Jane Yolen

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About Jane Yolen

Born and raised in New York City, Jane Yolen now lives in Hatfield, Massachusetts. She attended Smith College and received her master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. The distinguished author of more than 170 books, Jane Yolen is a person of many talents. When she is not writing, Yolen composes songs, is a professional storyteller on the stage, and is the busy wife of a university professor, the mother of three grown children, and a grandmother. Active in several organizations, Yolen has been on the Board of Directors of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, was president of the Science Fiction Writers of America from 1986 to 1988, is on the editorial board of several magazines, and was a founding member of the Western New England Storytellers Guild, the Western Massachusetts Illustrators Guild, and the Bay State Writers Guild. For twenty years, she ran a monthly writer's workshop for new children's book authors. In 1980, when Yolen was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law degree by Our Lady of the Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts, the citation recognized that "throughout her writing career she has remained true to her primary source of inspiration--folk culture." Folklore is the "perfect second skin," writes Yolen. "From under its hide, we can see all the shimmering, shadowy uncertainties of the world." Folklore, she believes, is the universal human language, a language that children instinctively feel in their hearts. All of Yolen's stories and poems are somehow rooted in her sense of family and self. The Emperor and the Kite, which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1983 for its intricate papercut illustrations by Ed Young, was based on Yolen's relationship with her late father, who was an international kite-flying champion. Owl Moon, winner of the 1988 Caldecott Medal for John Schoenherr's exquisite watercolors, was inspired by her husband's interest in birding. Yolen's graceful rhythms and outrageous rhymes have been gathered in numerous collections. She has earned many awards over the years: the Regina Medal, the Kerlan Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Society of Children's Book Writers Award, the Mythopoetic Society's Aslan Award, the Christopher Medal, the Boy's Club Jr. Book Award, the Garden State Children's Book Award, the Daedalus Award, a number of Parents' Choice Magazine Awards, and many more. Her books and stories have been translated into Japanese, French, Spanish, Chinese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Afrikaans, !Xhosa, Portuguese, and Braille. With a versatility that has led her to be called "America's Hans Christian Andersen," Yolen, the child of two writers, is a gifted and natural storyteller. Perhaps the best explanation for her outstanding accomplishments comes from Jane Yolen herself: "I don't care whether the story is real or fantastical. I tell the story that needs to be told."

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Books By Jane Yolen

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Favorite Folktales from Around the World (The Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library) May 14, 2014

by Jane Yolen

( 72 )

$12.99

From Africa, Burma, and Czechoslovakia to Turkey, Vietnam, and Wales here are more than 150 of the world's best-loved folktales from more than forty countries and cultures. These tales of wonder and transformation, of heroes and heroines, of love lost and won, of ogres and trolls, stories both jocular and cautionary and legends of pure enchantment will delight readers and storytellers of all ages.

With black-and-white drawings throughout
Part of the Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library

Other Formats: Hardcover , Paperback

The Devil's Arithmetic (Puffin Modern Classics) Oct 1, 1990

by Jane Yolen

( 455 )

$6.99

"A triumphantly moving book." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Hannah dreads going to her family's Passover Seder—she's tired of hearing her relatives talk about the past. But when she opens the front door to symbolically welcome the prophet Elijah, she's transported to a Polish village in the year 1942. Why is she there, and who is this "Chaya" that everyone seems to think she is? Just as she begins to unravel the mystery, Nazi soldiers come to take everyone in the village away. And only Hannah knows the unspeakable horrors that await. A critically acclaimed novel from multi-award-winning author Jane Yolen.

"[Yolen] adds much to understanding the effects of the Holocaust, which will reverberate throughout history, today and tomorrow." —SLJ, starred review

"Readers will come away with a sense of tragic history that both disturbs and compels." —Booklist

Winner of the National Jewish Book Award
An American Bookseller "Pick of the Lists"

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Library Binding , Paperback , Mass Market Paperback

How to Fracture a Fairy Tale Nov 5, 2018

by Jane Yolen

( 44 )

$8.99

“This collection is Jane Yolen at her best. This is magic.”—Patricia C. Wrede, author of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles

Fantasy icon Jane Yolen (The Devil’s Arithmetic, Briar Rose, Sister Emily’s Lightship) is adored by generations of readers of all ages. Now she triumphantly returns with this inspired gathering of fractured fairy tales and legends. Yolen breaks open the classics to reveal their crystalline secrets: a philosophical bridge that misses its troll, a spinner of straw as a falsely accused moneylender, the villainous wolf adjusting poorly to retirement. Each of these offerings features a new author note and original poem, illuminating tales that are old, new, and brilliantly refined.

