Firefighters' Folklore

Do you know who started the first volunteer fire company in the United States? Did you know that firefighters call fire "the Dragon"? Do you know who the first woman firefighter was? Or did you know that firefighters trace their heritage back to the knights of the Crusades? Fire is humanity's ancient enemy -- but down through the ages, firefighters have risked their lives to protect others. Their folklore reveals a long tradition of courage.

VOYA

Introducing many aspects of folklore in North America, this "North American Folklore" series helps young people "appreciate more fully the cultural fabric" they encounter, notes series editor, Dr. Alan Jabbour, a folklorist and former director of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, in his introduction to each volume. Topics as diverse as Children's Folklore, Folk Fashion, Folk Religion, and Folk Proverbs and Riddles are covered in the twenty-one volumes, each focusing on a specific subject. Of the three reviewed here, Contemporary Folklore would be of the most interest to young adults for recreational reading because it focuses mainly on urban legends. It is filled with examples of the stories passed around by friends as true accounts as it explains the history and development of urban legends. They are discussed in light of their themes, such as warnings, cyberlore, tales of travelers, or tales of humiliation. It ends with a good explanation of the purpose of legends. Folk Medicine would most likely be used by students who are doing assignments on alternative medicines or medical folklore. It gives a definition of folk medicine and offers some background on its history and development, and then each chapter discusses the folk medicine of different cultures; Native American, Appalachian, African American, Hispanic, and Asian practices are explained. Included are some recipes used in the past and a warning as to which ones should not be tried today. Firefighters' Folklore reads more like a history of fire fighting, but it has a few stories included. In light of recent emphasis on firefighters as heroes, this topic would probably interest young people. The author does agood job of detailing the development of the volunteer fire companies in America. All of the books in this series are well organized, with illustrations and sidebars of interesting facts and stories throughout. The format is attractive and the information would be easy for students to use for assignments. The glossary helps students understand the unfamiliar words that appear in boldface type in the text, although more words should have been included in the glossary. Each book lists Web sites for more information as well as print material. This series would be useful for libraries where there is an interest in folklore or classes that study it regularly. Glossary. Index. Illus. Further Reading. VOYA CODES: 4Q 2P M J (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; For the YA with a special interest in the subject; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2003, Mason Crest, 106p. PLB Dubois