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- 1
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Aesop's Fables, Volume 08 (Fables 176-200)
Dating back to the 6th century BC, Aesop's Fables tell universal truths through the use of simple allegories that are easily understood. Though almost nothing is known of Aesop himself, and some scholars question whether he existed at all, these stories stand as timeless classics known in almost every culture in the world. This is volume 8 of 12. -
Aesop's Fables, Volume 09 (Fables 201-225)
Dating back to the 6th century BC, Aesop's Fables tell universal truths through the use of simple allegories that are easily understood. Though almost nothing is known of Aesop himself, and some scholars question whether he existed at all, these stories stand as timeless classics known in almost every culture in the world. This is volume 9 of 12.
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Heidi (dramatic reading)
"Heidi" takes us on a journey to the eventful childhood of a good-hearted girl from the Swiss Alps. A warm and loving story, full of touching moments, it reaches children and adults alike. It was written in 1880 and published in two parts:
1. Heidi's years of learning and travel.
2. Heidi makes use of what she has learned.
This English translation from 1915 has "an especial flavor, that very quality of delight in mountain scenes, in mountain people and in child life generally, which is one of the chief merits of the German original. The phrasing has also been carefully adapted to the purpose of reading aloud" -
Story of Doctor Dolittle, The
In The Story of Doctor Dolittle (1920), the first of Hugh Lofting's Doctor Dolittle books, we are introduced to the good doctor who gives up treating people after Polynesia, his parrot, teaches him animal languages. His fame in the animal kingdom spreads throughout the world and soon he sets off to cure a monkey epidemic in Africa, finding all sorts of exciting adventures on the way.
This recording is of the original edition, which is in the public domain. Later editions, which are still under copyright, changed some language and plot elements that are considered racially derogatory.
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Anne's House of Dreams
Anne's House of Dreams is book five in the series, and chronicles Anne's early married life, as she and her childhood sweetheart Gilbert Blythe begin to build their life together. -
Velveteen Rabbit, The
"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day...
Written in 1922, The Velveteen Rabbit, or, How Toys Become Real is the tale of a sweet unassuming toy rabbit who questions what it is to live and to love. It was the first children's title written by Margery Williams (1881 - 1944), who had previously created only for adults. This story eclipsed all others, to become her most famous work, and an ever adored classic for all ages. (Summary written by Marlo Dianne)
"It was by a sort of accident that The Velveteen Rabbit became the beginning of all the stories I have written since…By thinking about toys and remembering toys, they suddenly become very much alive. Toys I had loved as a little girl--my almost forgotten Tubby, who was the rabbit, and Old Dobbin, the Skin Horse, and the toys my children had loved." -- Margery Williams
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Velveteen Rabbit, The (version 2)
This classic story by Margery Williams, published in 1922, imparts the timeless message that toys need not be expensive or modern to be appreciated. Through giving and receiving love, even a commonplace stuffed animal can become real in the eyes of a child. This recording, read by a mother and daughter, is dedicated to Barbara Bear, who is real.
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Marvelous Land of Oz, The
The Marvelous Land of Oz is the second of the Oz books. It follows the adventures of the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and Tip. The Emerald City has been taken over by the Army of Revolt, and our adventurous friends need the help of Glinda the Good to return it to its rightful ruler.
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Japanese Fairy Tales
First published in 1908, this is a book of "beautiful legends and fairy tales of Japan" that were collected, translated and retold by the author, Yei Theodora Ozaki, who states: "...in telling them I have also found that they were still unknown to the vast majority, and this has encouraged me to write them for the children of the West." In part, the project was the result of a suggestion made by her friend Andrew Lang, another collector of fairy stories, who printed his stories in the many Colored Fairy Books. -
Rilla of Ingleside
Written in 1921, this is the final book in L. M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series. Set during World War I, it shows the courage and endurance of the sisters, mothers and wives (and brothers and fathers) left to tend the home front. The main focus of the book is on Anne and Gilbert’s youngest daughter, Rilla. -
Little Women (version 3)
This story follows the lives of four sisters Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy. Set in the tumultuous days of the American Civil war, readers grow to love the four sisters as they grow and mature into young women. This book has characters any girl can relate to because each of the four March sisters has a unique and different personality. A story that the young and old have enjoyed for years, this book truly is a classic. -
Princess and the Goblin, The (version 2)
George MacDonald's fairy stories and fantasy have inspired a number of writers including C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien and of this popular fairy story, which as you might suspect concerns a little princess plotted against by a race of goblins, G.K. Chesterton said that it "made a difference to my whole existence." -
Book of Dragons, The
A dragon who flies out of a magical book; one whose purr quiets a fussy baby; another who eats an entire pack of tame hunting-hippopotomuses: These eight dragon tales are filled with the imaginative wit of children's author Edith Nesbit. -
Little Men
Little Men (published 1871) is considered the second book of the Little Women trilogy written by Louisa May Alcott. (The book Good Wives (1869) was originally the sequel to the novel Little Women (1868), however those two novels are now usually published as a single volume.) The final book of the trilogy is Jo's Boys (1886).
