Jane Yolen Books in Order

Isabel comes from a family of accomplished witches, but her spells refuse to turn out properly. Facing her first witches' convention, she worries about performing evil magic and discovers that her unusual abilities may have a different purpose.

Five young detectives use an abandoned house as their clubhouse until a new owner brings strange noises and suspicious activity. Investigating the changes at McCracken's Place leads the Inway Investigators through false starts, frightening encounters, and an unexpected mystery.

Reg spends the summer with a Quaker family on a farm where he feels mistrusted and disappointed. Discovering an overturned horse van gives him a chance to rescue an old horse, whose survival becomes bound up with his own hopes.

A miller's son understands the language of animals and discovers a remarkable bird that can alter the passage of time. Its power offers him a way to challenge a wicked giant and help a captive princess.

Five original tales evoke the atmosphere of traditional folklore while exploring love, truth, fear, and kindness. Their imaginative situations invite young readers to consider difficult feelings and moral choices through stories shaped by wonder and the familiar rhythms of fairy tales.

Bookish Richard believes the white animal he sees in the woods is a unicorn, while adventurous Heather recognizes an unusual deer. Their competing interpretations and determination to keep the discovery secret draw two very different children into a fragile friendship.

Jane Yolen traces the origins and daily life of the Shakers, exploring their beliefs, communal households, craftsmanship, and distinctive worship. This account introduces the religious community through the customs and practical work that shaped its settlements and enduring cultural legacy.

Seven fairy tales explore love, loss, obedience, and the search for happiness through enchanted creatures and human choices. Charcoal illustrations accompany stories of a dove, a fiery maiden, and other figures whose encounters reveal the costs of loyalty and desire.

A Chinese emperor offers a reward to anyone who can help his blind daughter experience the world. After other visitors fail, an old man arrives with a carved stick, offering the princess a different way to understand her surroundings.

Jeremy's day is full of mishaps, but he remains determined to avoid taking a bath. When his grandmother arrives, she finds an imaginative way to get him into the tub, turning a familiar family struggle into a playful encounter.

A deaf girl resisting hearing aids and sign language meets a mermaid banished from her underwater community. Because merfolk communicate through signs, the two find a shared language and work together to rescue a dolphin stranded on the shore.

An old blind weaver sells dreams to passing visitors, shaping an original tale for each person who pays her. Seven linked fantasies explore love, death, and human longing, ending with the dream she finally weaves for herself.

Commander Toad takes the Star Warts crew exploring unfamiliar reaches of space. Landing on a watery planet brings them face to face with Deep Wader, a territorial monster who sees the visiting adventurers as potential lunch.

In the futuristic metropolis of Bosyork, Rebecca receives a robot for her ninth birthday and puts it to work solving a mystery. Their investigation unfolds in a technologically transformed East Coast city in the year 2121.

Beautiful Princess Miserella treats others cruelly, while Plain Jane’s kindness earns a fairy’s gratitude. When an angry spell puts them to sleep, a prince’s arrival sets up a contest between outward beauty and the generosity that makes someone worth loving.

A runaway boy catches a ride in a van carrying chimpanzees trained to use sign language. When a California earthquake wrecks the vehicle and devastates the countryside, boy and chimp must communicate and cooperate to survive the journey toward safety.

Sarah Barker and Abel Church grow up in a nineteenth-century Shaker community that forbids romance and marriage. Their secret attraction challenges the religious rules shaping their lives, forcing them to weigh personal freedom against belonging and obedience.

Two rare creatures called owsers have vanished, leaving Rebecca and her robot companion with a puzzling case. Together they investigate what happened to the unusual animals, whose resemblance to dogs offers a familiar touch to their science fiction mystery.

Commander Toad chooses a promising planet for a picnic, but exploration turns dangerous when giant grapes swallow him and Lieutenant Lily. The stranded officers must rely on ship's doctor Doc Peeper as the Star Warts crew attempts a rescue.

On Austar IV, dragons fight in gambling pits and bond servants must earn their freedom. Young Jakkin secretly raises a stolen dragon hatchling, hoping its success in combat will buy his escape from servitude at the dragon nursery.