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Paperback , MP3 CD

The Great Alta Saga: Sister Light, Sister Dark; White Jenna; and The One-Armed Queen May 16, 2017

by Jane Yolen

( 8 )

$13.99

A warrior and her dark sister join forces to dismantle and remake their embattled world in this epic fantasy saga from a Nebula Award–winning author.

One of fantasy fiction’s preeminent practitioners, Jane Yolen creates a world and mythology that are richly enthralling and vibrantly alive in this acclaimed trilogy.

Sister Light, Sister Dark: Three-times orphaned and raised secretly by the acolytes of the goddess Alta, the child Jenna studies the ways of the warrior in preparation for the day that has been prophesied. For she may well be the goddess reborn who, with the aid of Skada—her mirror twin who can reveal herself only in darkness—is fated to bring devastation to the world.

White Jenna: Grown to young womanhood, the warrior Jenna offers her allegiance to the rightful king of the Dales—and her heart to his brother, Carum—joining the fight against the malevolent usurper Kalas. But the powerful despot appears unstoppable, dedicated to the destruction of the worshippers of Alta, the society of women in which the orphaned Jenna was lovingly raised.

The One-Armed Queen: Having fulfilled an ancient prophecy, the Queen of the Dales must now keep her faltering kingdom safe from a looming terror, and prepare her chosen successor—a one-armed orphan girl she discovered on the battlefield—for the grim responsibilities of rule.

A sweeping adventure of destiny, peril, magic, and romance, The Great Alta Saga is a magnificent feat of storytelling that ingeniously blends world-building, myth, poetry, and song.

Sword of the Rightful King: A Novel of King Arthur May 6, 2013

by Jane Yolen

( 53 )

$6.64

An ALA Best Book for Young Adults. “[A] spellbinding twist on the Round Table legend . . . a standout in this enormous canon.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The newly crowned King Arthur is unsure of himself; worse, the people are unsure of him. Too many people want the throne, and treachery is everywhere. Merlin must do something before the king is betrayed, or murdered, or—worst of all—gets married. So Merlin magically places a sword into a slab of rock, lets it be known that whosoever removes the blade will rule all of England, and invites any man who would dare to try to pull out the sword. After a bit of showmanship, Arthur will draw the blade (with a little magical help, of course), and the people will rally around the young king. Except someone else pulls the sword out first . . .

A Booklist Editors’ Choice
ABA’s Pick of the Lists
A Parent’s Guide Children’s Media Award Winner

“Yolen takes elements of Arthurian legend and makes them her own in this involving novel.”—Booklist (starred review)

“[A] page-turning tale of magic and adventure, betrayal, loyalty, and love.”—School Library Journal (starred review)

“A subtle, many-layered tale . . . It is, as the book’s ending tells readers, ‘an old story but a good one,’ and Yolen does it honor.”—VOYA (5Q—highest rating)

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback , Mass Market Paperback , Audio CD

Heart's Blood: The Pit Dragon Chronicles, Volume Two May 1, 2004

by Jane Yolen

( 41 )

$7.99

Jakkin risks everything—his freedom, his dragon, even his life—to rescue his beloved in this stirring sequel to Dragon's Blood.

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback , Mass Market Paperback

Dragon's Blood (Pit Dragon Chronicles Book 1) May 1, 2004

by Jane Yolen

( 104 )

$5.99

Dragons are trained to fight to the death, and two determined teens help free them in this spellbinding saga.

Training a dragon to be a fighting champion is the only way to freedom for fifteen-year-old Jakkin.

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Library Binding , Paperback , Mass Market Paperback

Wizard's Hall Oct 27, 2015

by Jane Yolen

( 45 )

$7.99

An inept wizard-in-training is the only one who can save his classmates from the terrible sorcery that threatens to devour their magical school

Acclaimed master fantasist Jane Yolen imagines an academic world of wonders where paintings speak, walls move, monsters are made real, and absolutely anything can happen—as she introduces readers to a hero as hapless as the legendary Merlin is powerful.

