Books in PlainTales Classics series

When young Lionel is whisked from his nursery one morning and crowned king, he becomes fascinated by the forbidden Book of Beasts in the palace library. But when a real red dragon escapes from the pages and wreaks havoc on the kingdom, Lionel has to act fast to make things right. But how? Edith Nesbit’s entertaining stories found a fan in J.K. Rowling, and with good reason. Like Harry Potter, these selections from The Book of Dragons are full of just the right mix of magic, adventure, and everyday life.

Why does the giraffe have spotty skin? Why do melons taste just so? An insatiably curious young elephant can't stop asking questions, until one in particular gets him into worse trouble than he could have ever imagined. In “The Elephant’s Child” and two other fanciful fables, Rudyard Kipling offers whimsical explanations for the strange lives and looks of the animals he encountered as a child in India—the long-trunked elephant, the saggy-skinned rhinoceros, and the half-wild house cat.

Hans Christian Andersen brings a silly sensibility to stories that showcase the triumph of the downtrodden (the ugly duckling that turns into a beautiful swan) and the downfall of the triumphant (the emperor whose arrogance won’t allow him to admit that he’s parading in public without any clothes). His stories appeal not only because of their universal themes, but because of Andersen’s simple, realistic language, and his ability to capture a big concept with a down-to-earth image.

From the author of The Wind in the Willows comes this story of a boy who befriends a lazy, but quite pleasant, dragon that takes up residence nearby. When the townspeople call in St. George, the eminent dragon-slayer, to do battle, it is up to the boy to sort things out and stick up for his newfound friend. It is a hilarious story that will have you cheering for the dragon and his pal. "The Reluctant Dragon" was made into a Walt Disney film in 1941; it has also seen life as a children's operetta. Listen carefully to the language of the literature-loving dragon; he seems rather more intelligent than the townspeople intent on skewering him.

A golden statue comes to life and, with the help of a reluctant swallow, gives away everything he has. A fierce giant forbids children to play in his garden—then realizes that only through sharing will spring ever come again. In these rich fables by Oscar Wilde, author of The Importance of Being Earnest, characters learn that kindness and giving are the greatest powers of all.

To save herself from certain death, the beautiful Scheherazade must beguile a Persian sultan with her enchanting stories. In two of her most well-known tales, Aladdin and Ali Baba's cleverness and quick-thinking save the day—and a great treasure. Andrew Lang’s masterful version of these ancient Middle Eastern folk tales will captivate listeners of all ages, just as they did when Scheherazade was the storyteller.

King Midas is obsessed with gold: counting it, touching it, imagining it. But when a strange young man grants his wish for a golden touch, things don’t go quite as he planned—particularly for his daughter Marigold. In these selections from classic American author Nathaniel Hawthorne’s charming retellings of Greek myths, children meet Midas and another engaging troublemaker, Pandora. The myths had, Hawthorne wrote, been around so long that they were “legitimate subjects for every age to clothe with its own garniture of manners and sentiment, and to imbue with its own morality.” Ultimately Hawthorne’s retellings of the myths are less didactic than simply entertaining, told in a conversational style that makes them perfect for children.

Lazy Rip Van Winkle “would rather starve on a penny than work for a pound,” much to the dismay of his wife. After an afternoon in the Catskill Mountains ends in an enchanted, twenty-year sleep, Rip discovers that his children have grown up without him. He’s even slept through the American Revolutionary War! But does he learn his lesson? From nineteenth-century author Washington Irving come two cautionary tales that will broaden your vocabulary and challenge you to think.