This updated and expanded two-volume edition (1st ed., CH, Dec'01, 39-1915) explores aspects of "99% apocryphal, yet believable stories that are 'too good to be true' about everyday matters" such as pets, accidents, sex, or business. Although urban legends frequently are attached to a particular locality, they are migratory, with variations and themes. This highly readable resource by Brunvand (emer., Univ. of Utah) features variations from across the world on common themes such as animal infestations, crimes, academic legends, and celebrity rumors. This title covers old tales ranging from "The Vanishing Hitchhiker" and "Sinking Libraries" to more recent ones, such as the terrorist stories from 9/11. Brunvand addresses the evolution of urban legends from a largely oral tradition to their present rapid proliferation--and almost as rapid debunking--through social media outlets on the Internet, e.g., Snopes.com and Darwinawards.com. Some 300 entries range from one to four pages, with cross-references to related entry topics and published references in more scholarly journals. Additional sections include one on urban legends in the media from 2004 to 2011, an index of urban legends by theme, and a keyword index. This will be a useful volume for public and school libraries and undergraduate academic collections. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates; general readers. A. B. Johnson Ithaca College

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 (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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, 2004-2011, 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 students entries 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.--Elliott, Julie Copyright 2010 Booklist