The Star Warts encounters a black hole that hides an enormous extraterrestrial toad. When its sticky tongue seizes the spaceship, Commander Toad must draw on a secret from his past to save his crew from destruction.

Earth anthropologists arrive on a planet where mourning forms the foundation of society and grief is an art. Aaron Spenser's involvement with its inhabitants complicates his mission of unobtrusive observation as the foretold Gray Wanderer signals profound cultural change.

Mohandas's life at an Indian orphanage changes when two girls believed to have lived among wolves arrive. He tries to teach them language and protect them from cruelty, discovering the limits of kindness within the institution surrounding them.

Now free from servitude, dragon trainer Jakkin becomes entangled with Akki in political unrest on Austar IV. A plot to destroy one of the planet's dragon pits draws them into dangers extending far beyond competitive dragon fighting.

A girl struggles to understand her poet father's suicide and the grief it leaves behind. Meeting someone she believes to be a faun introduces mystery and uncertain magic into her effort to make sense of his death.

A distress call sends Commander Toad and the Star Warts rushing to an asteroid inhabited by pigeons. Communication difficulties obscure the nature of the emergency, forcing the crew to overcome a language barrier before they can offer effective help.

These fantasy and science fiction stories place dragons, mermaids, demons, and alien travelers alongside kings and troubled artists. Their encounters explore human love, grief, and folly, including the unexpected discoveries of a salvage crew examining a dying poet's mind.

Commander Toad travels to an intergalactic spy convention to retrieve his cousin Tip Toad, the master of disguise known as Agent 007½. Finding the correct spy without exposing his identity turns the mission into a dangerous recognition puzzle.

Jane Yolen gathers 160 folktales from more than forty cultures, combining familiar stories with lesser-known traditions. The collection offers readers a broad encounter with the characters, conflicts, and imaginative storytelling passed down through communities around the world.

Interconnected stories, novellas, and poems revisit Merlin's life from birth to beyond death. Moving between history and magic, the collection follows his role in Arthur's rise and his attachment to Nimue, exploring the vulnerabilities beneath a legendary wizard's power.

Fifteen lullabies are brought together with musical arrangements and notes on their histories. Drawing mostly on traditional songs, the illustrated collection offers families music to share at bedtime, including a lullaby composed by Yolen herself.

Falsely accused of sabotage, Jakkin and Akki flee into Austar IV's wilderness with the offspring of Jakkin's dragon. Their struggle to survive reveals unfamiliar abilities and deepens their understanding of the creatures that have shaped their lives.

Bored after a long voyage, the Star Warts crew suddenly faces a pirate boarding party led by Commander Salamander. Commander Toad must respond to the invaders before their threatened game of hopping the plank becomes a deadly reality.

These literary fairy tales draw on myth, medieval romance, and science fiction to explore love, separation, and happiness. A young woman seeks knowledge of the future, while a gifted farm boy approaches Death to sing for his mother's life.

Becca promises her dying grandmother Gemma to investigate the truth behind her lifelong retelling of Sleeping Beauty. The search leads to Poland and the Holocaust, revealing how fairy-tale images conceal a survivor's painful and extraordinary history.

Raised among women who practice warrior arts and moon magic, Jenna can summon her dark twin Skada from a mirror. Signs that she fulfills an ancient prophecy draw both sisters into conflict over the future of their land.

Tired of hearing about Jewish history, Hannah opens the door during a family Passover seder and finds herself in wartime Poland. Taken with villagers to a concentration camp, she experiences the history she once resisted remembering.

A jealous stepmother turns Dove Isabeau into a dragon, placing her humanity and happiness beyond ordinary reach. Love offers a possible answer to the enchantment, but its demands bring further dangers in a fairy tale of courage and loyalty.

Stories and poems explore fairy tales, ghosts, and encounters with the supernatural. Moving between different forms of fantasy, the collection brings familiar magical traditions into new imaginative settings and invites readers to consider the mysteries behind ordinary experience.

Jenna reluctantly accepts her possible role as a prophesied warrior queen and supports the Dales' rightful rulers against a usurper. Her dark sister Skada joins her after nightfall, sharing both her soul and the dangers of their struggle.

