Each volume contains nine folktales, from England, Israel, East Africa, Japan, the Sioux, the Cherokee, and more. The entries range from a comic romp about a leprechaun's revenge, to scary stories featuring devious devils and witches, to retellings of familiar tales such as "The Shoemaker and the Elves." The briskly told stories are accompanied by line drawings and helpful source notes. [Review covers these Books of Nine Lives titles: Tales of Cats, Tales of Enchantment, and Tales to Frighten and Delight.]

Gr 3-5-Each of these volumes includes nine folktales that have been collected from a variety of cultures and grouped by genre. While most good collections will have many of these stories in one anthology or another, grouping them this way makes them more accessible to children who may be overwhelmed by an extensive collection. By the same token, these books may encourage some children to seek out the many older compilations to see how the retellings might differ. Small ink drawings appear in each chapter. The titles conclude with useful notes on each tale, including storytelling sources and suggestions. These new additions to the series are great for sharing in a class or to hand to reluctant readers.-Diane Olivo-Posner, Long Beach Public Library, CA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.