Little Men follows the life of Jo Bhaer and the students who live and learn at the Plumfield Estate School that she runs with her husband. The mischievous kids, whom she loves and cares for as her own, learn valuable lessons as they become proper gentlemen and ladies. We also get cameo appearances of almost all the characters found in the previous books, almost all of them happy and well. -
Alice's Adventures Underground
This is the handwritten book that Carroll wrote for private use before being urged to develop it later into Alice in Wonderland. It was generously illustrated by Carrol and meant to entertain his family and friends. When a sick child in a hospital enjoyed it so much, the mother wrote him saying it had distracted her for a bit from her pain and led eventually to Carroll expanding the story. -
Little Lord Fauntleroy
Little Lord Fauntleroy is a sentimental children's novel by American (English-born) author Frances Hodgson Burnett, serialized in St. Nicholas Magazine in 1885. It was a runaway hit for the magazine and was separately published in 1886. The book was a commercial success for its author, and its illustrations by Reginal Birch set fashion trends. Little Lord Fauntleroy also set a precedent in copyright law in 1888 when its author won a lawsuit over the rights to theatrical adaptations of the work. -
Little Lord Fauntleroy (version 2)
In mid-1880s Brooklyn, New York, Cedric Errol lives with his Mother (never named, known only as Mrs Errol or "dearest") in genteel poverty after his Father Captain Errol dies. They receive a visit from Havisham, an English lawyer with a message from Cedric's grandfather, Lord Dorincourt. Cedric is now Lord Fauntleroy and heir to the Earldom and a vast estate. The Earl wants Cedric to live with him and learn to be an English aristocrat. He offers Mrs Errol a house and income but refuses to meet or have anything to do with her.
The crusty Earl is impressed by the appearance and intelligence of his young American grandson, and charmed by his innocent nature. He admits that Cedric, who has befriended and cared for the poor and needy on the Earl's estate, will be a better Earl than he was.
A pretender to Cedric's inheritance appears, but the claim is investigated and disproved with the assistance of Cedric's loyal American friends. The Earl is reconciled to his son's American widow.
The Earl had intended to teach his grandson how to be an aristocrat; however, Cedric inadvertently teaches his grand-father that an aristocrat should practice compassion and social justice towards persons who are dependent on him. The Earl becomes the kind and good man Cedric always innocently believed him to be. Cedric is reunited with his mother, who comes to live in the ancestral castle with them. "Little Lord Fauntleroy" is the first children's novel written by English–American playwright and author Frances Hodgson Burnett. -
Just William
William is a mischievous eleven year old who is puzzled by the adult world, which is no less puzzled by him. The humor is gentle and pleasing. The series of books is better known in the United Kingdom than in the U.S. -
Heroes, or Greek Fairy Tales for my Children, The
The Heroes, or Greek Fairy Tales for my Children by Charles Kingsley is a collection of three Greek mythology stories: Perseus, The Argonauts, and Theseus. The author had a great fondness for Greek fairy tales and believed the adventures of the characters would inspire children to achieve higher goals with integrity. -
Five Little Peppers and How They Grew (Version 2)
The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew tells the story of how the Peppers live, learn, and play in their little brown house. They are poor, and Mamsie must work constantly to keep the wolf from the door but they do it with gaiety and spirit that would not be expected.
The Peppers make due with whatever they have and the elder children try to make things special for the younger. Though tragedies often befall them, they bear it as best they are able and make the most of the good. (From Wikipedia) -
Five Little Peppers and How They Grew
The Five Little Peppers series was created by Margaret Sidney covering the life of five children with the surname Pepper. The Pepper children were very poor, and their widowed mother was left to raise them by herself. In order of age (descending), the children's names were Ben (Ebaniezer), Polly (Mary), Joel, Davie, and Phronsie. Five Little Peppers and How They Grew is the first book in the series. -
Light Princess, The
Plenty of princesses have been cursed by wicked witches, but the curse placed on this princess by her evil aunt is an unusual one: it removes all the princess's gravity. What can break the curse before the princess floats away? Perhaps the best thing for her would be to fall in love, but how a person with no gravity can fall in anything is just the problem. -
Princess and the Goblin (Dramatic Reading)
The story of a Princess named Irene, and her adventure with a boy named Curdie Peterson. Princess Irene meets her grandmother, and Irene wants her nurse, Lootie, to know that her grandmother is so sweet and kind. But Lootie doesn't believe there is a grandmother. One day, while it was getting very late outdoors, Lootie and the Princess loose their way, and cannot remember which way was back home. But then Curdie, the merry miner-boy, want's to save the princess from the evil goblins, and so he makes sure that they cannot get to her. The Princess then wants Curdie to meet her grandmother, but somehow, Curdie cannot see Irene's grandmother, and so he becomes angry with Irene. Much later in the story, the goblins devise an evil plan, to try and merry their prince Harelip to the Princess Irene! And now Curdie knows he must save Irene, even though he was angry with her. So after talking with his parents, Curdie goes out to save the Princess Irene from the horrible goblins. But does Curdie save the Princess? And do the goblins marry their prince Harelip to the Princess Irene? This fascinating story will tell it itself in this wonderful dramatic reading! -
