Nathaniel Hawthorne 
A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys (Annotated) 

• This edition includes the following editor’s introduction: Nathaniel Hawthorne and Dark Romanticism

First published in 1851, ’A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys” is a children’s book by American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne in which he retells some legends of Greek mythology. In 1853 ’A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys” was followed by a sequel, “Tanglewood Tales.”



In 1838, Hawthorne suggested to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that they collaborate on a story for children based on the legend of the
Pandora’s Box , but this never materialized. But in 1851, Hawthorne set out deliberately to modernize the stories, freeing them from what he called “
cold moonshine” and using a romantic, readable style that was criticized by adults but proved universally popular with children.

The collection is a re-writing of six well-known Greek myths. The tales are “
The Gorgon’s Head, ” “
The Golden Touch, ” “
The Paradise of Children, ” “
The Three Golden Apples, ” “
The Miraculous Pitcher” and “
The Chimaera.”