Twelve Impossible Things Before Breakfast: Stories by Jane Yolen (Harcourt Brace Books, 1997, 192pp.)
Jane Yolen presents twelve very fine fantasy stories aimed at juvenile readers. In “Tough Alice,” our Wonderland heroine must rely on her wits in order to get the better of the fearsome Jabberwocky. “Mama Gone” tells an eerie tale of a young girl who seeks to put her vampire mother’s soul to rest. A family finds new beginnings on a relative’s farm after a phoenix’s fiery rebirth destroys their apartment building in “Phoenix Farm.” Now that violence is part of New York City’s past, its denizens go “Wilding” to satisfy their cravings for danger in this futuristic tale of the same title. “The Babysitter” is a creepy story about a haunted house, a babysitter, and one Halloween night. The final entry is a brilliant twist on Peter Pan, the Nebula-winning novella “Lost Girls,” where Darla finds herself a prisoner of the Lost Boys in a Neverland where Captain Hook, an advocate of women’s rights, is the least of her worries. A lovely collection of short tales to be enjoyed by young and old alike. Recommended for Ages 9-12.
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