Books published by publisher August House Publishers, Incorporated

People of all ages love to watch the escapades of tricksters. In modern times, we watch Bugs Bunny, Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote—even Ace Ventura and Bart Simpson. But these contemporary characters have roots in antiquity. The trickster is a universal archetype, found in every culture: Anansi among the African people, Coyote in the American Southwest, Raven in the Pacific Northwest, Rabbit in the American South, the leprechaun in Ireland, Fox in South America. Josepha Sherman has collected forty stories of tricksters from around the globe. Sometimes human, sometimes animal, most often male (but occasionally female, as Sherman demonstrates), the trickster is like a force of nature, an Id unchecked by Superego. He is the sort of being who says, while acting on impulse,"What happens if I do this? What will happen next?" These stories come from a variety of cultures, including ancient Babylon, Botswana, China, India, Eastern Europe, Morocco, Central and South America, and the Creole, African-American, Algonquin, Apache, and Blackfoot peoples in North America. Sherman's notes cite bibliographic sources and folklore motifs. Each major section includes an ornate line drawing by David Boston.

Just who was Robin Hood? What did William Tell do that was so special? Why is Joan of Arc so famous? Author Lorna Czarnota presents medieval tales that answer these questions—and many more—in a fun, simplified way that allows kids to add their own details and use their own imaginations in their retellings. Besides the tales, Czarnota offers solid historical background to each story, “so that the teller will have a skeleton on which to build the tale to his or her liking without losing the historical significance of the story.” She also imparts child-friendly tips for telling each tale. Of special interest is an informative section on characteristics of medieval tellers and the ways children might adopt a medieval persona. Pull Excalibur from the lake, untie the Gordian Knot, or fight with Roland and the Frankish army. Educators, parents, and children alike will enjoy this collection of medieval tales, designed specifically for young readers and budding storytellers. READING LEVELS: Lexile Level: 750L; Guided Reading: V

Winner of PLA/ALLS Best New Books for New Adult Readers and the Storytelling World AwardThis collection of fifty folktales and parables was selected from diverse story traditions such as Sufi, Zen, Taoist, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, African, and Native American. Comprised of ancient plots both poignant and comical, this anthology contains simple truths, common sense, and the promise that we can benefit from past generations' wisdom and experience.By metaphorically suggesting constructive strategies for living, these ancient tales resonate with a universal appeal. "The characters in these stories may gain wisdom by observing a good example or by bumbling through their own folly," Heather Forest observes. "I hope these stories will provide discussion and offer insight into joys, sorrows, fears and farce of human experience." Wisdom tales offer useful insights into life's joys and sorrows that all of us experience.

Modern-day counterparts of the Spanish conquistadors and the early nineteenth-century settlers still cling to the image of El Dorado. The folklore of the land still exerts its magical pull. The pickup truck has replaced the horse and mule, but treasure seekers still travel with little more than their dreams and hopes. They can be found even now in the mountains and the valleys of the American Southwest, still searching for the elusive riches they believe await them. W.C. Jameson gathers his material from his own extensive on-site search in Arizona, Arkansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, and from interviews with people whose lives have been entwined with the search for particular treasures. His book contains 36 stories: accounts of gold mines where the nuggets can be collected with a rake; of hidden caverns where bars of silver are stacked like firewood; of caches of treasure guarded only by skeletons. Location maps point modern-day treasure hunters to the sites discussed in the legends.

Mexican-Americans of today are richly nourished by the folkways of three cultures - Indian, Spanish, and Mexican. This comprehensive look at the Mexican-American world includes proverbs, riddles, and folksongs; folk narrative, from Pancho Villa to urban ghosts, saints to revolutionaries; customs, from household shrines to irrigation rituals; children's games, home remedies, folk foods, crafts , dress and more.

We must equip our children with story in order to keep them linked with the past and ready for the future. "Our children are growing up without their birthright: the myths, fairy tales, fantasies and folklore that are their proper legacy." The essays in Touch Magic, Jane Yolen's classic call-to-arms advocating the use of fantasy and folklore in children's literature, echo that statement. Yolen argues persuasively that fantasy, folklore, and the realm of story provide children with the necessary tools for facing the world, understanding its ways and capriciousness, indeed, becoming truly human. “I believe that culture begins in the cradle,” she writes. “To do without tales and stories and books is to lose humanity's past, is to have no star map for our future.” August House now offers a richly expanded version of this seminal volume. With six new essays that tender fresh perspectives on the morality of fairy tales, time travel, the definition of story, and, of course, why such themes are essential to the development of today's children, Touch Magic heralds a new millennium of fantasy, myth, and storytelling. “Story is our wall against the dark,” Yolen contends, and as adults, we must equip our children with story in order to keep them linked with the past and ready for the future. Touch magic, and pass it on.

