Topic: Myths, legends and fairy tales
List of entries
In this poem, the speaker contrasts the ideals of the American Dream, such as liberty, freedom, and equality, with the realities of the time. For minorities, the poor, the lower classes, the immigrants, the African- and Native Americans the Dream is nonexistent. Even though the voice seems disillusioned, it also addresses the hope that the […]
This collection of poems by Tolkien is packed with imagination, beautiful illustrations and smooth storytelling. While some of the characters and creatures can be recognized from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, each story stands alone. With its wide range of themes and length, there’s something for everyone. The Oliphaunt describes a grey animal, whose name […]
J. R. R. Tolkien’s children’s fantasy adventure novel on greed, trust, fellowship and heroism follows the magical quest and personal growth of a hobbit: “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends or worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy, […]
“A tale for young people of all ages” about self-reflection, the quality of mercy and social injustice. Tom is the youngest child of a poor family, living in London. One day, by coincidence, he meets Edward, the Prince of Wales. The two immediately notice their remarkable resemblance and are each fascinated by the life led […]
This highly symbolical one-act play explores nationalism, patriotism, invasion, and sacrifice. The setting is a house in a small coastal town in 1798, Ireland. The Gillane family is preparing for the wedding of their son Peter when a mysterious old woman (Cathleen ni Houlihan) appears and foregrounds things of greater significance than a quiet married […]
Winterson showcases a new Christmas story, drawing pastiche-like on themes of love, myth and healing in the festive season. The narrator Mrs Snow one day suddenly finds a tall fairy standing in her garden, claiming to be the Christmas Fairy herself. In the rather unusual dialogue which ensues, hard-won truth waits after every twist and […]
Acclaimed fantasy author Tolkien composed these letters for his own children, spanning no fewer than two decades of Christmas celebrations. In each letter, either Father Christmas himself or one of his fantastic side-kicks tells the story of a new adventure from the North Pole.
This gothic tale tells a scary but humourous story of greed, marriage and the power of imagination. Coming from New York, the main character and poor schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane attempts to win the heart and hand of Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter of the richest farmer in Sleepy Hollow. The small, quiet and somehow enchanted […]
A modern ‘from rags to riches’ tale about believing in both fate and love against all odds. In Q & A, the inspiration for the Oscar-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire, Swarup tells the story of Ram Muhammed Thomas, who participates in India’s game show “Who Wants to Be a Billionaire?”. When Ram answers question after question […]
This collection of 10 short stories is full of suspense and may not be for the faint of heart – featuring a little bit of everything of the horror genre – from mystery and ghost fiction to aliens and witchcraft. The stories are easy to read, illustrated (each one by a different artist) and are […]
In this comedy thriller, 12-year-old Joe fears his grandma: She is both physically repulsive and horribly mean, and Joe is afraid she has terrible plans in mind for him. When one day his parents are away and she takes him to a get-together of many other mean grannies, he rightfully fears for his life – […]
Jabberwocky is considered one of the greatest nonsense poems in English literature. It tells the tale of a monster called the ‘Jabberwock’ and is full of nonsense words and neologisms. The poem can be found in Lewis Caroll’s novel Through the Looking Glass. Possible classroom activities include: Students can try to decipher what the poem […]
This dystopian adventure novel about bravery, friendship and courage follows the twelve-year-old Prince Alfred. The story is set in future Britain, to be precise in the year 2120 – environmental pollution lead to most devastating effects of climate change: melting ice cabs, violent earthquakes and volcano eruptions that darken the sky over London: “The kingdom […]
A tragic novel about love, the American dream, acceleration and unrelenting optimism. When narrator Nick moves to a prestigious community on Long Island (New York), he is soon introduced to his mysterious neighbor Jay Gatsby. Little is known about Mr Gatsby except that he is fabulously rich and regularly holds huge parties in his luxurious […]
In this collection of illustrated poems, Dahl gives his own versions of fairy tales that could do with some dark humour. Ranging from Cinderella to The Three Little Pigs, all of them come with a dark twist.
A Shakespearian tragedy of forceful love, hate, violence, identity and society. In Verona two powerful families, the Montegues and the Capulets, are in a feud. One night, at a ball, Romeo, son of the house Montegue meets Juliet, a Capulet, and the two fall in love. They get married secretly, but Juliet’s father does not […]
A science fiction, fantasy novel about a girl fighting for her life and finding herself in the process. When her mostly absent father gives her a virtual reality gaming experience as a birthday present, she’s hesitant but up for it. It all goes downhill when she’s suddenly trapped inside this looping virtual reality medieval setting. […]
A Shakespearian comedy on love, jealousy, foolishness, the power of dreaming and the supernatural. In ancient Athens, Egeus wants to force his daughter Hermia to marry Demetrius, even though she is in love with Lysander. Helena loves Demetrius but he doesn’t love her back. Hermia and Lysander decide to run away, and Demetrius and Helena […]