Encyclopedia of Urban Legends

October 15, 2012

Brunvand (English, emeritus, Univ. of Utah; The Vanishing Hitchhiker: American Urban Legends and Their Meanings) is considered a leading expert on urban legend, and in addition to the 2001 edition of this set has written many other works on folklore, myth, and legend. This edition of his anthology of domestic and international urban legends includes updates to and expansions of the original 200 entries as well as 100 new ones. Most entries provide a summary and sample version of a specific legend (e.g., "The Accidental Cannibals," "Blue Star Acid,") and tend to run about a page in length. Essays are arranged alphabetically and helpful cross-references for alternative legend names are included. Additional pieces focus on specific themes and topics (e.g., revenge, telephones) and scholarly thought (e.g., anti-legend, context). De Vos (library and information studies, Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton; Stories from Songs: Ballads as Literary Fictions for Young Adults) offers an anthology, scholarly interpretation, a bibliography, and a volume of essays in one. Her introduction states that one of her aims is to provide "an exploration of the effect of technology and electronic transmission on contemporary legends." Each of her six chapters explores a different theme (e.g., "Overview of Media Appearances of Contemporary Legends," "Ghostlore and Scary Stories") with summaries, legend text, and some or all of the following: evolution of the legend, impact of media on the legend, occurrences, and historical/social context. VERDICT While young adults are de Vos's target audience, only fairly advanced scholars will have the patience to extract relevant information from her work that is trying to be too many things. The digitized version, if part of a larger ebook collection, might get use by default, since arrangement and other presentation issues don't loom as large in ebooks. Brunvand's work, which is considered a standard on the topic, is recommended for public, school, and academic libraries, especially those lacking the earlier edition.--Lura Sanborn, St. Paul's Sch., Hopkinton, NH

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2012
Updated from the 2001 edition, the two-volume Encyclopedia of Urban Legends provides a concise overview of specific tales (and their variations), legend themes, legends by specific region, and an overview of urban-legend research. Each entry includes additional references for those wishing to do further study, something that is especially helpful for the more academic entries, such as Literature and Urban Legends. Updates from the 2001 edition include additional entries on Hurricane Katrina, 9/11, and a section titled Urban Legends in the Media, 20042011, which provides references to how the term urban legend has been used (and misused) in newspapers and magazines in the past decade. Prolific author Brunvand is still actively collecting these entries, and he provides his contact information to anyone who wishes to add to the list. The cross-referencing in the work is excellent. Not entirely sure of a legend's official name? A Type Index of Urban Legends at the end of the work categorizes the legends by common themes, such as Legends About Automobiles, The Dead Pet Replaced, Trademarks and Logos, Etc., and more. What makes the encyclopedia stand out from the popular website Snopes.com (which provides a useful, free online catalog of urban legends) are the sections geared toward studentsentries on Analysis and interpretation, Freudian approach, and Historical approach as well as entries about urban legends in other countries, such as Mexico, Russia, and Ireland. A selected bibliography at the end of the work provides additional resources for readers wishing to further their research (in addition to the source references at the end of most entries). One wish for future editions would be a reorganization of the entries. Instead of entries being entirely alphabetical, it would make sense to have separate sections for the specific legends, urban-legend research, and legends in other countries, as this might make the work easier for students to navigate. As it is, this is an excellent beginning resource for students interested in the subject.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

May 1, 2002
Gr 10 Up-A definitive and entertaining look at widely recognized tales told primarily in the U.S. In his preface and introduction, Brunvand explains the topic's provenance from a scholarly perspective, making this an ideal resource for a creative school report. Readers will learn about the "The Hook," "The Baby-sitter and the Man Upstairs," and other modern urban legends that they may have missed hearing or reading on the Internet ("The Madalyn Murray O'Hair Petition"). The entries are mostly arranged alphabetically by title; some are found under their subject or geographical location of origin. Many have useful cross-references. In a few paragraphs, each story is related and placed in proper historical context. The author recognizes the role of such legends in popular culture and how they change over time and telling. Articles on broad themes (e.g., "Military Legends," "Animals in Urban Legends") are featured throughout. Occasional black-and-white cartoon drawings illustrate the book. A fascinating and trustworthy purchase.-Andrew Medlar, Chicago Public Library, IL

Copyright 2002 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2001
Did you hear that Indiana University's library in Bloomington is sinking? This story which regularly evokes needless concern among university alumni is only one of thousands of urban legends that circulate in popular culture and especially on the Internet. Compiled by the foremost authority on this form of contemporary folklore, this unique encylopedia includes hundreds of such stories from published sources and oral tradition. Brunvand claims that only urban legends told in the United States are "covered comprehensively," but he does include four European versions in their original language. Each entry contains source citations (excluding popular and undocumented sources), but the selected bibliography covers a range of both scholarly and popular works. Alphabetically arranged, the entries cover individual legends ("Hairy-Armed Hitchhiker," "Procter and Gamble Trademark," etc.) and legend themes (babies, technical incompetence, etc.). Unfortunately, an inadequate index detracts from an otherwise superb reference work. Delightful for browsing by general readers, this work is also a fine source for folklore students and researchers. Recommended for academic and larger public libraries Donald Altschiller, Boston Univ. Libs.

Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2001
Although other titles on urban legends are entertaining, the approach here is also scholarly and reflects the author's academic background. He defines urban legends as "all those bizarre, whimsical, 99 percent apocryphal, yet believable stories" of modern oral tradition.

Among the nearly 500 entries are specific legends (" "The Blind "Date," " "The Poison Dress,"" "" Snakes in Playland""), along with common legend topics, categories, and themes " (Fast food, Celebrities, Jumping "to conclusions). Other entries deal with terms and concepts related to the study of urban legends " (Motif, Ostension"). Coverage focuses on the U.S. but also extends to Canada, England, and other English-speaking countries and to countries, such as Romania, in which published urban-legend collections are available. Most entries end with references to books and journals, and many include " see also" references. At the end of the volume is a selected bibliography including collections of American folklore and legends.

Legends are entered under their conventional names, but few readers will be familiar with the conventions, and there are many variations. " See "references point from alternate to standard titles " (Mall slashers "SEE " "The Slasher under the Car""). The index also helps in locating appropriate entry headings " (contact lenses "SEE " "The Unlucky "Contact Lenses," "The Welded Contacts"). However, there is no index entry for " tickets "to send the reader to " "Take My Tickets, Please." "More detailed keyword indexing would improve access.

Libraries will find that this volume fills a gap between traditional folklore and stories of popular culture. It should be popular at the junior-high-school level and up. Schools will want to be aware that there are a few sex stories. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2001, American Library Association.)