Who says fairy tales are just for kids? Fairy tales originated from oral storytelling as far back as 6th century BC and were intended for adults. Fairy tales have been found in almost every culture; the first known literary version of Cinderella was written in China around 850 AD.

Listed below are fairy tales for adults- some are re-imagined tales and others incorporate fairy-tale elements. So, read some fairy tales and check off a box on your July Summer Challenge Sheet!

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden – A young girl, Vasya, is born in a small village in the wilderness of Russia and with the birth, a stranger gives the new father, Pytor, a beautiful necklace, meant for the child. Pytor hides the gift away, unsure of the gift. Vasya grows up to be a rambunctious child and when dark forces threaten their village Vasya discovers that she, armed with the necklace, may be the only one who can help.

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey – Alaska in 1920 was an unforgiving place to homestead. Jack and Mabel want to have a child, but haven’t been able to and instead have been drifting apart. But during the season’s first snowfall the couple build a child out of snow. The next day the snow child is gone, but they do see a young girl running through the trees. The young girl lives alone in the woods so Jack and Mabel take her in as their own daughter, but not everything about the girl is wonderful as it seems.

Hiddensee by Gregory Maguire – from the author of Wicked, comes the mysterious backstory of the Nutcracker. Discover the story of how the Nutcracker is carved and guides a girl through a dreamland on Christmas Eve.

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker – Two mythical creatures, Chava and Ahmad, journey through turn-of-the-century New York and form an unlikely friendship. They take human forms and live in the growing immigrant community. But danger is near and threatens them both.