Elves introduce the alphabet through a series of illustrated activities, each associated with a different letter. Yolen's brief text accompanies Lauren Mills's detailed pictures, inviting young readers to follow the letters and discover objects within the scenes.

Orphaned Artos feels out of place among the boys in Sir Ector's castle. Searching for a missing hound leads him to an elderly dragon, whose lessons in wisdom begin preparing the boy for a destiny he cannot yet imagine.

This Christmas collection brings together stories, poems, legends, folktales, and carols. Readers encounter the holiday through varied forms of storytelling and song, with a seasonal assortment designed for sharing and revisiting the traditions associated with its celebration.

Daedalus and his son Icarus attempt an extraordinary flight in this retelling of the Greek myth. Their journey brings human inventiveness into conflict with danger and limitation, while accompanying notes explain the tale's sources and the author's approach.

Henry arrives at Wizard's Hall with little apparent talent for sorcery and receives the name Thornmallow. When a former teacher's monstrous magic threatens the school, his unusual ability to enhance others' spells becomes central to his classmates' survival.

Eeny lives underground with two sisters who prefer the safety of their dark, familiar home. Curious about rumors of the world above, she sets out to discover what lies beyond their hole, testing caution against the desire to explore.

A young Taino boy recounts Columbus's arrival in the Americas from the perspective of the people already living there. The picture book places the encounter within his community's experience, offering a different view of the familiar voyage.

Sally Jane watches the towns of the Swift River Valley prepare to disappear beneath a new reservoir. Her memories of neighbours, familiar places, and family life become a way of understanding the loss as the landscape around her changes.

Jane Yolen combines fantasy stories, poems, and reflections on writing and storytelling in this collection. Tales of a pot child, a bottle djinn, and other magical figures sit alongside essays about the author's craft and the spaces between stories.

This collection gathers dragon stories and poems, including Cockfight, the story that developed into the Pit Dragon novels. Author introductions explain the origins of each selection, while David Wilgus's illustrations accompany creatures drawn from varied traditions and imagined worlds.

Mouse’s birthday draws animal friends into his tiny house, where every new guest makes the celebration more crowded. Their efforts to join the party turn an ordinary occasion into a playful test of how much companionship one small home can hold.

Angels and gargoyles test a kind woman’s goodness by placing an unattractive baby in her care. Griselle’s response becomes a test of love and compassion, asking whether appearances should determine who deserves affection and a home.

On the day of Grandad Bill's funeral, a boy confronts the loss of someone he loves. Family memories reveal different sides of his grandfather's life, helping the child find connections between grief, remembrance and the affection that remains.

Original stories and poems explore unicorns through tales of healing, mystery, humor, and enchantment. The collection includes The Boy Who Drew Unicorns, with David Wilgus's illustrations and Yolen's introductory notes connecting individual pieces to their origins and traditional lore.

Written through a poetic exchange between Jane Yolen and Nancy Willard, this illustrated collection considers angels in Jewish and Christian traditions. Spirituality, humor, and contrasting perspectives illuminate winged figures as mysteries, metaphors, and unexpected presences in human life.

Witches, wizards, and warlocks appear in this illustrated collection of original stories and poems. Figures such as Baba Yaga and Merlin mingle with other magical characters, while author notes explain the ideas and folklore behind each selection.

Jerold and Gerund inhabit parallel versions of an enchanted house while the Lord of Winter battles the Queen of Light. When reckless Gerund is captured, Jerold must attempt a rescue within a recurring struggle between opposing supernatural powers.

On a hot summer day, a young girl dreams about her horse Haygirl as the mare approaches the birth of her foal. Jane Yolen’s story blends the anticipation of that arrival with a child’s fantastic imaginings.

Stories and poems explore angels through both previously published and new pieces, each introduced by an author note. In Fallen Angel, three children build replacement wings for a heavenly visitor whose own wings burned when he fell to earth.

After years living with a falconer, young Merlin loses his home to a devastating fire. Traveling with a street magician and his wife brings new danger as the twelve-year-old's uncertain identity and emerging powers continue to develop.

