Bargain Ebook: TODAY ONLY: The Gold-Son by Carrie Anne Noble for $.99

The Gold-Son by Carrie Anne Noble is on sale TODAY ONLY for 99 cents on Amazon. This book draws on folklore about leprechauns and fae for inspiration.

Book Description:

All sixteen-year-old Tommin wants is to make beautiful shoes and care for his beloved grandmother, but his insatiable need to steal threatens to destroy everything. Driven by a curse that demands more and more gold, he’s sure to get caught eventually.

When mysterious Lorcan Reilly arrives in town with his “niece,” Eve, Tommin believes the fellow wants to help him. Instead, Lorcan whisks him off to the underground realm of the Leprechauns, where, alongside Eve, he’s forced to prepare to become one of them.

As Lorcan’s plans for his “gold-children” are slowly revealed, Tommin and Eve plan their escape. But with Tommin’s humanity slipping away, the fate-crossed pair has everything to lose unless they can find a way to outsmart a magical curse centuries in the making.

SurLaLune's Small Print:

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Read a New Book: Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs: Activities During Corona

Smoke Bitten (A Mercy Thompson Novel Book 12) by Patricia Briggs was released last week and was one of my escape hatches from Coronavirus Isolation last week. I've been reading Briggs' for years and years. This newest entry in her Mercy Thompson series is fun and particularly suitable for SurLaLune (several in the series are) because of the appearance of fairy tales in it. Diamonds and Toads provides some inspiration. Baba Yaga is a recurring character who makes an appearance. And so much of the world building uses folklore and fairy tales in general.

In this one, another well-known fairy tale character is one of the villains in the book. It's a built-up reveal that fairy tale fans may pick up on earlier than others--the clues are fair and accurate--but I don't want to ruin it by saying who. However, it was a fun element of the book for me.

Mercy Thompson, car mechanic and shapeshifter, faces a threat unlike any other in this thrilling entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

I am Mercedes Athena Thompson Hauptman.

My only “superpowers” are that I turn into a thirty-five pound coyote and fix Volkswagens. But I have friends in odd places and a pack of werewolves at my back. It looks like I'm going to need them.

Centuries ago, the fae dwelt in Underhill—until she locked her doors against them. They left behind their great castles and troves of magical artifacts. They abandoned their prisoners and their pets. Without the fae to mind them, those creatures who remained behind roamed freely through Underhill wreaking havoc. Only the deadliest survived.

Now one of those prisoners has escaped. It can look like anyone, any creature it chooses. But if it bites you, it controls you. It lives for chaos and destruction. It can make you do anything—even kill the person you love the most. Now it is here, in the Tri-Cities. In my territory.

It won't, can't, remain.

Not if I have anything to say about it.

SurLaLune's Small Print:

As an Amazon Associate, the SurLaLune Fairy Tale site earns a percentage from qualifying purchases as a referral incentive which helps support the site. Your cost does not increase by using the links on this site. Read SurLaLune's Privacy Policy here.

Read Fairy Tale Review's The Coral Issue for Free: Activities During Coronavirus

Read some new fairy tale and folklore related short stories, poems, and such for free!

Tweeted yesterday by Fairy Tale Review:

"Fairy tales to the rescue. The Coral Issue (2020) has just been made *free* to readers through April 30. Readers, enjoy. Huge gratitude for saying yes when we asked, @WSUPress and @JSTOR."

You can read the entire issue for free for the next six-ish weeks at https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.13110/fairtalerevi.16.issue-1.

If you are unfamiliar with Fairy Tale Review:

Fairy Tale Review is an annual literary journal dedicated to publishing new fairy-tale fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. The journal seeks to expand the conversation about fairy tales among practitioners, scholars, and general readers. Contents reflect a diverse spectrum of literary artists working with fairy tales in many languages and styles

And each edition is a shout out to the work of Andrew Lang and his wife Leonora Lang and their colored fairy books. Because even if only his name was on the cover, the colored fairy books work was predominantly hers and built on his public persona as a folklorist. So both husband and wife were important to the series' production and success. I just have to add that because I am a big fan of Leonora Lang's contributions to folklore.

