What Is the Story Of? – serie

Who HQ brings you the stories behind the most well-known characters of our time.Discover the haunting story of the Headless Horseman, his chilling adventures in Sleepy Hollow, New York, and his historical backstory in this addition to the What Is the Story Of? series.Washington Irving published The Legend of Sleepy Hollow in 1820, introducing the eerie Headless Horseman character to readers worldwide. Readers were both scared and intrigued by the horrific character, who is the ghost of a soldier who had been decapitated during the American Revolution. Now, the character is an American classic, featured in movies, television shows, cartoons, comic books, and even video games, thanks to his chilling story of a lone horseman seeking revenge. Perfect for Halloween, but an enduring year-round favorite, the Headless Horseman rides forward in this exciting new nonfiction title.

Did you know that the first version of Cinderella's story was written two thousand years ago in Greece? It was about a young woman named Rhodopis and her missing sandal. Since then, many versions of this fairy tale have been written featuring a poor girl whose kindness led to her dreams coming true. China, Italy, France, and Germany all have distinct versions of Cinderella's story that author Dana Rau explains within this exciting nonfiction book for fans of the beloved princess. Young readers will learn over a dozen different versions of Cinderella's story, including the most famous versions by Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, Walt Disney, and Rodgers and Hammerstein. Fans will also get to know the many different actresses who have brought Cinderella to life, including Brandy Norwood, Julie Andrews, Drew Barrymore, and Anne Hathaway.

Published in 1865 by British author Lewis Carroll, this fantasy adventure story introduced the world to Alice and introduced Alice to some very strange but beloved creatures, including The White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, and The Queen of Hearts.This silly tale that started out as a collection of stories written for one little girl became so popular that even Queen Victoria, the British monarch, couldn’t put it down! Lewis Carroll, whose real name was Charles L. Dodgson, went on to write several sequels and other books, but Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Alice through the Looking-Glass are by far his most famous stories.

When the very modern character of Nancy Drew first appeared in 1930, no one had a clue that she would remain a star for the next century! To this day, Nancy is still the main character in new TV shows, movies, and books. What makes her so interesting to so many generations of readers? Nancy can do it all! She's a daring teenage girl who solves mysteries, expertly drives her famous blue car, cooks like a gourmet chef, swims like a pro, and more! Since her first appearance, the prodigy detective has inspired young readers to believe that they can do it all, too.