The same beloved story of the adventures of a young horse that we all know and love, but rewritten by the author for young people. All of the pathos, tenderness and fun are still there, just written for a younger audience. While forthrightly teaching animal welfare, it also teaches how to treat people with kindness, sympathy, and respect.
Talking cats, birds, fish and bells, wicked fairies, uglified princesses - adventure, magic, and more magic. A delightful collection of stories for children of all ages.
The Magic World is an influential collection of twelve short stories by E. Nesbit. It was first published in book form in 1912 by Macmillan and Co. Ltd., with illustrations by H. R. Millar and Gerald Spencer Pryse. The stories, previously printed in magazines (like Blackie's Children's Annual), are typical of Nesbit's arch, ironic, clever fantasies for children.
The Adventures of Reddy Fox is another in the series of children’s stories by conservationist Thornton W. Burgess. In this story, Reddy and Granny Fox must outsmart Farmer Brown’s Boy who is out to get Reddy for stealing his pet chicken. Along the way, Reddy encounters many of the citizens of the Green Meadows and the Green Forest and with him we learn little lessons about life such as: the perils of being a show off; the importance of using all of one’s senses; that it is a fine thing to show sympathy and kindness to others – even our enemies; and that the value of a grandmother’s wisdom is inestimable.
We also learn that after you’ve stolen a boy’s pet chicken and he is coming your way with a gun, a shovel and a hound dog, it may be time to beat a hasty retreat.
The Bastable children, first met in The Treasure Seekers, are sent to stay in the countryside; is it large enough to contain their exuberant activities? They (and Pincher the dog) have every intention of being good...
Description by Alan Chant
The Road to Oz takes Dorothy and her friends on an adventure in Oz to a grand party in honor of Ozma's birthday. It all starts near her home on Uncle Henry's farm in Kansas when she tries to help a shaggy stranger find the road he is seeking. On the way they find a young boy, Button-Bright, and together they get lost, only to find themselves in the fairylands of Oz.
Once again in the Land of Oz, Dorothy and her friends encounter a number of new fantasy characters: some good, some bad, some amusing, and all entertaining. They make their way eventually to the Emerald City to participate in Ozma's Birthday Celebration. In the end, Dorothy arrives safely back home, a little tired from her adventures, but quite content.
(Summary written by Kara Shallenberg)
How are friction matches made? How do rags and trees become paper? Who makes the dishes on our tables? Published in 1916, this children's book explains the origins of everyday items in an entertaining and informative way. There are plenty of illustrations, so please feel free to read along with the online etext: Makers of Many Things.
Dorothy and Toto set out to help the Shaggy Man (who really is quite shaggy) and end up lost, following a strange road. Along the way they meet Button Bright, a little boy who is not really very bright at all, The Rainbow's Daughter, the Fox King and many other curious creatures including the deadly Scoodlers who want to make soup of them and the Musicker who can't stop making music. But the adventurers make their way to the Deadly Desert and cross it in a novel way to reach the Land of Oz. Santa Clause is a surprise guest at Ozma's Birthday Party along with many Queens, kings and and a wonderful time is had by all. Including Toto! [description by Phil Chenevert]
Many librarians have felt the need and expressed the desire for a select collection of children's Christmas stories in one volume. This book claims to be just that and nothing more. Each of the stories has already won the approval of thousands of children, and each is fraught with the true Christmas spirit. It is hoped that the collection will prove equally acceptable to parents, teachers, and librarians.
Clover is the fourth book in the popular What Katy Did series. After Katy's wedding, the focus shifts to her little sister Clover. Their brother Phil encounters serious illness in the winter, and Dr. Carr sends him with Clover to the mountains of Colorado. Clarence Page, their naughty cousin from the other books, lives nearby. He is a rancher now with an attractive English partner, Geoff Templestowe, whom Clover falls for.
David and his father set out from their idyllic mountain home to go to meet family, but enroute, David's father, who is sick dies, and David is left stranded in a little farming town. No one can read his father's handwriting, and David doesn't know his last name. A stern farmer and his wife take David in, and learn more from him than they realize! David, who counts only the sunny hours of his life, soon touches all the people's lives he meets in his new life with his beautiful violin music and sunny disposition. Written by Mary Anderson
The fourth book in the Elsie Dinsmore series, Elsie grows into a young woman. She marries her father's old friend, Edward Travilla, and together start a family. The latter half of the book occurs during the Civil War.
A charming little book full of the most gorgeous illustrations which can be viewed along with the Gutenberg text at 15661.
We see a number of stories in which kindness is rewarded and selfishness is punished but Brooke squeezes a number of intriguing and quite bizarre twists and turns into the story so it is not nearly so predictable as you might imagine.
Victorian moral fairy tales from a delightfully inventive mind.