Lego's Hans Christian Andersen Set: Activities During Corona

I am thinking about some kind of Lego Fairy Tale challenge for Activities During Corona. I haven't finished thinking it through--although I plan to keep it simple--and have to emphasize it is in no way connected with the Lego company, of course. For inspiration, I went web surfing for some fairy tale related Lego builds.

I somehow missed the release of LEGO 40291 Creative Storybook Set (307 Pieces) (Hans Christian Anderson) a while back! Even when I am not actively posting on the SurLaLune blog, I am always noticing and keeping my own lists of fairy tale related items. This set is a natural for Lego since they share their homeland of Denmark with Hans Christian Andersen. Just looking at it reminded me of my own trip to Copenhagen in 2017 when I got to see many HCA related places and pieces. I loved Copenhagen and hope to return someday for another visit.

This set was a free gift with purchase item and I missed this although I even get the Lego catalogs and have for years. I have many, many Lego fans in my family.

This set, reminiscent of the Once Upon a Brick set with it's open book design, depicts Andersen sitting on a park bench, writing one of his tales. The opposite page portrays a scene from The Ugly Duckling. It's still fairly easy to find through online retailers, but not Lego themselves. My links are to Amazon but you can hunt around for it online if you are interested in it.

SurLaLune's Small Print:

As an Amazon Associate, the SurLaLune Fairy Tale site earns a percentage from qualifying purchases as a referral incentive which helps support the site. Your cost does not increase by using the links on this site. Read SurLaLune's Privacy Policy here.

Bargain Ebook: Spindle Fire by Lexa Hillyer

And because reading is really my own favorite activity, Corona sheltering or not, I will be posting more books to read, too.

Spindle Fire by Lexa Hillyer is on sale in ebook format for $1.99. This one is a Sleeping Beauty inspired novel. It features two sisters, an unusual construct in Sleeping Beauty tales, but a fascinating way to deal with the sleep curse. All links are to Amazon, see small print below.

Book description:

Half sisters Isabelle and Aurora are polar opposites: Isabelle is the king's headstrong illegitimate daughter, whose sight was tithed by faeries; Aurora, beautiful and sheltered, was tithed her sense of touch and her voice on the same day. Despite their differences, the sisters have always been extremely close.

And then everything changes with a single drop of Aurora's blood--and a sleep so deep it cannot be broken. As the faerie queen and her army of Vultures prepare to march, Isabelle must race to find a prince who can awaken her sister with the kiss of true love and seal their two kingdoms in an alliance against the queen.

Isabelle crosses land and sea; unearthly, thorny vines rise up the palace walls: and whispers of revolt travel in the ashes on the wind. The kingdom falls to ruin under layers of snow. Meanwhile, Aurora wakes up in a strange and enchanted world, where a mysterious hunter may be the secret to her escape . . . or the reason for her to stay.

Spindle Fire is a lush fantasy set in the dwindling, deliciously corrupt world of the fae and featuring two truly unforgettable heroines.

SurLaLune's Small Print:

As an Amazon Associate, the SurLaLune Fairy Tale site earns a percentage from qualifying purchases as a referral incentive which helps support the site. Your cost does not increase by using the links on this site. Read SurLaLune's Privacy Policy here.

From the Brothers Grimm Series on Folkstreams Vimeo Channel: Activities During Coronavirus

Last week one tweet I read that made me laugh was a mother stating emphatically that she's not going to do anything educational while stuck at home with her young kids. They would watch too much tv. They would eat too much junk. Essentially, they would escape anyway they could during the Corona shutdown. I laughed. I liked that she was lowering her expectations and not putting too much pressure on herself. But even those activities will get old in my opinion, so I will keep looking for fairy tale related options to share. Fairy tales and folklore are about surviving trying times.

