Folklore

Virginia Folk Legends

By edited by Thomas E. Barden

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What do devil dogs, witches, haunted houses, Daniel Boone, Railroad Bill, "Justice John" Crutchfield, and lost silver mines have in common? All are among the subjects included in the vast collection of legends gathered between 1937 and 1942 by the field workers of the Virginia Writers Project of the WPA. For decades following the end of the project, these stories lay untouched in the libraries of the University of Virginia. Now, folklorist Thomas E. Barden brings to light these delightful tales, most of which have never been in print. Virginia Folk Legends presents the first valid published collection of Virginia folk legends and is endorsed by the American Folklore Society.
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Sparks Fly High: The Legend of Dancing Point

By retold by Mary Quattlebaum

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When Colonel Lightfoot and the Devil hold a lengthy dance contest to see who will control a plot of land along the James River in Virginia, the result is a surprise for both participants. Colonel Lightfoot is never modest, especially when it comes to his dancing or his fine Virginia land. One piece of that land is turning to mud, and the devil himself is rumored to live in that murky mess, for on dark nights sparks fly high. How to put an end to the devil's mischief? Why, a dance contest with the fiery fiend himself. The colonel bristles with confidence, but the devil is equally sure of himself, until, recognizing his own false pride in the devil's boasts, the colonel discovers the perfect way to outsmart him.

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Stories To Solve: Folktales from Around the World

By George Shannon

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Brief folktales in which there is a mystery or problem that the reader is invited to solve before the resolution is presented.
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The Ghosts of Virginia, Volume IV

By L. B. Taylor, Jr.

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Ghost tales and folklore from Northern Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley, Richmond and Central Virginia, Roanoke and Central Virginia, Southside Virginia, Tidewater Virginia, Fredericksburg and the Northern Neck. Part of a popular series by the same author.
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I Dream of Trains

By Angela Johnson

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The son of a sharecropper dreams of leaving Mississippi on a train with the legendary engineer Casey Jones.
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The Christmas Knight

By Jane Louise Curry

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An impoverished knight finds a miracle when his cherry tree blooms on Christmas Day, but greedy servants get in his way when he tries to take the fruit to the King.

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King Solomon and the Bee

By Dalia Renberg

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A retelling of the traditional tale about a bee that repays King Solomon's kindness by helping him solve the Queen of Sheba's riddle.

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A Treasury of Mexican Folkways: The Customs, Myths, Folklore, Traditions, Beliefs, Fiestas, Dances, and Songs of the Mexican People

By Frances Toor

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This large, older book written for adults is full of Mexican customs and includes an eight-page article on the Day of the Dead.

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The Sorcerer's Companion: A Guide to the Magical World of Harry Potter

By Allan Zola Kronzek

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Explores the true history, folklore, and mythology behind the magical practices, creatures, and personalities that appear in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books.

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Christmas Around the World

If it's December, it's time for that familiar topic for reports: Christmas Customs Around the World. Fortunately, the library has a number of resources to help you.