Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed, Rip Van Winkle, John Henry. These are just some of the many characters alive today through folktales. A goldmine for students, storytellers, and general readers, this massive, four-volume work gives easy access to the stories and legends that have captivated us for generations and continue to influence film, television, literature, and popular culture. The most ambitious undertaking of its kind, this collection gathers a vast range of popular and obscure lore from a wide range of American ethnic traditions and conveniently groups the folktales by region. The set includes common and less familiar stories from a wide range of ethnic traditions. Included are selections from various types of tales, including legend, joke, tall tale, personal narrative, and myth. Introductions, notes, appendices, and other aids link the tales to their origins and afterlives, so that students in social studies classes can learn about American history and culture, while literature students can learn about language, genres, and dialects. This work: organizes tales according to region; places the tales in their cultural and historical contexts; presents lucid and informative explanatory headnotes; offers generous bibliographical information; includes appendices and an extensive index; supports the literature curriculum by helping students explore stories, genres, and dialects; supports the social studies curriculum by helping students understand American culture; and, promotes cultural diversity by exposing students to a wide range of traditions.