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Encyclopedia of Urban Legends
Brunvand, Jan Harold
Brunwand, Jan Harold
Paperback
$12.97 + $1.99 USPS S/H
$0.65 of your order (5%) will be donated to the school of your choice.

BOOK SUMMARY
This exhaustive and compellingly readable reference work offers alphabetical entries on every aspect of the subject.

BOOK SYNOPSIS
The definitive word on the subject from the dean of urban legend studies.

We all know those stories that are too bizarre to be true—roasted babies, vanishing hitchhikers, scuba divers in trees—but have you heard about the ice man or the bullet baby? This comprehensive and compellingly readable reference work will answer all your urban legend questions, offering alphabetical entries on every aspect of the subject, including descriptions of hundreds of individual legends and their variations, legend themes, and scholarly approaches to the genre. Other entries discuss the relationship of urban legends to literature, film, comic books, music, and many other areas of popular culture.

BOOK REVIEWS
VOYA - Evie Wilson-Lingbloom
Written for folklorists as well as urban legends buffs, this alphabetical analysis of the urban legend phenomenon succeeds in providing information in a variety of helpful ways. Different approaches taken by the legends, such as historical, symbolic, comparative, and sociological, are defined. In entries where the stories themselves are briefly told, historical background often is provided as well. Subject discussions in areas such as animals, crime, sex, horror, and celebrities add to the thoroughness of the study. Those teachers and librarians who are preparing students for an increasingly diverse population will be grateful for the discussions of how and where these legends have sprung up—with variations—in twenty-four major foreign countries. Analytical material is perfect for teachers doing folklore projects. Brunvand's encyclopedia also will be helpful to public librarians preparing for school visits that might include storytelling teenage folklore, a fun and cost-effective way to reach teens who rarely show up in numbers at a public library program. Definitions contain a wealth of carefully documented tidbits about the legends, such as how sharing legends has changed. The writing here is lively and just plain fun. Based on the ragged condition of other works on the topic, this reference will become another whose cover will be well worn by teachers, librarians, and students alike. This unique tool by a nationally acknowledged expert is well worth the cost. Be sure to look for the tale of the "sinking libraries" Index. Illus. Biblio. Source Notes. 2001, ABC-CLIO, 525p. PLB

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MORE BOOK INFO
ISBN: 0393323587
Copyright: 2002
Dewey Decimal: 398.2/0973/091732
Library of Congress: BL2002012906
Book Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc
Language: ENG
No. of Pages: 560
Paper Weight (lb): 2.1

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