Modern fairy tales aimed at children can be very different to their original versions. These were often stories that adults shared with each other and can be very violent and cruel. Often they include a moral e.g. if you go wandering off the path, you might meet a wolf!
Fairy tales were told aloud for hundreds of years, but they were later collected and written down by people like Charles Perrault in France and Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in Germany. There are versions of the same stories found all over the world e.g. the Scottish story Rushie Coat is basically the same as Cinderella.
The name ‘fairy tales’ comes from a French woman called Marie-Catherine d’Aulnoy who was the first person known to write down these stories. In 1697, she wrote a book called Les Contes des Fées (which means ‘fairy tales’) which included a version of Cinderella. These stories are definitely for older readers, not young children.
Other famous fairy tale writers include Hans Christian Andersen, Oscar Wilde, George MacDonald and Andrew Lang. Many modern authors also retell and write their own fairy tales.
In fact, many fairy tales have become so well known that modern versions often tell them from different points of view. Have a look at the reading lists below.
Short reading list – look for these books in the School Library and more fairy tales on the Library catalogue.
Tales of Hans Christian Andersen
East o’ the sun and west o’ the moon
Twisted Tales series
An illustrated treasury of Scottish folk and fairy tales, retold by Theresa Breslin, illustrated by Kate Leiper
The sleeper and the spindle by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Chris Riddell
Online collections
FairyTalez – a collection from all around the world
Grimm’s Fairy Tales edited by Frances Jenkins Olcott – a translation of the German version by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
World of Tales – fairy tales, fables, folktales / myths and legends
