At a loss for a topic this week, I went to Chase's Calendar of Events again. I discovered that the month of March is Irish-American heritage month. That brought to mind stories about leprechauns and other Irish folklore. Which made me think of an area of books in the 300s, near and dear to my heart.

These books are collections of folklore and fairy tales from various parts of the world. Many of these books might be considered too old and ready for the discard heap. But..... Here are the stories passed down from generation to generation. Many of these stories were well- known long before they were recorded in written language. They were the entertainment of adults as well as children. Every story is a part of someone's cultural heritage and, as such, should not be allowed to just disappear.

I hope that by writing about some of these books, I can tempt even a few readers to give them a chance. You can find them in the 300s, right next to the oversize shelves. The number on the spine will be 398.2 or .21. I made a random selection, based in part on the appearance and in part on country of origin. Many more books are out there, all just as interesting.

The Irish Fairy book is a collection of classic Irish stories. Fun reading for anyone who is or would like to be Irish this month. Another book of stories well worth reading is Yiddish folktales. These stories come from the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research and have helped to preserve a portrait of a people who would not be destroyed. Folk Stories of the Hmong were transmitted orally for generations as the Hmong language did not take written form until after 1950. When so many Hmong relocated to the United States, an effort was made to record these stories to preserve their culture.

There are other books of folk stories as well : from Africa, The girl who married a lion, from China, Favorite folktales of China and from Afghanistan, Tales of Afghanistan.

The library has a large collection of folktales from the United States. Close to home, we have Tales told in the shadows of the White Mountains which contains many well-known tales and also some not previously published in a book. A couple of others worth a look are The corn woman which contains stories and legends from the Hispanic Southwest and Songdog diary : 66 stories from the road, a series of stories recorded during years spent traveling up and down Route 66.

If you should be looking for something interesting and fun to read, try the folktales and fairy tales section. Give some of these deserving books another chance!