The story told in Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic novel, A Little Princess, was first written as a serialized novella, Sara Crewe, or What Happened at Miss Minchin’s, and published in St. Nicholas Magazine, in 1888. It tells the story of Sara Crewe, an intelligent, wealthy, young girl at Miss Minchin’s Select Seminary for Young Ladies. Sara’s fortunes change when her father dies, and she goes from being a show pupil and parlor boarder at the school to a drudge, but eventually she finds happiness and a home again.
An unlucky Munchkin boy named Ojo must travel around Oz gathering the ingredients for an antidote to the Liquid of Petrifaction which has turned his beloved uncle Unc Nunkie and the wife of the Liquid's creator into marble statues. Ojo is joined by the patchwork girl Scraps, Dorothy, Dr. Pipt's Glass Cat, the Woozy, the Shaggy Man, the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman. They eventually visit the Emerald City to ask for help from the Wizard of Oz.
The Golden Age is a collection of reminiscences of childhood, written by Kenneth Grahame and originally published in book form in 1895, in London by The Bodley Head, and in Chicago by Stone and Kimball. (The Prologue and six of the stories had previously appeared in the National Observer, the journal then edited by William Ernest Henley.)[1] Widely praised upon its first appearance—Algernon Charles Swinburne, writing in the Daily Chronicle, called it "one of the few books which are well-nigh too praiseworthy for praise"—the book has come to be regarded as a classic in its genre.
Typical of his culture and his era, Grahame casts his reminiscences in imagery and metaphor rooted in the culture of Ancient Greece; to the children whose impressions are recorded in the book, the adults in their lives are "Olympians," while the chapter titled "The Argonauts" refers to Perseus, Apollo, Psyche, and similar figures of Greek mythology. Grahame's reminiscences, in The Golden Age and in the later Dream Days (1898), were notable for their conception "of a world where children are locked in perpetual warfare with the adult 'Olympians' who have wholly forgotten how it feels to be young"—a theme later explored by J. M. Barrie and other authors.
The Emerald City of Oz (1910) was the sixth Oz book written by L. Frank Baum, a title he hoped would be the last. In this book, Dorothy and her impoverished Uncle Henry and Aunt Em are on the brink of losing their Kansas farm. Consequently, Ozma invites them all to live in the Emerald City. They then explore the countryside, visiting a series of strange beings including the Cuttenclips, the Fuddles, the Rigmaroles, the Flutterbudgets, and the residents of Utensia, Bunbury and Bunnybury. Aunt Em and Uncle Henry also meet old friends like the Wizard, the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, Jack Pumpkinhead and H. M. Wogglebug T. E. The travelers’ idyll is brought short by the plot of an old enemy, the Nome King. Seeking revenge for the loss of his magic belt, the Nome King has an underground tunnel built so he can invade and plunder Oz and enslave its peoples. Our friends manage to defeat the Nome King and his allies, but sobered by this threat, Glinda and Ozma decide to cut off Oz from the outside world forever. Happily for Oz fans, forever lasted only three years. Baum invented a way to reopen communications with Oz and eight more Oz books were published between 1913-1920.
Glinda of Oz is the fourteenth Land of Oz book written by children's author L. Frank Baum, published on July 10, 1920. Like most of the Oz books, the plot features a journey through some of the remoter regions of Oz; though in this case the pattern is doubled: Dorothy and Ozma travel to stop a war between the Flatheads and Skeezers; then Glinda and a cohort of Dorothy's friends set out to rescue them.
Oh My Goodness! What a lot of incredible adventures are packed into this epic. The evil gnome king plots to destroy Oz and enslave it's people; evil creatures from many places are enlisted in this dastardly plan that has every chance of success. Dorothy brings her Aunt and Uncle from Kansas where they have been evicted from the farm, to live in Oz and they are given a tour of parts of Oz that have never been visited before. A city of paper dolls, a city of jig saw people, a city of bunnies and many many more odd and wonderful people are visited and enjoyed. But will the evil creatures succeed in invading and destroying OZ and enslaving all it's unique and marvelous people? Will this be the last OZ book? I invite you to listen to this exciting tale and find out!!
THE STORY OF PETER PAN RETOLD FROM THE FAIRY PLAY BY SIR J.M. BARRIE BY DANIEL O'CONNOR. Basically, Daniel O'Connor took the story from the original play, with the approval of Barrie, and shortened it into a book with music and beautiful illustrations. This shorter book was published before Barrie wrote the longer novel Peter and Wendy using the same plot and characters.
"You can't fool old Mother Nature. No, Sir, you can't fool old Mother Nature, and it's of no use to try." The animals of the Green Meadows and Green Forest have little adventures while Grandfather Frog tells stories to Mother West Wind's children, the Merry Little Breezes.
