Invented Fiction

In the early 17th century, a crippled, graying, almost toothless veteran of Spain's wars against the Ottoman Empire published a novel. It was the story of a poor nobleman, his brain addled from studying too many novels of chivalry, who deludes himself that he is a knight errant and sets off on hilarious adventures. That story, Don Quixote, went on to sell more copies than any other book beside the Bible, making its author, Miguel de Cervantes, the single most-read author in human history.

What if somewhere along the way we've all got the Santa story a bit wrong? Join Blanche Claus and her best friend, Rinki, for a funny festive sleigh ride you'll never forget! From Sibéal Pounder, best-selling author of the Witch Wars and Bad Mermaids series, this tale of friendship and mince-pie feasts is the perfect book to curl up with this winter. Funny, feminist and with a huge heart, it's a gloriously Christmassy adventure that will delight even the biggest Grinch.

The creator of My Liddle Peony, Mommy's Liddle Helper, and the Modest Liddle Bloomerguards, to name only a few of his many inventions, is first encountered through the memories of his wife, Letitica Liddle, in The Flight to Brassbright. But many years before, Gerard was a young kid growing up in the idyllic town of Quartz Corners, and already toying around with his very first inventions. Learn more about this prolific inventor's early days through four amazing inventive adventures.

It is hard to imagine Christmas season without the rich and fanciful Yuletide tales of Charles Dickens. Indeed, late 19th century newspapers in both England and the United States hailed him as "The man who invented Christmas". This Magical Reality Chautauqua Show Presentation illustrates why. Dickens guides us through scenes of merriment, redemption and poignant joy.

Have you been wanting to know more about the significant impact black women had on the world? The Woman Who Invented Weaving is a fascinating audiobook that contains a catalog of several notable inventors and inventions by black women, which include the invention of the bathroom tissue holder, pastry fork, and ironing board, among others.

The (completely) true story of how the smoothie was invented. The Fruitopians eat only fruit; just over the road in Vegtaville, they're potty about peas. One day (and quite by mistake), our Fruitopian hero, Huck, drops a very squishy peach on his enemy, Drool. Unfortunately, Drool is the biggest boy in Vegtaville and the son of the Vegtavillain king. This starts a battle between the two towns, which becomes the biggest food fight in history. It reaches its conclusion when food history is made!

Everyone loves pizza, but how was it invented? Cheese and tomatoes falling from the leaning tower? Cartloads of ingredients crashing together? Or maybe someone slipped on a puddle of water, smashing the ingredients together? These zany stories tell several different ways the world's most delectable dish might have been created. The last is a retelling of the most accepted historical account of it's actual invention, slightly altered of course, to assure that it's in keeping with the humorous tone of the other stories.

Muchos conocen ya a Lucas. Pero muy pocos saben lo molesto que suele ponerse cuando se aburre. ¡Tan buenito que parecía! Chicle en las zapatillas de Simón, pimienta en la comida de Ticholo, empujoncito a Griselda—la tortuga—que termina atravesando el aire en patineta. Hasta que un día, cansado de fastidiar a todos, Lucas se encierra en el cuarto y transforma el aburrimiento en...

Everyone makes mistakes, and brilliant scientist Harry Coover is no different. But Harry keeps making the same extra-sticky mistake, and he begins to wonder whether it's such a mistake after all....