But on the note of watching TV, I wanted to share links to the From the Brothers Grimm series by Tom Davenport. These are rentable for a few dollars each on the Folkstreams Vimeo Channel. This is just an FYI service from SurLaLune--there is no affiliate earnings with these. Davenport Films made these many years ago so they are not HD and have a folksy feel. They are also mostly set in Appalachia. They are more suitable for older kids, I'd say 3rd grade and up.

I've linked and embedded the films below but some may not embed due to privacy settings. Just follow the links to learn more. They are all viewable for a $1.95 month long rental each.

My husband's favorite (and thus one of my sentimental favorites, too) is Soldier Jack or The Man Who Caught Death in a Sack:


Soldier Jack or The Man Who Caught Death in a Sack from Folkstreams on Vimeo.

Jack and the Dentist's Daughter


Jack and the Dentist's Daughter from Folkstreams on Vimeo.

I remember when this aired on PBS, the last film they produced, Willa: An American Snow White:


Willa: An American Snow White from Folkstreams on Vimeo.

Hansel & Gretel: An Appalachian Version


Hansel & Gretel: An Appalachian Version from Folkstreams on Vimeo.

Ashpet: An American Cinderella


Ashpet: An American Cinderella from Folkstreams on Vimeo.

Rapunzel, Rapunzel


Rapunzel, Rapunzel from Folkstreams on Vimeo.

Mutzmag or The Girl Who Killed the Cannibals. This tale appears in many of the strong women of folklore collections.


Mutzmag or The Girl Who Killed the Cannibals from Folkstreams on Vimeo.

The Frog King


The Frog King from Folkstreams on Vimeo.

Bristlelip is a version of King Thrushbeard.


Bristlelip from Folkstreams on Vimeo.

Bearskin or The Man Who Didn't Wash for Seven Years--Another favorite tale of mine. Really gets the feel of how disgusting Bearskin is!


Bearskin or The Man Who Didn't Wash for Seven Years from Folkstreams on Vimeo.

The Goose Girl


The Goose Girl from Folkstreams on Vimeo.

SmartGames Fairy Tales Themed Games: Activities During Corona

So these games look fun even if they are meant for the youngest gamers. I love the designs, especially the Sleeping Beauty maze which makes me think of garden labyrinths, of course. And is suitable to the tale's theme with the prince trying to navigate the thorns to reach the castle.

SmartGames Sleeping Beauty Board Game Description:

Discover the magic of the classic fairy tale with this original puzzle game. Can you help the prince reach Sleeping Beauty’s castle? Or maybe you’d prefer to help Sleeping Beauty escape on her own? Try to find the path from the entrance of the maze to the castle…without getting lost! Or perhaps you prefer to play as the dragon? Then the object of the game becomes the opposite! Place the dragon in the maze so that he blocks all paths to the castle, preventing and the knight and Sleeping Beauty from reaching each other. Sleeping Beauty includes 48 challenges (24 with the dragon and 24 without). It also features a family friendly picture book with a modern twist on the original story.

SmartGames Little Red Riding Hood Deluxe Board Game Description:

SmartGames Little Red Riding Hood is an enchanting puzzle game for young children. Can you help Red Riding Hood find Grandma’s house in the forest? Can you out-smart the wolf when he appears?

Play Little Red Riding Hood by arranging the puzzle pieces on the gameboard so that a direct path is created from Red Riding Hood to Grandma's house. Then, in the last 24 challenges, players have to create two paths: one for Red Riding Hood, and the other for the Wolf! A great introduction to Spatial Insight, Planning and Problem-Solving skills for kids.

Little Red Riding Hood also includes a family-friendly picture book with a SmartGames 'twist' on the original tale.

