Fairy Tales: Reading & Research

Introduction: Why Fairy Tales?

For hundreds of years, fairy tales have been read by children and adults alike, instructing, fascinating, and horrifying us by turns. As both readers and writers, we return to their themes again and again, gleaning new meaning from each retelling. There are many excellent resources, both online and in print, which can assist the recreational reader, the parent, the teacher, or the student of fairy tales. This pathfinder endeavors to describe and categorize these resources, in order to make easier both the study and the enjoyment of these remarkable stories.

Tales to Read

Online Materials

Multi-Story Sites

Well-Known tales

Fairy Tales on the Web http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/4967/fairytales.html
presented by The Children's Literature Nook http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/4967/childindex.html
A nearly comprehensive site, including general fairy tale resources, links to different versions of classic tales, helpful curriculum materials, and even some book recommendations. Visually busy, but a very useful collection.

Hans Christian Andersen: Fairy Tales and Stories http://HCA.Gilead.org.il/
The complete stories in translation, with links to many other Anderson sites.

Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/folktexts.html
Excellent resource for multiple versions of well-known tales.

Fairy Tales http://www.lib.umd.edu/ETC/ReadingRoom/Fiction/FairyTales/
A large collection drawing from various authors, but not very well organized.

Andrew Lang's Fairy Books http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/subjects/Young-Readers.html
Four of Lang's classic works, in their entirety. On the Young Readers page, find "Lang, Andrew" alphabetically to reach his books.

Lesser-Known Tales

Whootie Owl's Stories to Grow By http://www.storiestogrowby.com/
Fun and exciting folk and fairy tales from around the world that "promote positive values" without drifting into religious matters.

19th-Century German Stories http://www.vcu.edu/hasweb/for/menu.html
Some English translations of German fairy tales, with lovely original illustrations.

Specific Tales

Sites devoted to particular tales, typically including variant forms and history as well as a well-known version.

Cinderella Stories http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/cinderella.html

The Cinderella Project http://www.usm.edu/english/fairytales/cinderella/cinderella.html

The Jack and the Beanstalk and Jack the Giant-Killer Project http://www.usm.edu/english/fairytales/jack/jackhome.html

The Little Red Riding Hood Project http://www.usm.edu/english/fairytales/lrrh/lrrhhome.htm

Red Riding Hood: A Multimedia Edition http://mld.ursinus.edu/Maerchen/redridinghood.html

Snow White http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/special/kay/snowwhite.html

The Tam Lin Pages http://tam-lin.org/

In Print

Traditional Tales

In libraries, depending on the system of classification, books of fairy tales may be in a variety of places. Libraries using the Dewey Decimal System will probably keep most of their fairy tales books at call numbers beginning with 398, the Dewey number for folklore, especially 398.2 up to (but not including) 398.5. There may also be some collections of fairy tales in the short story section, with the call number 808.83. In libraries using the Library of Congress classification system, it will probably be helpful to look in the catalog under the subject heading Fairy Tales to find out where they keep their books. Remember, you can always ask a librarian for assistance!

For lists of interesting books, try the following sites:

Traditional Literature http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~kvander/HistoryofChildLit/tradi.html
Bibliography of fairy tale collections and books on the study of fairy tales.

Modern Tales

The Endicott Studio http://www.endicott-studio.com/
"The Endicott Studio was founded by Terri Windling as a creative center devoted to Modern Mythic Arts: literary, visual, and media art projects rooted in themes from folktales and myths." This site includes information about Endicott publications, mostly modern fairy tales and related fantasy, as well as recommendations for further reading.

Feminist Fairy Tales http://www.feministsf.org/femsf/bibs/fairytales.html
Recommended by the Feminist Science Fiction, Fantasy, &Utopia Page http://www.feministsf.org/femsf/

Fractured Fairy Tales http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/fft.html
Old tales with a modern twist.

Magic Books http://www.simner.com/magicbooks/
Collection of recommended books, mostly modern fairy tales or young adult fantasy that owes much to its fairy tale roots.

The Oxford Book of Modern Fairy Tales edited by Alison Lurie
An enchanting collection of stories from the 19th century to the present. Includes such classics as Charles Dickens' "The Magic Fishbone." One of my very favorites.

Research Resources

Once again, the Dewey Decimal System will probably shelve most books about fairy tales in the call number 398, particularly 398 up to (but not including) 398.5. They are typically mixed in with actual storybooks of fairy and folk tales, so some browsing will probably be necessary. Useful Library of Congress subject headings might include: Fairy Tales—Classification, Fairy Tales—History and Criticism, and Symbolism in Fairy Tales, among others. Remember, it is always helpful to ask a librarian for guidance, and he or she will be happy to assist you.

Sources for the Analysis and Interpretation of Folk and Fairy Tales http://www.folkandfairy.org/
An extensive bibliography and links for the serious student of folk and fairy tale studies.

Marvels &Tales, Journal of Fairy-Tale Studies http://www.langlab.wayne.edu/MarvelsHome/Marvels_tales.html
One of the few journals devoted to the study of fairy tales. Published twice a year. The site includes abstracts of articles that have been published, as well as information about how to obtain back issues.

The Lion and the Unicorn http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/lion_and_the_unicorn/
A journal which focuses on the broader world of international children's literature, but with frequent reference to and discussion of fairy tales. Published three times a year. The site includes listings of the articles in a number of recent issues, and libraries which subscribe to Project Muse http://muse.jhu.edu/ have access to the full-text of issues from 1995 to the present.

Some other traditional sources in the field of fairy tale studies include:

Index to Fairy Tales, 1987-1992. Joseph W. Sprug. The Scarecrow Press. Metuchen, NJ. 1994.

Motif-Index of Folk Literature: A Classification of Narrative Elements in Folktales, Ballads, Myths, Fables, Mediaeval Romances, Exempla, Fabliaux, Jest-books, and Local Legends. Stith Thompson. Indiana University Press. The new enlarged and revised edition of 1993 is available on IBM compatible CD-ROM, with earlier versions in print form.

The Storyteller's Sourcebook: A Subject, Title and Motif Index to Folklore Collections for Children. Margaret Read MacDonald. Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc. in association with Gale Research Co. Detroit, MI. 1982.

Conclusion: Fairy Tales, Past &Future

Fairy tales have been with us for a very long time, and undoubtably will remain with us in years to come. Even today, as many of these resources show, more stories of this kind are being written every year, some based on legendary tales, others completely new. They are enjoyable to read, frequently educational, and can be fascinating to research. I hope this pathfinder has been helpful in leading you to whatever aspect of fairy tales you wished to experience.

This pathfinder was created by Hilary M Leon.

You may also wish to see The IPL Kidspace, especially the Reading Zone.