian-American families living in both big cities and small towns.

The Well of Truth is a funny Egyptian folktale about three friends—Goat, Rooster, and Donkey—who decide to start a farm together. When their clover field is suddenly destroyed, Donkey tries to hide a greedy secret.

Tuck-Me-In Tales is a charming collection of five bedtime stories from around the world, perfect for helping young children wind down.

In A Tale of Two Frogs (Story Cove), two frog sisters with very different personalities fall into a pail of milk and must find a way to escape.

In Sweet Tamales for Purim, a young girl and her friend Luis plan a festive Purim celebration in their Old West town until a hungry goat eats all the traditional pastries.

In The Sundown Kid: A Southwestern Shabbat, a young boy and his family move to the desert Southwest and struggle with feeling lonely as the only Jewish family in their new town.

Discover the charming Peruvian folktale The Stolen Smell, where a greedy baker tries to charge his neighbor a fee just for enjoying the scent of fresh bread.

Explore the vibrant world of Spicy Hot Colors: Colores Picantes, an award-winning picture book that introduces children to colors in both English and Spanish.

In Sitting Down to Eat, a young boy's snack time turns into a wild adventure when a parade of large animals, from an elephant to a blue whale, asks to join him.

In Scariest Stories Ever Told, celebrated author Roberta Simpson Brown delivers over 13 bone-chilling tales designed to give readers the ultimate thrill.

In Scared Witless: Thirteen Eerie Tales to Tell, authors Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss share a spooky and funny collection of stories perfect for kids who love a good thrill.

This spine-chilling collection features terrifying tales where computers take "delete" keys literally and unruly students are turned into chalk dust. Perfect for middle-schoolers who love a good scare, these stories prove that high school can be much more frightening than just exams and homework.

Rooster's Night Out is a humorous Cuban folktale about a vain rooster who gets tomato juice on his feathers right before a big party.

Some stories are hard to tell because they talk about things that are sad, scary, or confusing. These kinds of stories can be tough for the person telling them and for the person listening. But when they’re shared with kindness and care, they can help people understand each other and even feel braver.

Have you ever stopped to really look at a spider’s web? If it’s only meant to catch flies, why does it shimmer with such delicate, beautiful patterns? Have you ever wondered what makes thunder rumble, why the ocean tastes salty, or how tigers came to wear their bold stripes? This collection gathers delightful “why” stories from many cultures and time periods—tales that imagine how animals, plants, and natural wonders came to look or behave the way they do.

Even with all the things that can weigh on us—crime, pollution, illness, and everyday worries—people still find ways to make each other laugh. Listen on a street corner, in a café, or around a kitchen table anywhere in America, and you’ll hear someone sharing a joke or a funny story. That kind of hometown humor helps us get through tough times.

When Barbara McBride‑Smith first heard the ancient Greek myths as a young girl, she didn’t quite catch them the way her teacher intended. Instead of imagining the “cradle of Western civilization,” she pictured Western civilization—central Texas, near Waco—where those larger‑than‑life characters seemed right at home.

Set in familiar places like schools, farms, and campgrounds, these tales turn ordinary moments into chilling encounters with vengeful spirits and supernatural creatures.

Enjoy a classic battle of wits in this rhythmic retelling of two Southern folktales about a pesky, singing rabbit and a determined little girl. As the rabbit merrily eats his way through a prize pea patch, he must eventually use his cleverness to escape after being caught.

In this humorous retelling of a classic British fairy tale, a grumpy old woman learns a big lesson about gratitude after a kind fairy grants her wishes for a grander home.