SmartGames Snow White Description:

• DEDUCTION FUN! Can you find out where Snow White goes? SmartGames Snow White Game, A Preschool Puzzle Game & Brain Game for Kids, Cognitive Skill-Building Challenges, Ages 4-7
• BRAIN GAMES BUILD SKILLS: Your children can build upon their spatial insight, language, problem solving and flexible thinking while playing the Snow White preschool board game. It’s so fun to play, they’ll forget they’re learning!
• PUZZLE INCLUDES: Large vertical house/game board, Snow White, Seven Dwarfs, Evil Queen, challenge booklet with solutions and a bonu colorful picture book.
• AGES 4-7: Snow White is perfect for kids ages 4-7. With the 4 different skill levels of Starter, Junior, Expert, and Master, your little one is sure to find the perfect challenges to tease their brain and help them think outside the box.
• AWARD-WINNING: SmartGames is the worldwide leader in multi-level, logic-based family fun games. Our award-winning games offer multi-level play from easy to challenging, and we pride ourselves in making family board games that are perfect for players of all ages.

SmartGames Three Little Piggies Description:

Can you help these three smart pigs build their houses? Can you set them up so that the pigs can play outside? If you spot the wolf can you help the pigs stay safe inside their houses?

Three Little Piggies is a great brain game for young children. It features 3 big puzzle pieces that are easy to hold, and kids will be intrigued by the way the pigs fit inside the houses and look through the windows. The game includes a story book with images and booklet with 48 challenges (24 with the wolf and 24 without). Also helps develop early Spatial Insight, Planning and Problem-Solving skills.

SurLaLune's Small Print:

As an Amazon Associate, the SurLaLune Fairy Tale site earns a percentage from qualifying purchases as a referral incentive which helps support the site. Your cost does not increase by using the links on this site. Read SurLaLune's Privacy Policy here.

Good Luck Sock Women's Little Red Riding Hood Sock

I bought some of these Good Luck Sock Women's Little Red Riding Hood Socks around Christmas when they were on sale and really fell in love with them. Little Red Riding Hood isn't my favorite fairy tale, but I do have much affection for it. These socks are colorful but actually blend well with my jeans or pants when wearing so I've even snuck them on for meetings and such. They hold up well and actually fit my size 10 US feet pretty well although they state they are sizes 5-9.

SurLaLune's Small Print:

As an Amazon Associate, the SurLaLune Fairy Tale site earns a percentage from qualifying purchases as a referral incentive which helps support the site. Your cost does not increase by using the links on this site. Read SurLaLune's Privacy Policy here.

Storybook Playsets: Activities During Corona--With Thoughts on SurLaLune Changes on Horizon

I've had the Hansel and Gretel Toy House and Storybook Playset and the others below in my list for posting for a while. I really love the design on all of these, but the Hansel and Gretel is my favorite. All of the candy and the oven right there front and center in the house design makes me cringe and smile. The other two sets are much more innocuous but also pretty, too. I like the Three Bears' house, too.

And don't worry, like yesterday's Princess and the Pea craft, as I share ideas for fairy tale related activities they are not all going to require a purchase. I know economic hardships are going to be one of the biggest challenges for many during this time. And the activities won't all be for kids--or those of us with kid-like hearts for playing with playsets, making crafts, etc.

In fact, I have some ideas of how to allow for volunteer work with getting the new SurLaLune Fairy Tales Database  more populated. I just need to ponder some logistics on that and will share some ideas next week. These are interesting times we live in and I am finding actually one of the things I miss most is the opportunity to do service. I am putting that energy into SurLaLune again after a long year of grief and other distractions. I am determined for this pandemic to bring about some blessings, too. The opportunity to spend some time finishing my current books that have been nearly done for almost two years now and finally getting the new SurLaLune website ready for launch. Good times ahead for those who use the SurLaLune site.

STORYTIME TOYS The Three Little Pigs and Bad Wolf, Book and Toy Set

STORYTIME TOYS Goldilocks and The Three Bears Book and Toy Set

SurLaLune's Small Print:

As an Amazon Associate, the SurLaLune Fairy Tale site earns a percentage from qualifying purchases as a referral incentive which helps support the site. Your cost does not increase by using the links on this site. Read SurLaLune's Privacy Policy here.

