for which each book garnered at least one noted award. Ursula began writing at the age of nine and she also writes poetry and essays. She was heavily influenced by her parents, their fellow anthropologists, and the studies at the University of California (Berkeley) Ishi, the self-proclaimed last wild Indian in the United States. The U. S. Library of Congress named Le Guin a Living Legend in the year 2000. As with many fictional writers, Ursula must be able to create maps for the worlds they create.  

Earthsea is a place where magic is everywhere, except where it is banned. It is set in the time of early Iron/Bronze age. This is also a world that seems to have been forged with the combined strengths of Taoism and reimagined Anarchy. 

 

Cinderella

Sleeping Beauty

Little Red Riding Hood

Puss in Boots

 

Films to watch:

 

Cinderella, Animated, 1950, Walt Disney http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042332/?ref_=nv_sr_5

Sleeping Beauty, Animated 1959, Walt Disney http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053285/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2

 

Maybe someone has read these stories to you?

 

Snow White

Hansel and Gretel

Rumpelstiltskin

 

Films to watch:

 

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Animated, 1937 , Walt Disney http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029583/?ref_=nv_sr_2

 

The Value of Fantasy, by authors Spencer Johnson and Steve Pileggi  ISBN-10: 0916392430, ISBN-13: 978-0916392437

 

Hans Christian Andersen: The Dreamer of Fairy Tales by Andrew Langley and illustrated by Tony Morris ISBN-10: 0195214358, ISBN-13: 978-0195214352

 

Maybe you have heard of these stories?

 

The Little Mermaid

Ugly Duckling

The Emperor’s New Clothes

The Real Princess

The Snow Queen

The Little Match Girl

The Brave Tin Soldier

 

Films to watch: 

 

Hans Christian Andersen, Loose Biography (and a must watch!), live action, 1952 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044685/?ref_=nv_sr_1

 

The Little Mermaid, Animated, 1989, Walt Disney http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097757/?ref_=nv_sr_2

Frozen (Based on The Snow Queen), Animated, 2013, Walt Disney http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2294629/

 

Places to Visit:

 

Italy, Andersen Festival, http://www.andersenfestival.it/2014/en/

 

Recommended stories:

 

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Through the Looking Glass

 

Lewis Carroll’s writings are in the silly genre of literary nonsense, which makes perfect sense for a mathematician. Let’s consider a few elements in his writings: talking animals and bugs, royal characters, characters shape-shifting… Well, that sounds pretty faerie-like to me.

 

Films to watch for Alice in Wonderland

 

Animated, 1951, Walt Disney http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043274/?ref_=tt_rec_tti 

TV Movie, 1999, live action http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0164993/

 

L. Frank Baum wrote The (Wonderful) Wizard of Oz

 

L. Frank Baum’s stories are considered fantasy and not fairy tale, but there are witches, talking animals, munchkins, flying monkeys… I think most faeries would nod ‘yes’ in approval.

 

A film to watch is The Wizard of Oz, Live action classic, 1939 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032138/?ref_=nv_sr_1

 

You can visit the Land of Oz in Storybook Land located in Aberdeen, South Dakota http://www.aberdeen.sd.us/index.aspx?NID=284

 

Everything OZ, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz website http://thewizardofoz.info/

 

A film based on The Little Prince, Live Action, 1974 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071762/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt

 

If you happen to be going to Japan, there is a lovely museum dedicated to Saint-Exupéry and The Little Prince