Books in Library of the World's Myths and Legends series

Here are the stories that everyone knows - Robin Hood, Anaigi the Spider man, George and the Dragon - alongside a golden hoard of lesser known myths and legends from Ethopia, Mexico, China and many other countries. No one can tell a tale better than Geraldine McCaugherean. Her colourful, always readable prose sweeps you along and gives each of these 25 stories its own special magic.

Once upon a time, our ancestors told stories to explain to each other how the world began or how a mountain or a lake came into being, or the wind or the sun. Then they told sotries about their own forebears: legends of half-remembered heroes of ancient times or of ordinary people whose lives were changed by some mystery, or who performed some great deed. The Crystal Pool is the fourth of Geraldine McCaughrean's glorious collections of myths and legends. It contains twenty-eight tales, including the legend of The Pied Piper and The Flying Dutchman, and stories from Iceland, Africa, Germany, America, China, Channel Islands, Japan, Egypt, Ghana, Australia, Ancient Greece. and many others. Like The Golden Hoard, The Silver Treasure and The Bronze Cauldron, The Crystal Pool combines the Exceptional talents of author Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrator Bee Willey in a book that will delight and enrich everyone who love a story.

For twelve years, Grendel, a ferocious and bloodthirsty creature, terrorises King Hrothgar's people, killing and devouring their bravest warriors. That is until one day when Beowulf, the strongest and mightiest of the Geat warriors, arrives on the Danish shores determined to defeat Grendel. When Beowulf slaughters the vicious creature, the kingdom rejoices but the celebrations do not last long. In all the excitement, the people of Hrothgar have forgotten about Grendel's keenest ally... This gripping dual language adaptation of the Anglo-Saxon epic makes the legend of Beowulf accessible to readers of all ages and offers a thrilling insight to the Anglo-Saxon history. Brought to life through Alan Down's powerful illustrations, Beowulf's exploits also invite discussion of heroism, myths, and legends.