Princess and the Pea Craft: Activities During Corona

This is a repost of an activity that I shared in 2009. It has been a popular link ever since.




After digging through my files, I rediscovered this craft that I regularly used for Bedtime themed storytimes when I was working as a children's librarian. This was always a favorite with kids and parents, especially after hearing the tale by Hans Christian Andersen. With summer here and so many children out of school, I thought I'd clean it up a little and create a new pattern to share here.

When I used this craft with large groups, we used wallpaper scraps to create the mattresses as you can see in the completed image above which was made for me by one of the girls who regularly attended my storytimes.

For the SurLaLune version of the pattern, I've created some mattresses out of clip art patterns that can be colored. The bottom blank is the base of the bed or can be used as a pattern for cutting mattresses out of different paper. Of course, the bedposts and base also are wonderful when made out of brown construction paper. The possibilities for adaptation are endless, but if all you have is a printer and some white paper, that's all you need to create this craft. Don't forget to draw a pea or paste a split pea below the lowest mattress. Enjoy!



I've made the craft available in full size in three different file formats:

Princess and the Pea JPG

Princess and the Pea GIF

Princess and the Pea PNG

Printing Tips: If you are on a PC, right click over the image to get a menu and save it to your computer. Then use a photo editor program to print it without any clipping of the image. Printing it from the internet browser will most likely cause clipping unless you adjust your printer settings to print to size. Or you can copy and paste the image to a word processing program such as Word and then adjust margins to avoid clipping before printing.

This is a smaller version of the pattern for illustration purposes only. Use the links above to get bigger images.

Miniature Libraries: Activities During Corona

  

Looking for some small activities while spending extra time at home right now? I recommend My Miniature Library: 30 Tiny Books to Make, Read and Treasure by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini and My Fairy Library: Make a Magical World of Miniature Books by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini. (These are Amazon links, see the note at the bottom of this entry.)

My 10-year-old niece got the first set for her birthday in February and has fallen in love with putting together many of the little books. The My Miniature set contains many fairy tale titles including Beauty and the Beastm Cinderella and Goldilocks. She has been out of school for the last 10 days due to Coronavirus shutdowns in her area. This has been one of the activities that has kept her and her mother (my sister) sort of sane.

My Miniature Library:

My Fairy Library:

SurLaLune's Small Print:

As an Amazon Associate, the SurLaLune Fairy Tale site earns a percentage from qualifying purchases as a referral incentive which helps support the site. Your cost does not increase by using the links on this site. Read SurLaLune's Privacy Policy here.

Bargain Ebook: No Place Like Here by Christina June for $2.99

Released this past May, No Place Like Here by Christina June is on sale for $2.99. This is a contemporary YA novel with Hansel and Gretel inspiration.

Book description:

From Christina June, author of It Started with Goodbye and Everywhere You Want to Be, comes No Place Like Here, a modern twist on Hansel and Gretel.

Ashlyn Zanotti has big plans for the summer. She's just spent a year at boarding school and can't wait to get home. But when Ashlyn's father is arrested for tax evasion and her mother enters a rehab facility for "exhaustion," a.k.a. depression, her life is turned upside down.

The cherry on top? Ashlyn's father sends her to work with a cousin she doesn't even know at a rustic team-building retreat center in the middle of nowhere. A self-proclaimed "indoor girl," not even Ash's habit of leaving breadcrumb quotes--inspirational sayings she scribbles everywhere--can help her cope.

With a dangerously careless camp manager doling out grunt work, an overbearing father trying to control her even from prison, and more than a little boy drama to struggle with, the summer is full of challenges. And Ashlyn must make the toughest decision of her life: keep quiet and follow her dad's marching orders, or find the courage to finally stand up to her father to have any hope of finding her way back home.

Fans looking for stories with elements of drama, romance, friendship, and an unflinching look into navigating and improving even the most difficult parent-teen relationships need look no further.