Secret Indian mines, lost outlaw hoards, and stolen payroll coins!Do Native Americans know the location of the cursed “Lost Gold of Devil's Sink”? Did Sir Francis Drake bury millions of dollars' worth of ancient Incan treasures? Has anyone found the box of gold coins buried by a reputed giant in the Washington rain forest? Is there a noble family's fortune buried near an old log cabin in the Cascades?These 32 revived tales of wealth and splendor not only share these mysteries but also immerse readers in a prospecting culture almost as rich as the treasures themselves. The wilds of the Pacific Northwest's vast territory and numerous subregions are all encompassed in this collection, from the picturesque coastline east over the snowy mountains and into the vast plateau leading into Idaho.The Pacific Northwest provides a picturesque backdrop for these stories as it stretches from the rugged coastline east over the snowy mountains and into the vast plateau that leads to Idaho. For over a century, outlaws, prospectors, Russians, Indians, loners, soldiers, and immigrants have thrown themselves into all of the adventure and intrigue money can buy. These myths of fur traders, trappers and Chinook Indian culture teach readers the importance of courage, responsibility and resourcefulness.

These treasure stories encourage dreams of riches and high adventure. -Review of Texas BooksPart of the colorful history of Texas includes legends of outlaw loot, pirate hoards, buried mines, and Santa Anna's lost pack-train carrying gold. This book contains 31 legends ranging from lost fortunes of Native Americans, French pirates, Spanish explorers, and Mexican soldiers to the early exploits of German and Scotch-Irish settlers. These unique tales from the people of the Lone Star State highlight their adventures and struggles in search of lost mines and forgotten treasures. Cowboys, outlaws, and stage coach robbers run fill the pages of this collection of Texas stories from real-life treasure hunter, W.C. Jameson. Readers will learn about the importance of courage, resourcefulness and responsibility in this enthralling adventure collection.

These could be popular with younger readers and may even be highly requested in areas specific to the various titles. -Library JournalThese 32 tales from “the Backbone of America” include “The Gold Behind the Waterfall” (Arizona), “The Treasure of Deadman Cave” (Colorado), “Lava Cave Cache” (Idaho), “Henry Plummer's Lost Gold” (Montana), “The Curse of the Lost Sheepherder's Mine” (Nevada), “Lost Train Robbery Loot in Cibola County” (New Mexico), “Eighty Ingots in Spanish Gold” (Utah), and “Lost Ledge of Gold” (Wyoming).As Jameson points out in his introduction, the Rocky Mountains still have many remote areas that even today can only be reached on horseback or on foot. Centuries ago Native American Indians, Spaniards, explorers, prospectors, miners, the occasional wandering cowboy and even outlaws fleeing the law roamed these rugged mountains. Today this land remains laced with hidden treasures just waiting to be found. These treasure adventures from the Rocky Mountain West will teach readers about the importance of courage, responsibility and resourcefulness.

Readers learn that indeed some of the gold has been found, and this should motivate them to get lucky and search on their own. -School Library JournalA cedar chest that had been packed with gold coins robbed from a bank just south of Lexington, Kentucky in 1860 was recovered 50 years later by a fishing guide at King's Mill Pond. Only a handful of coins were left in the chest, which had mostly rotted away. Is the rest settled beneath the silt of the pond today? The Appalachian Mountains have witnessed untold fortunes gained and lost. The confluence and clashes of a number of cultures – Native American Indian, French, Spanish, pioneer, and Union and Confederate forces - often resulted in struggles over mineral resources or fights about stashes of gold and silver that were hidden for later retrieval. W.C. Jameson gathered his material from journals, maps, on-site research in the Southern Appalachian Mountains and from interviews with people whose lives have been entwined with the search for long lost treasures. This book contains 40 legends with accounts of caves stacked from floor to ceiling with gold ingots; of caches guarded by skeletons and curses; and of Union payrolls scattered to the four winds. These Civil War era stories tell of courage, responsibility and resourcefulness that will teach readers as well as entertain.

Winner of the Garden State Teen Book Award & 2002 YALSA Popular Paperbacks for Young AdultsHey, did you hear the one about the lady who had her beehive hairdo sprayed so hard that spiders started to nest in it? Of course you did, it happened to your next-door neighbor's cousin. Or was it your cousin's next-door neighbor? Folktales are not the exclusive domain of the past. They're alive and kicking in urban legends, those stories that are told as true, but always as happening to a friend of a friend. We hear them in conversation and recognize them on the Internet. In this collection, you'll encounter stories about stupid criminals, scams and conspiracy theories, students clever enough to outsmart the professor though not smart enough to pass the test, and jerks who get their just desserts. Based on David Holt and Bill Mooney's two-man storytelling show and their Grammy nominated audio, this collection will make your hair stand on end... possible into the shape of a beehive hairdo. These urban legends will teach readers the importance of courage and resourcefulness.