This early work by Sheridan Le Fanu was originally published in 1870. Born in Dublin in 1814, he came from a literary family of Huguenot origins; both his grandmother Alicia Sheridan Le Fanu and his great-uncle Richard Brinsley Sheridan were playwrights,

Teeming with creatures, both real and imagined, this encyclopedic study in cultural history illuminates the hidden web of connections between the Victorian fascination with fairies and their lore and the dominant preoccupations of Victorian culture at large. Carole Silver here draws on sources ranging from the anthropological, folkloric, and occult to the legal, historical, and medical. She is the first to anatomize a world peopled by strange beings who have infiltrated both the literary and visual masterpieces and the minor works of the writers and painters of that era. Examining the period of 1798 to 1923, Strange and Secret Peoples focuses not only on such popular literary figures as Charles Dickens and William Butler Yeats, but on writers as diverse as Thomas Carlyle, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Charlotte Mew; on artists as varied as mad Richard Dadd, Aubrey Beardsley, and Sir Joseph Noel Paton; and on artifacts ranging from fossil skulls to photographs and vases. Silver demonstrates how beautiful and monstrous creatures--fairies and swan maidens, goblins and dwarfs, cretins and changelings, elementals and pygmies--simultaneously peopled the Victorian imagination and inhabited nineteenth-century science and belief. Her book reveals the astonishing complexity and fertility of the Victorian consciousness: its modernity and antiquity, its desire to naturalize the supernatural, its pervasive eroticism fused with sexual anxiety, and its drive for racial and imperial dominion.

To sum it up: A beautiful little girl named Lila lived in a simple house tucked deep in a magical forest. The only thing that made Lila different from the other kids in the town was that she could see and talk to the fairies that lived in the trees, flowers, and streams of the forest. From the moment Lila was born, everyone who met her was enchanted by her beautiful aura. Her parents were humble and worked hard. They were amazed by their daughter's amazing skills because she seemed to be having passionate talks with friends who weren't there at the beginning. As Lila got older, her friendship with the fairies grew stronger. They helped her learn the secrets of the forest. After being drawn to her kind heart and willingness to help, the fairies showed her the delicate beauty of their land, where fireflies danced in patterns and flowers sang in the wind. At the times she met the fairies, Lila was speechless with amazement. She sat under a big oak tree and listened to stories about old magic and immortal knowledge. She eagerly took in what they had to teach her. She became more connected to the forest and learned more about how complicated it was. Lila found a hidden area in the middle of the forest one sunny morning. It was centered around a tall old tree that was full of bright flowers. The fairies had given hints about what it meant, and when Lila got close, she touched one of the bright petals and felt a warm, tingling feeling. As the fairies appeared, their wings flashing with bright light, she learned what her fate was as the guardian of the old tree. Even though she was tired, Lila got to work. All of the forest's species, big and small, found a new balance while she watched over it. There was music in the woods, and both predators and prey lived together. More people came to the forest in search of magic as word spread about Lila's amazing link. Lila welcomed them warmly and taught them about compassion and how everything is connected. She also told them about the magic of the forest. Because of Lila's unwavering love and the fairies' direction, the forest went from being a dangerous place to stay alive to a safe place where all living things could thrive. Her legacy lives on, telling people of the power of love, wonder, and the beautiful world just beyond the everyday. She also encourages future generations to see the magic in the everyday. This is how the story starts: A little girl named Lila lived in a cute house that was tucked away in the middle of a beautiful forest. Lila was different from the other kids in her town. Being able to see and talk to the fairies that lived in the woods made her stand out from her friends and make her unique. From the moment Lila was born, it was clear that she was different in some way. Most men wouldn't guess that her curious eyes were hiding something strange from them. Her parents, who were simple and hardworking, were amazed by how smart and talented their daughter was. They were amazed as she laughed and talked with her friends who weren't there. As Lila got bigger, her friendship with the fairies grew stronger. She spent her days walking around the magical forest and listening to her ghost friends' sweet whispers. The fairies were drawn to Lila's pure and loving heart, and they then showed her the secret treasures of their world. They showed her how beautiful their world was, with fireflies whirling in perfect time with each other and flowers singing symphonies to the wind. All the time, Lila was amazed and thrilled when she met fairies. She was often seen curled up under the big oak trees, listening carefully as the fairies’ told stories of old-fashioned wisdom and beauty. They told her everything she needed to know about the forest, from the calming music that could calm even the most irritated spirits to the healing powers of certain plants. Lila devoured their lessons with a fierce hunger for knowledge. Her never-ending curiosity drove her to seek a deeper understanding. Lila was going deeper into the forest one sunny morning when she came across a faraway glen that was lit up with soft golden light. In the middle of it all was a tall, old tree whose branches were covered with sparkling flowers that gave off a lovely glow. The fairies had talked about this tree in low, polite tones, and Lila knew what they were talking about. Lila went deeper into the bush, and the path in front of her seemed to be full of hope. In front of them, in the old valley, tall trees whispered stories as their branches crossed each other like guards. She felt like her heart was racing as each step brought her closer to the magic that had drawn her there since she was a kid. The secret glen opened up in front of her like a scene from a dream, bathed in the soft, warm light of the sun. In the middle of this holy place, a beautiful tree with ethereal flowers on its old branches stood. The fairies had talked about this tree in low, polite tones, and when Lila looked at it, she couldn't breathe.

Phoenix is a young girl who lives in Hawaii. She is there because her father, who is a navy chief, is stationed there. When her school class goes to Volcano Island to see the world’s largest volcano, Phoenix encounters Eli-Ela, the queen of the Volcano Island Fairies. No one else can see or hear the queen, but the queen warns Phoenix that the volcano is about to erupt, and they must save the people who are gathered around it. For aiding the fairy queen, Phoenix is made a princess of the fairies. But it is not till later she learns she can fly and why she can never be a fairy princess. From that first encounter with the queen, Phoenix has other adventures with the fairies. She meets President Lin-Con of the Fairy Council. She finds that she must save the fairy city from destruction and she must rescue the fairy children. In the end, Phoenix becomes the first human in centuries to share with the fairies “The Festival of the Sun and Stars.” Parents who have read these stories with their young daughters have noticed that all of the primary and strong characters are women.

The Fairies of the Clouds is about a beautiful, young, Fairy who accidently slips through a hole in the clouds, where she lives, and lands in a scary forest. The long fall down has torn her gown and gold dusted wings, and she fears she will never make it back home. Some children come along and take her home with them for help from their mom. They think she is dressed for a costume party and feel a little left out. When mom takes over it is soon found out this is a real Fairy, and everything changes. Pixie, our Fairy, wonders how she will get back home, and they all come up with the idea of a hot-air balloon which works very well. However; our Fairy is starting to like the earthbound ways, and makes many trips through that new found hole in the clouds, and has many adventures with the children on earth. She is soon faced with a choice: stay earthbound, or stay in the clouds! Pixie loves the children, the ways of speaking, the fun, and maybe she herself has found love, so what will she do? She has to share her special Fairy dust to save one of the children, how can she give them up? Pixie will also find out a SECRET while she is earthbound that will change her whole life. Read, and enjoy, solve the mysterieis of our little Fairy girl. You will laugh when she attempts to do human chores, and of course her understanding of the human words. Enjoy.