Tales, Rumors, and Gossip Exploring Contemporary Folk Literature in Grades 7-12

Explore the stories and themes that capture the imagination of young people today. After a fascinating overview and discussion of contemporary legends (commonly referred to as modern urban legends and often told as "true"), de Vos examines them in their relationship to rumors and gossip, ostension (acting out the legends), the role of the media in formulation and dissemination, and related tales (e.g., literary horror tales). A sampling of tales is organized into broad subject areas, such as contaminated food, threats to children, and satanic legends, and the legends are analyzed according to function, structure, and international variants. De Vos discusses some of the literary and visual adaptations in popular culture and offers suggestions for adapting tales for the junior high and high school curriculum. A fascinating professional book, this is a great resource to use with young adults.De Vos, Gail is the author of 'Tales, Rumors, and Gossip Exploring Contemporary Folk Literature in Grades 7-12', published 1996 under ISBN 9781563081903 and ISBN 1563081903.