Best-Loved Literary Fairy Tales

Best-Loved Literary Fairy Tales is a substantial 412-page anthology drawing from the golden age of children's literature — the late Victorian and Edwardian period when fairy tales were considered serious art. Editor Sheila Carroll pairs the texts with original illustrations by Arthur Rackham, Maude Humphrey, and Kate Greenaway, which alone makes this a visually distinguished collection. Living Books Press has a strong reputation in Charlotte Mason and classical homeschool communities, and this book fits squarely in that tradition, treating imaginative narrative as a vehicle for moral and spiritual truth. The caveat is that no formal professional reviews exist, so the editorial quality of the selection and any annotations must be taken largely on faith. For classical homeschool families, it is a natural fit.