UWSSLEC LibGuides: On the Shelves-Books for Children by Genre: Traditional Literature

Picture Books

Chicken Little (2009) by Rebecca Emberley
ISBN: 9781596434646
This is a super fun and wacky take on the traditional tall of a young chicken who is hit in the head by an acorn and therefore believes the sky is falling. His even more clueless friends join in the hysteria to make a laugh out loud, engaging read.
AD500L
Ages 4-8*

Traditonal Literature picture books are some of the first books a child is exposed to. These books usually teach a lesson or moral to young readers and make great read alouds.

The 3 Little Dassies (2010) by Jan Brett
ISBN: 0399254994
This is an adaptation of The Three Little Pigs, set in the Namib Desert of Africa. The 3 Dassies move away from home and each build their home on a hillside, which is also occupied by a scary eagle who plays the traditional role of the wolf. This book is a great read aloud and has enough content to do a compare and contrast lesson with the traditional Three Pigs story.
AD580L
Ages 4-8*
Humpty Dumpty Climbs Again by Dave Horowitz
ISBN: 014241932X
The book begins after Humpty's "great fall". He is so depressed that his favorite hobby has turned into his biggest fear, that he now spends his days sitting at home in his underwear. Then a big emergency occurs and it seems Humpty is the only one who can save the day.
AD570L
Ages 4-8*
April and Esme Tooth Fairies (2010) by Bob Graham
ISBN: 0763646830
April and Esme are not your traditional fairies. They carry cellphone, use hairdryers and dress in clothes any modern day girl would wear. One day, they get a request to retrieve their first tooth by themselves. Their mom and dad are fearful that they are too young to pull it off, but April and Esme are determined to prove them wrong.
AD470L
Ages 4-8*
Goldie Socks and the Three Librarians (2007) by Jackie Mims Hopkins
ISBN: 9781932146981
This is a silly adaptation of the story of "Goldie Locks and the Three Bears". In this versions, the three bears are a family of librarians, Daddy works for the public library, Mommy is a school librarian, and Baby bear is a librarian in training and they all lived in a house made of books. Goldiesocks, in this case, comes across their empty home and searches for a "just right" book and a "just right" place to read it. This would be a great selection to read to children on their first trip to the library, and would serve as a great lesson on finding a "just right" book. Ages 4-8*
Paul Bunyan vs. Hals Halson: The Giant Lumberjack Challenge! (2011) by Teresa Bateman
ISBN: 0807563676
A new take on the tall tales of Paul Bunyan finds Paul in a lumberjack challenge with Hals Halson, a giant who believes he in the best lumberjack in the north. After a series of misunderstandings leads to an all out brawl, the lumberjacks decide to call a truce and realize that if they work together they will be more successful.
AD870L
Ages 4-8*

Early to Intermediate Readers

Tales from the Odyssey, Part 1 of 2 (2010) by Mary Pope Osborne
ISBN: 1423128648
From the author of "The Magic Tree House" series, Mary Pope Osborne takes the timeless tale of the Odyssey and breaks it down to a more understandable story for young readers. Part I of a 2 part series. Ages 8-11

These books feature some picture elements, but the focus is more on the text. I included "Gooney" as a bonus, she is not a traditional literature piece, but I like that she teaches young readers about the genre.

Gooney the Fabulous (2009) by Lois Lowry
ISBN: 0440422531
This is an installment in the "Gooney Bird Greene" series by Lois Lowry. The series follows a unique girl name Gooney who has engaging stories to tell and shows children how to create stories themselves. In this book, Gooney's class is studying Aesop tales. When one of her classmates is having a hard time with the assigned project, Gooney volunteers to partner up with him and shows him how to find the moral in a tale and create a fabulous presentation. Great for newly independent readers.
690L
Ages 6 to 9*
Z Is for Zeus: A Greek Mythology Alphabet by Helen L. Wilbur
ISBN: 1585363413
A beautifully illustrated introduction to the world of Greek Mythology. Each letter is assigned a character or story and features a rhythmical passage on each. The "Glossary of Gods" is a nice addition to the content.
NC1080L
Ages 6-12*
Nicio and Cedar Fire (2009) by Gina Aguilera
ISBN: 9780984239207
This fable is based on a modern day event. A Native American firefighter ignores warnings that he should leave his home due to a fire in the nearby forest. While surrounded by flames, he reminisces about his life and realizes the power of the gods when a thunder bird saves him. The back story of this book creates an interesting context. The book is based on the experience of the author's brother who survived similar circumstances. Ages 8-12-MC

Description of Genre

Traditional Literature is timeless. Pieces originated from oral storytelling, and have been passed down through the generations, to later be written down. Fables, Fariytales (Traditional and Fractured), Myths and Folklore are examples of traditional literature.

Chapter Books

A Tale Dark and Grimm (2010) by Adam Gidwitz
ISBN: 0525423346
Half dark and half goofy, older readers will get a kick out of revisiting the story of Hansel and Gretel. The brother and sister team leave their classic plot, and walk into 8 other Grimm brother's stories. As their fate looks bad, they must take control of their own destiny and create their own happy ending.
690L
Ages 9-12*

Once traditional literature reaches the chapter books, I noticed that authors rely on readers having some experience with the traditional pieces, and they then build their stories on that background knowledge. It is a nice progression.

Mythology (2007) by Lady Hestia Evans
ISBN: 0763634034
This is a collection of classic Greek myths set up to look as the book was just discovered by the publisher. The back story is that a noble English merchant set off to the Greek Isles with a copy of this book created by his friend Lady Hestia. It was created to serve as a guide on his quest. This book features quizzes, trivia and games, along with the classic series of tales. Ages 9-12
Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast (2005) by Robin Mckinley
ISBN: 0060753102
Mckinley takes the classic story of "Beauty and the Beast" and adds more depth, soul and detail to create a well-rounded, balanced tale. Fans of the previous version will appreciate that McKinley did not make extreme changes to the plot.
970L
Ages 12 and up*