It was Henry’s dear ma who decided to send him off to Wizard’s Hall to study sorcery, despite the boy’s apparent lack of magical talent. He has barely stepped through the gates of the magnificent school when he is dubbed Thornmallow (“prickly on the outside, squishy within”). Still, regardless of his penchant for turning even the simplest spell into a disaster, Thornmallow’s teachers remain kind and patient, and he soon has a cadre of loyal, loving friends. But there is something that no one is telling the boy: As the 113th student to enroll in the wondrous academy, Thornmallow has an awesome and frightening duty to fulfill—and failure will mean the destruction of Wizard’s Hall and everyone within its walls.

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback , Audio, Cassette

Merlin's Booke: Stories of the Great Wizard Jun 18, 2013

by Jane Yolen

( 10 )

$7.99

The award-winning author How to Fracture a Fairy Tale revamps the Camelot legend with stories of King Arthur’s powerful mentor, the great magician Merlin.
There is perhaps no more beloved and enduring myth in the Western canon than the story of King Arthur, his knights, Queen Guinevere, and of course, his mysterious tutor and magical advisor, Merlin. A sorcerer, sage, prophet, and teacher, Merlin’s mysterious life has inspired a vast array of classic works while giving rise to numerous conflicting legends. Here, award-winning author Jane Yolen, one of the most acclaimed fantasy writers of our time, retells Merlin’s tales as never before. Through a series of stories and poems ranging across centuries—from the days of Merlin’s childhood as a feral boy to the possible discovery of his bones in a much later era—Yolen reimagines both the glory and grimness of Camelot, recalling characters and events from Arthurian legend, while ingeniously inventing new myths and dark fables. Merlin’s Booke is a brilliant patchwork, made up of tales that explore the mysteries of King Arthur’s world and the terrible magic that pervaded it. This ebook features a personal history by Jane Yolen including rare images from the author’s personal collection, as well as a note from the author about the making of the book.

Other Formats: Hardcover , Mass Market Paperback

Dragon's Heart: The Pit Dragon Chronicles, Volume Four Feb 7, 2011

by Jane Yolen , Jonathon Schmidt

( 54 )

$5.99

Austar IV isn't the planet it once was, and when Jakkin and Akki finally return to the dragon nursery, their homecoming arouses mixed emotions. Together they've survived the insurmountable, and now they can weather the brutal conditions of Dark After and communicate with the dragons they love. But with this knowledge comes responsibility. What they've learned about survival could transform the planet--or, if entrusted to the wrong hands, bring about its destruction. Akki's insistence that she return to the Rokk to finish her training and begin new experiments drives a chasm between her and Jakkin. Suddenly she finds herself in the midst of a political battle that could claim her life. Only Jakkin can save her. If only he could reach her. . . .

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Library Binding , Paperback

A Sending of Dragons: The Pit Dragon Chronicles, Volume Three May 1, 2004

by Jane Yolen

( 36 )

$5.99

Jakkin and his girlfriend, Akki, discover a primitive cult that sacrifices dragons.

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Library Binding , Paperback , Mass Market Paperback

Odysseus in the Serpent Maze (Young Heroes Book 1) Jul 2, 2013

by Jane Yolen , Robert J. Harris

( 12 )

$6.29

Before he became the hero of the Trojan War, young Odysseus battled monsters and magic
Young Prince Odysseus longs to be a hero. But when he and his travelling companions are captured on their way home to Ithaca, Odysseus learns that being a hero isn’t always easy. Now Odysseus must fight dastardly pirates, survive the enchanted songs of sirens, slay monsters, and defeat a treacherous king. Worse still, Odysseus has to deal with girls: snooty, spoiled Princess Helen of Sparta and her companion, the annoyingly sensible Penelope. Odysseus must use his strength and cleverness to save his friends, and he must sacrifice more than he ever expected to be come the hero he is destined to be. This ebook features personal histories by Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris including rare images from the authors’ personal collections, as well as a timeline of the Heroic Age and a conversation between the two authors about the making of the series.

Other Formats: Hardcover , Paperback

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