Traditional folktales from around the world celebrate the wisdom, courage, and even the follies of elders, presenting them as crones, wise men, sages, magic helpers, and fools. Arranged by story type, these are tales that can be used in the classroom and library, as a springboard for cultural comparisons and discussion of how wisdom is shared between generations, and how elders contribute to and are perceived by various societies.

The Ancient Curse by Valerio Massimo Manfredi (Audiobook, MP3)

In the middle of the night at the Museum of Volterra, young archeologist Fabrizio Castellani is immersed in his work - research into the famous Etruscan statue known as The Shade of Twilight. Completely engrossed, he is startled by the phone ringing. An icy female voice warns him to abandon his work at once.
 

Charles Dickens - David Copperfield. (level 2)Charles Dickens

David Coppeerfield is a boy who experiences the best and the worst of life in 19th-century England. When David's beloved mother dies, his cruel stepfather mistreats him. David has to suffer fear and loneliness at a barbaric boarding school before later, while still a child, working in a London factory. He meets the handsome deceiver, Steerforth, and the evil hypocrite, Uriah Heep. But he also finds love and protection from the friends he can trust.

Oscar Wilde - The Fisherman and his Soul. (level 2)Oscar Wilde

A story of love and friendship about a fisherman who catches a mermaid. He lets her go because she promises to help him fish. Each day the mermaid appears and sings her song, so he falls in love with her! However, she cannot marry him until he has lost his human soul.

Jack London - The Call of the Wild. (level 2)Jack London

Buck, a big, happy dog, is kidnapped from his comfortable home in California and is sold as a sled dog in the cold Yukon Territory during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1896. His new life in the Northland is difficult, challenging, adventurous… and full of surprises!