Tales from Times Past is a collection of stimulating stories mainly from the nineteenth century, with some from the beginning of this century. The stories are interspersed with suggested classroom activities at natural breaks in the narrative. Illustrations at regular intervals set the tone for the tales. The activities encourage students to explore this genre and interpret the texts with personal responses. The selection is both appealing to read and challenging to study. Tales from Times Past features stories from such legendary writers as Edith Wharton, Charles Dickens, Edgar Allan Poe, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to name a few.