1964 Newbery Medal winner, It's Like This, Cat is the story of a young man, Dave Mitchell, and how he grew to maturity, helped along indirectly by a stray cat that he brought home from Crazy Kate, the neighborhood Cat Lady. Dave lives in New York City with his lawyer father and his mother, who has bouts of asthma brought on by family strife. The cat, named "Cat" lives a wild life that brings Dave in contact with a future friend and girl friend. Dave's adventures take him throughout areas of New York City, and the reader is treated to descriptions of famous city landmarks. With Dave's new cat-related experiences comes an increased appreciation for his parents and deepening care for his new friends.
This novel won the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1964. This delightful story revolves around a 14 year old boy, Dave and his adopted cat, called just "Cat", who turns his ordinary everyday life into an exciting roller-coaster ride.
This is a collection of 14 songs chosen from Walter Crane's "The Baby's Opera" and "The Baby's Bouquet" containing classic nursery rhymes from England, France, and Germany. The songs are sung by LibriVox's very own Carol Stripling.
Have you every read a bed time story to a child? Or had one read to you? Fun, isn't it? These 28 delightful, short, well written and whimsical stores by the famous storyteller Abby Phillips just beg to be read aloud by adults or children. With titles like THE REVENGE OF THE FIREFLIES and SALLIE HICKS'S FOREFINGER how can you go wrong? Turn on the nightlight, tuck 'em in, settle down in the rocking chair and ... enjoy.
H.G. Wells had so much fun playing with his children on the floor of their playroom, he decided to write a jovial little book to inspire other parents in their pursuit of quality time with the kids. While the raw materials available from hobby stores of his day were woefully short of the variety and quality of what can be bought easily now, he and his sons created their own worlds to rule. This short work describes two games of imagination played out upon the floor of his home - an archipelago of islands, and a thoroughly integrated city, conveniently organized with two mayoral positions for his sons “G.P.W.” and “F.R.W.” While the toy people appearing in their worlds were often of martial nature, Wells decided to leave decription of military games to a later book: “Little Wars.”
Betsy Bobbin encounters many strange and exciting adventures and people in the land of Oz; a side-plot is Queen Ann of Oogaboo's mission to take over Oz.
A collection of silly poetry and limericks for children.
A selection of nonsense poems, songs (not sung!), stories, and miscellaneous strangeness. The work includes the "Owl and the Pussycat" and a recipe for Amblongus Pie, which begins "Take 4 pounds (say 4½ pounds) of fresh ablongusses and put them in a small pipkin."
Edward Lear was an English writer, poet, cat-lover, and illustrator (his watercolours are beautiful). This recording celebrates the 200th anniversary of Lear's birth.
The story of little Otto, a gentle, peace-loving child born into the heart of turmoil and strife in the castle of a feuding robber baron in medieval Germany.
In this volume are presented examples of men who shed lustre upon ordinary pursuits, either by the superior manner in which they exercised them or by the noble use they made of the leisure which success in them usually gives. Such men are the nobility of republics.
Most of these chapters were published originally in "The Ledger" of New York, and a few of them in "The Youths' Companion" of Boston, the largest two circulations in the country. I have occasionally had reason to think that they were of some service to young readers, and I may add that they represent more labor and research than would be naturally supposed from their brevity. Perhaps in this new form they may reach and influence the minds of future leaders in the great and growing realm of business. I should pity any young man who could read the briefest account of what has been done in manufacturing towns by such men as John Smedley and Robert Owen without forming a secret resolve to do something similar if ever he should win the opportunity.
Andrew Lang's Fairy Books or Andrew Lang's "Coloured" Fairy Books are a twelve-book series of fairy tale collections. Although Andrew Lang did not collect the stories himself from the oral tradition, the extent of his sources (who had collected them originally), made them an immensely influential collection, especially as he used foreign-language sources, giving many of these tales their first appearance in English. As acknowledged in the prefaces, although Lang himself made most of the selections, his wife and other translators did a large portion of the translating and telling of the actual stories. Many of them were illustrated by Henry J. Ford. Lancelot Speed also did some illustrations.
A collection of Classical children's nursery rhymes. Many familiar, a few unfamiliar, all simple and easy for younger children.
Bruno and Waldo Gillespie are orphaned brothers living with the extremely eccentric Professor Phaeton Featherwit. One day they set off in one of the professor's machines to investigate a tornado at close range and accidentally get sucked into it! They are then transported by the tornado and find themselves in a barren, uncharted wasteland wherein lies a city-- a long lost Aztec city! Find out what happens next to the brothers and the professor in this harrowing and exhilarating adventure! Description by Kehinde
Paralyzed in an accident while a baby, young Prince Dolor is imprisoned in a lonely tower by his usurping uncle. He is visited by his mysterious godmother who provides him with magical gifts, including a travelling cloak that allows him to fly across the land. He uses his gifts to return to his rightful place on the throne. Also included are several short stories by the author also featuring princes. (Chapters 12-15)
James is the king's gardener and he deeply enjoys caring for and cultivating flowers. He teaches his daughter Mary many principles of godliness through the flowers. One day Mary is falsely accused of stealing, and the penalty is death. Through many trials and hardships, Mary learns of the goodness of God, the blessing of praying for her enemies, how to consider her trials as a joy, and true forgiveness.
