Presents descriptions of hundreds of urban legends and their variations, themes, and scholarly approaches to the genre, including such tales as disappearing hitchhikers and hypodermic needles left in the coin slots of pay telephones.

Urban Legends is a remarkably complete collection of the modern myths that make the rounds in offices, college dorms, and every other place where people tell the stories that spring from our deepest fears and fascinations. Every culture has its folktales including ours. Except, instead of involving gods and goddesses or princes and princesses, ours involve "some guy my sister's best friend knows" or "someone who woke up in a motel room." They happened, supposedly, to real people, usually recently, in a particular place. And they touch the most sensitive nerves of our psyches with ironic twists, gross-out shocks, and moral lessons learned the hard way. From the classic tale "The Mexican Pet" in which the "dog" turns out to be no Chihuahua to the more unappetizing story of condoms as fast-food burger garnish, from surgically skilled kidney thieves to sexual experiments that end in the emergency room, Urban Legends relates more 300 of the most enticing, macabre, and unforgettable tales. Expertly told, they are arranged in such chapters as "Crazy Little Thang Called Sex," "Oh, Scare Me," "Campus Capers," "Corporate Convolutions," and "So Much For Comfort Food." Fascinating, chilling, and occasionally repulsive, Urban Legends has all your favorites and hundreds more.

“Being known for my originality and marching to the beat of my own drum, I, Britney Fairweather, vow to take a different course of action.” With her trusty sidekick, Mustard the Labradoodle, each day is a new adventure for Britney Fairweather, a feisty teenager whose imagination often overtakes her good sense. In this collection of short stories and mini flash fiction, Britney explores The Enchanted Forest, a magical place filled with fantastical creatures who often lead her on merry escapades. Join Britney as she encounters fairies, mystical clouds, good witches, water sprites, house elves, talking birds and more. Each story, as told through the eyes of Britney, leads the reader into her fairy tale realm – making them question their own reality and opening up a world of creativity and possibilities.

This fascinating book uncovers the history behind urban legends and explains how the contemporary iterations of familiar fictional tales provide a window into the modern concerns—and digital advancements—of our society. What do ghost hunting, legend tripping, and legendary monsters have in common with email hoaxes, chain letters, and horror movies? In this follow-up to Libraries Unlimited's Tales, Rumors, and Gossip: Exploring Contemporary Folk Literature in Grades 7–12, author Gail de Vos revisits popular urban legends, and examines the impact of media—online, social, and broadcast—on their current iterations. What Happens Next? Contemporary Urban Legends and Popular Culture traces the evolution of contemporary legends from the tradition of oral storytelling to the sharing of stories on the Internet and TV. The author examines if the popularity of contemporary legends in the media has changed the form, role, and integrity of familiar legends. In addition to revisiting some of the legends highlighted in her first book, de Vos shares new tales in circulation which she sees as a direct result of technological advancements.

America's premier folk detective is back on the case, sniffing out those zany but dubious stories that "really happened" to a friend of your sister's boyfriend's accountant's mechanic. Jan Harold Brunvand—''Mr. Urban Legend" [Smithsonian]—tracks the most fabulous tales making today's cocktail-party circuit and shows why those stories that sound too good to be true probably are too good to be true. The eponymous episode—"The Baby Train"—sheds light on certain predawn activities that have linked unusually high birth rates to the whim of train schedule makers. Other stories offer a revealing peek behind the story of "The Exploding Bra," expose the embarrassing source of "The Hairdresser's Error," resurrect a "Failed Suicide" Buster Keaton would have died for, and show why adults are better off not bringing their comic book fantasies out of the closet. From "Superhero Hijinx" to "The Shocking Videotape" to "The Accidental Cannibal," The Baby Train uncovers the mysteries behind some of the bawdiest, goriest, funniest, most pyrotechnic urban legends yet.

Presents the basic stories behind urban myths and legends from around the world, along with examples of each, and groups them by theme, which includes city life, horror, accidents, disease, animals, sex, merchandise, murder, and the supernatural.

Have you ever caught yourself wondering if perhaps things around you are not quite what they seem? Practical and pragmatic Pris has never even considered the possibility. That is until someone breaks into her home claiming her parents have been abducted and taken to a magical world. Snake has always known he is a gnome, and that there are all manner of magical creatures living, not only in his home town of London, but in the wider world as well. Now he must convince a very human girl she is actually an elf, and that she must join with him and enter the World Below to save both their parents. Entering The World Below isn't simple as it seems—scattered around England are the magical creatures and riddles that will grant them passage. They only have days to reach them all, and someone is working against them to ensure they never make to the magical realm. Unsure who to trust, can Pris embrace her magical heritage before she loses her parents forever? Snake faces his own dark secrets as he fights his growing attraction for Pris, knowing they can never be together. When everything seems against them, will Pris and Snake make it to The World Below in Time?

This scintillating anthology draws on the rich mélange of people who inhabit today’s London, both lamenting the unequal way the city treats them and celebrating the vibrant urban life their co-existence delivers.