A boy surviving alone in the forest has lost his speech and much of his connection to human life. A falconer takes him in, beginning the recovery of language, memory, and identity in this imagined childhood of Merlin.

Poems explore sacred places associated with religious traditions around the world, from Stonehenge and the Western Wall to Uluru. Paired with David Shannon's paintings, they introduce the histories and spiritual meanings people attach to these sites.

Fleeing a murderous king, young Merlin encounters the wodewoses, who imprison him and demand predictions of the future. Among these woodland people, he meets a child destined to become King Arthur, linking his developing powers to a larger future.

This collection gathers Jane Yolen's fantasy and science fiction stories for adult readers, including the title tale about Emily Dickinson's extraordinary voyage. Three previously unpublished works join stories that bring literary figures and familiar traditions into unexpected imaginative settings.

Sailors aboard a Dutch ship pull a half-human, half-fish creature from the sea, provoking fear and suspicion. Their lieutenant feels obliged to return him to the water, beginning an unusual friendship grounded in compassion and understanding.

Twelve fantasies turn familiar tales into unexpected adventures, including an older Alice confronting Wonderland and rebels challenging Peter Pan. A dead mother's return and a bridge longing for its troll explore the unsettling possibilities beneath stories children already know.

Marina and Jed are taken by their believing parents to a mountain retreat where a religious leader predicts the world's imminent destruction. As the promised date approaches, the teenagers grow close while questioning the faith and authority surrounding them.

Homesick after a long space voyage, the Star Warts crew asks Mr. Hop to set a course for home. Instead, the ship reaches an unknown planet, where Commander Toad's exploration leads to an unexpected discovery about belonging.

Ghost stories and poems range from folklore-inspired encounters to modern adolescent experiences of grief and haunting. The collection includes a ghost dog in Mandy, with author notes describing the memories and events that inspired the selections and David Wilgus's illustrations.

Troubled by nightmares and doubts about his right to rule, young King Arthur turns to Merlin. The wizard tells him a story of his own youth, battling dragons and a conflict that may illuminate Arthur's place in England's future.

Queen Jenna and King Carum's children struggle with identity, ambition, and inheritance while their kingdom maintains an uneasy peace. Adopted heir Scillia seeks her origins, while her brother Jemson's experiences abroad threaten the stability their parents fought to establish.

Raised as an Egyptian prince, Moses discovers his Hebrew origins and the suffering of his people. The revelation divides his loyalties, setting him on a difficult path away from palace life toward confronting the power that keeps them enslaved.

While visiting their witch grandmother in Scotland, Jennifer, Peter, and Molly encounter a Pictish girl who has escaped through time. An ancient talisman links them to her plight, and they must oppose dangerous magic to help her return home.

Twins Jennifer and Peter discover a magical map while visiting Scotland with their family. When the wizard Michael Scot kidnaps their younger sister and demands it in exchange, they must find a way to rescue her without trusting his promises.

Young troll Gog and his friend Pook pose as roadies to gain admission to their favorite band’s concert. When Gog’s younger brother disappears, their musical outing becomes a rescue mission through a forest filled with dangerous magical creatures.

Thirteen poems explore colours found in nature, pairing Jane Yolen’s words with Jason Stemple’s photographs. Flowers, skies, sand, and other familiar sights become starting points for imaginative comparisons, inviting children to notice details and try their own descriptions.

Folktales from around the world feature girls and women who overcome danger through intelligence, courage, and strength. Warriors, serpent slayers, and resourceful heroines lead these retellings, offering alternatives to familiar tales in which female characters wait to be rescued.

Former traveling performer Nicola becomes a jester and confidante to Mary, Queen of Scots. Following the queen from France to Scotland, she confronts court intrigue and rebellious nobles while trying to protect a friend whose power is increasingly threatened.

Young Odysseus and his friend are kidnapped by pirates alongside Helen and Penelope. Their adventure takes them to Crete, where the Labyrinth conceals a new monster and Odysseus must learn how to survive the heroic life he imagined.

