fairy tales

The Best Villains in Children’s Books

Note: originally written in 2012 by educator, mom, and “education diva,” Ruth Spivak with updates and revisions in 2020 by Melissa Taylor. Mwahahaaaa! An awesome villain can really make a great children’s book. Oh sure, it’s great to have a hero who models virtue and courage, but it’s the villains who are often the most interesting and […]

Lovely Fairy Tales and Myths to Enjoy With Children

Some of these newly published fairy tales and myth books are familiar while others are totally new. Read these stories with your children. Then see what wonderful discussions you might have as you explore the richness and meaning of the stories together. Fairy tales began as allegories to explain abstract concepts with themes of […]

Ultimate List of Beauty and the Beast Retellings and Adaptations (for Kids and Young Adults)

Fans of the Beauty and the Beast movies, look no further to find Beauty and the Beast (La Belle et la Bête) books — retellings and adaptations for kids and Young Adults (YA)! This originally French fairy tale became popular in the 1700s written by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve. When her father is imprisoned by […]

Once Upon a Time: Fairy Tales

You know how I feel about fairy tales, that they are essential reading for kids. Today, I’m excited to share with you NEW mythical and magical folk and fairy tales, nursery rhymes, and two impressive collections of classic fairy tale stories. You’re going to love these! Once Upon a Time: Fairy Tales Once Upon a Gorjuss Time Six Classic […]

12 Favorite Fairy Tale Mashups

I love fairy tale mashups because they take some of an original fairy tale and combine it with another, creating an entirely new story. It’s fairy tale fanfiction! Here are ten of my favorite chapter books for kids with mixed-up fairy tales. Add any more that you know about in the comments. Fairy Tale Mashups Big Bad […]

Fairy Tales For Kids

I think that fairy tales for kids are so important because they develop a child’s imagination and teach important life lessons. (The original fairy tales especially.) Here’s a list of fairy tales, some original and retold, and some updated, and some modified. Also Read: Huge List of Fairy Tale Books for Children Fairy Tales For Kids […]

New, Fascinating Fairy Tale Picture Books

We love fairy tale picture books with their life lessons, heroes, heroines, magic, and unusual creatures. It’s interesting to watch as fairy tales adapt and change like the story below of Goldy Luck instead of Goldilocks. But equally as fascinating is the original versions retold to new audiences as with The Snow Queen and Little […]

Fairy Tales: Picture Books, Chapter Books, and Writing Ideas

Yesterday I explained why we must read fairy tales to our children, responding to the thinking that fairy tales are too scary, too politically incorrect, too stereotypical. Today we’ll look at the best fairy tales for children of all ages — from picture books to chapter books. Plus, ideas for writing fairy tales. “In a […]