Charles de Lint's remarkable novels and short stories have always been about what lies beneath the surface; the ancient patterns we still follow today; and, most of all, the possibility of growth, change, kindness, magic, and love. In a very real sense, they are coming-of-age stories -- and his work has always included memorable teenage characters.

Here, at long last, is a collection of his stories about teenagers. From the streets of his famed Newford to the alleys of Bordertown to the realms of Faerie, this is storytelling that will transfix and delight, with characters who will linger in the mind -- many of them from his acclaimed novels. Featuring an illuminating preface by award-winning author, anthologist, and critic Terri Windling, Waifs and Strays is a must-own for de Lint fans, and an ideal introduction to his work for newcomers. Charles de Lint's writing will change the way you look at the world -- and your place in it.

Edited by Charles Vess, preface by Terri Windling

Contents:
• Tamson House, Ottawa, Ontario
• Merlin Dreams in the Mondream Wood
• Ottawa and the Valley
• There’s No Such Thing
• Sisters
• Fairy Dust
• A Wish Named Arnold
• Wooden Bones
Otherworlds: Past and Future
• The Graceless Child
• A Tattoo on Her Heart
Bordertown
• Stick
• May This Be Your Last Sorrow
Newford: In and Out of the City
• One Chance
• Alone
• But for the Grace Go I
• Ghosts of Wind and Shadow
• Waifs and Strays
• Somewhere in My Mind There Is a Painting Box