Twenty-seven folktales from around the world restore the often-overlooked merman to the center of sea mythology. Through water gods, fish-tailed beings, and other aquatic figures, the collection explores how cultures imagined the power and mystery of rivers and oceans.

Marjorie Bruce becomes a princess when her father claims Scotland’s throne, but his rebellion makes her an English target. Captured and confined in a public cage by Edward Longshanks, she struggles to preserve her courage and identity.

A young girl joins her family in bringing in the harvest on their Midwestern farm. Their shared labor leads to prayer, song and a celebratory meal, in a rhythmic picture book shaped by the traditions of harvest songs.

Thirteen-year-old Hippolyta must save her baby brother from an Amazon prophecy that demands his death. Carrying him toward their father in Troy, she faces a goddess’s curse and must decide whether another brother can be trusted to help.

A visit to a Scottish graveyard leaves Peter possessed by an angry ghost. His twin Jennifer and their grandmother have only twenty-four hours to unravel the spirits’ troubled history and free him before he is lost forever.

Prince Ivan encounters the magical Firebird and becomes caught in a struggle to free ten captive maidens. With the bird’s help, he faces the wizard Kostchei in a retelling of the story behind the ballet.

After a beast kills her adoptive father, twelve-year-old Atalanta sets out for revenge with her bear companion. Joining Orion’s hunt for the creature terrorizing Arcadia brings her closer to both the monster and dangerous secrets about her origins.

A toad tries to cross a road just as a boy, his father and their dog drive toward it. With danger approaching, the boy's quick thinking may make the difference between an ordinary outing and disaster.

Dinosaurs model the patience and care involved in learning to read, using humorous rhymes and lively illustrations. This brief early booklet introduces good reading habits and respect for books, encouraging children as they begin to explore written words.

Merlin plans to secure Arthur’s uncertain reign by placing a sword in stone and declaring its remover England’s rightful king. The staged test goes wrong when someone else draws the blade, threatening a throne already surrounded by rivals.

Playful dinosaurs make messes and learn how to restore order by putting away toys and using simple cleaning tools. Rhyming text and humorous illustrations turn the familiar struggle over untidy rooms into an approachable lesson in taking responsibility.

Dinosaurs introduce young children to counting from one to ten through playful rhymes and illustrations. Repetition and familiar prehistoric characters make early number practice part of a lively read-aloud experience designed for children beginning to explore counting.

Training with the centaur Chiron, orphaned Jason is sent to recover stolen Gorgon’s blood capable of healing or mass destruction. Leading an unruly band of young warriors, he must stop wild centaurs from using it against Iolcus.

Young Highlander Duncan defies his father and joins his cousin Ewan in the campaign for Bonnie Prince Charlie. At Culloden, the stories of battlefield glory that inspired him collide with the fear, violence and suffering of actual war.

Stories behind celebrated ballets are retold alongside theatrical illustrations and accounts of their origins. A history of classical ballet and background on choreography, composition, and early performances connect the narratives readers encounter with the dances they inspired.

Young dinosaurs struggle with table manners, making noises, rejecting food, and hoping someone else will clean up. With patient parental guidance, their mealtime antics become a humorous introduction to eating politely and considering the people around them.

Cat stories, sayings, and nursery rhymes from different cultures explore familiar feline mysteries, including their rivalry with mice and talent for landing on their feet. Yolen gathers and adapts these tales into an illustrated celebration of cats’ intriguing personalities.

Baby Bear loves being read to at every hour, from waking up to settling down at night. Books carry him into new adventures as his family shares stories that fit the changing moments of his day.

Fairy tales involving food are paired with recipes that families can cook together, from pancakes and soup to dishes inspired by Cinderella and other familiar stories. Notes on folklore and food encourage readers to experiment with both cooking and storytelling.

A young dinosaur catches the flu and must face medicine, rest, and a visit to the doctor. Playful rhymes and illustrations explore the frustrations of being ill while helping children feel more comfortable with the care that supports recovery.

Dinosaurs discover colors through familiar objects, drawing, painting, and play, from a red fire truck to a purple towel. Rhyming text and vibrant illustrations introduce early color recognition while encouraging children to notice the shades around them.