Short and sweet stories for children.
A collection of Arthurian tales retold for children.
The Adventures of Jimmy Skunk is another in the long list children's books by the conservationist, Thornton W. Burgess. In this book, Jimmy Skunk has encounters with Reddy Fox, Peter Rabbit, Unc’ Billy Possum and other acquaintances of his in the Green Meadows and Green Forest. Along the way, we learn some of the habits of Jimmy and his friends and we learn little lessons about life such as the importance of always keeping one's temper, keeping promises and not playing practical jokes. We are also treated to a philosophical discussion by Jimmy Skunk on the advantages of defensive weaponry.
The Scarecrow of Oz is the ninth book set in the Land of Oz written by L. Frank Baum. Published on July 16, 1915, it was Baum's personal favorite of the Oz books and tells of Cap'n Bill and Trot journeying to Oz and, with the help of the Scarecrow, overthrowing the cruel King Krewl of Jinxland.
A collection of three short stories about fairies, complete with good moral lessons (as every fairy tale should be).
The Tin Woodman of Oz is the twelfth Land of Oz book written by L. Frank Baum and was originally published on May 13, 1918. The Tin Woodman is unexpectedly reunited with his Munchkin sweetheart Nimmie Amee from the days when he was flesh and blood. This was a backstory from The Wizard of Oz.
Channing's best known work, A History of the United States, is regarded as one of the most complete and accurate accounts of American history and received the 1926 Pulitzer Prize for History.
David knew that one should be prepared for anything when one climbs a mountain, but he never dreamed what he would find that June morning on the mountain ledge. There stood an enormous bird, with a head like an eagle, a neck like a swan, and a scarlet crest. The most astonishing thing was that the bird had an open book on the ground and was reading from it!
This was David's first sight of the fabulous Phoenix and the beginning of a pleasant and profitable partnership. The Phoenix found a great deal lacking in David's education -- he flunked questions like "How do you tell a true from a false Unicorn?" -- and undertook to supplement it with a practical education, an education that would be a preparation for Life. The education had to be combined with offensive and defensive measures against a Scientist who was bent on capturing the Phoenix, but the two projects together involved exciting and hilarious adventures for boy and bird.
A wonderful read-aloud book, adventurous and very funny, with much of the magic as well as the humor of the fantastic.
Tom Swift enters an upcoming race with his specially-designed prototype electric race car. But as he makes the final preparations and adjustments, days before the race, he discovers a plot that would bankrupt not only his family, but also everyone else that relies on the local bank (which is the target of a nefarious bank-run scheme). Tom must solve the mystery and stop the criminals behind the plot before he'll test himself on a 500 mile race against some of the best electric cars and skilled drivers in the United States. Listeners are forewarned that some elements and characters included in Tom Swift books portray certain ethnic groups in a very dated manner that modern readers, and listeners, may find offensive. Despite the racially stereotyped behavior and pronunciation in the books, the Reader believes it makes sense to read what's written in order to be faithful to the author's intent.
Several of La Fontaine's fables, translated into English by W. T. Larned.
The Magical Monarch of Mo is a set of stories about the titular king, his queen, and his royal children. The stories are uproariously funny, dealing with topics as absurd as a man losing his temper who then tries to find it, an evil midget who steals a princess's big toe, and an entire city filled with highly civilized monkeys! Join the Monarch and all his friends for a rollicking adventure, filled with fun for the whole family!
A collection of short stories by Louisa May Alcott that were written with the intent to entertain the whole family and to fill children's heads with wonder and delight.
Volunteers bring you 24 recordings of A Visit From Saint Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore. More commonly known today as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. This was the Fortnightly Poetry project for December 13th, 2009.
In 1910, Baum hoped to end the Oz series and follow with a new series about a little girl named Trot and her sailor companion, Cap'n Bill. The Sea Fairies (1911) was the first book in the projected series and took Trot and Cap'n Bill under the sea where they had adventures with mermaids and other fantastic creatures. It was followed by Sky Island (1912) and then Baum returned to the Oz titles. He brought Trot and Cap'n Bill to Oz in the Scarecrow of Oz (1915).
The Five Jars is the only novel written by James, who is best known for his ghost stories. It is a peculiarly surreal fantasy apparently written for children. While he is out walking, the narrator is drawn to a remote pool, and finds a small box that has been hidden since Roman times. He gradually learns how to use its contents, fighting off a series of attempts to steal it, and becomes aware of a strange world hidden from our own.