Phoenix and the Carpet, The
The Phoenix and the Carpet is a fantasy novel for children, written in 1904 by E. Nesbit. It is the second in a trilogy of novels that began with Five Children and It (1902), and follows the adventures of the same five protagonists – Cyril, Anthea, Robert, Jane and the Lamb. Their mother buys the children a new carpet to replace the one from the nursery that was destroyed in an unfortunate fire accident. Through a series of exciting events, the children find an egg in the carpet which cracks into a talking Phoenix. The Phoenix explains that the carpet is a magical one that will grant them three wishes per day. -
Ozma of Oz Version 2 (dramatic reading)
Ozma of Oz was the third title in the Oz series by L. Frank Baum. In this book Dorothy is shipwrecked and lands on the shores of a fairy country that adjoins Oz, the land of Ev. There she meets Tiktok, a wind-up mechanical man; a talking chicken, Billina; and Ozma, the girl ruler of Oz who is leading a quest to rescue the royal family of Ev from their captivity by the Nome King. Dorothy is also reunited with her old friends, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion. Together the adventurers travel to the Nome King’s underground kingdom and have many exciting adventures before returning to Oz, and for Dorothy, eventual return to her family in the “civilized” world. -
Golden Road, The
In the sequal to The Story Girl Sara Stanley returns to join the King children in publishing their own local magazine to entertain the town of Carlisle. -
Three Mulla-mulgars, The
Three monkey brothers, Thumb, Thimble, and Nod, are Mulla-mulgars or royal monkeys. As she dies, their mother gives them the enchanted Wonderstone for protection, and tells them to follow their father. They embark on a journey of fantastical adventure to find their father, who left years earlier in search of the kingdom of his brother, the Prince of the Valleys of Tishnar, promising to return for them after he had found the way. -
More William
The second of Crompton's series of 39 books about William Brown, our cheeky 11 year-old protagonist. A hero to some, a dastardly villain to others, this book is structured round a year in his life. Starting with William waking up on Christmas morning and ending with him going to sleep the following Christmas Eve, there are the usual round of misadventures, misunderstanding and general mayhem in between. When a boy like William wakes up under a motto that says "A Busy Day Is A Happy Day" alongside a copy of "Things A Boy Can Do", the chaos is just around the corner. Includes the very first William short story - "Rice Mould". Often dismissed as childrens literature, the first few books of William stories were probably aimed more at an adult audience. They resonate with a distinctly English humour, but there are obvious echoes from 'Tom Sawyer' and 'Huckleberry Finn'. -
More William (version 2)
More William is the second William collection in the much acclaimed Just William series by Richmal Crompton. It is a sequel to the book Just William. The book was first published in 1922, -
Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, The (version 2)
This wonderful children’s short story tells all about the youth, manhood and old age of Santa Claus and how he became immortal. -
Very Short Stories And Verses For Children
Very Short Stories And Verses For Children is a children's book by Lucy Clifford compiling stories and poems informing the little ones about important morals across many traits; hard work, love, friendship, honesty, and loyalty. -
Seven Little Australians
This is the story of seven incorrigible children living near Sydney in the 1880’s with their military-man father, and a stepmother who is scarcely older than the oldest child of the family. A favourite amongst generations of children for over a century, this story tells of the cheeky exploits of Meg, Pip, Judy, Bunty, Nell, Baby, and The General (who is the real baby of the family), as well as providing a fascinating insight into Australian family life in a bygone era. -
What Katy Did
What Katy Did is a children's book written by Susan Coolidge, the pen name of Sarah Chauncey Woolsey. It follows the adventures of Katy Carr and her family, growing up in America in the 1860s. Katy is a tall untidy tomboy, forever getting into scrapes but wishing to be beautiful and beloved. When a terrible accident makes her an invalid, her illness and recovery gradually teach her to be as good and kind as she has always wanted. -
Lost Prince, The
“The Lost Prince” is about Marco Loristan, his father, and his friend, a street urchin named The Rat. Marco's father, Stefan, is a Samavian patriot working to overthrow the cruel dictatorship in the kingdom of Samavia. Marco and his father, Stefan, come to London where Marco strikes up a friendship with a crippled street urchin known as The Rat. Marco’s father, realizing that two boys are less likely to be noticed, entrusts them with a secret mission to travel across Europe giving the secret sign: 'The Lamp is lighted.' This brings about a revolution which succeeds in overthrowing the old regime and re-establishing the rightful king. The book ends in a climatic scene as Marco realizes his father is the descendant of Ivor Fedorovitch and thus the rightful king of Samavia. -
What Katy Did (version 2)
Follow the adventures of Katy Carr and her family, through good times and bad. -
Rewards and Fairies
Joseph Rudyard Kipling (December 30, 1865 – January 18, 1936) was an English author and poet, born in India, and best known today for his children’s books, including The Jungle Book, Just So Stories, and Puck of Pook’s Hill; his novel, Kim; his poems, including “Mandalay”, “Gunga Din”, and “If—”; and his many short stories, including “The Man Who Would Be King” and the collections Life’s Handicap, The Day’s Work, and Plain Tales from the Hills. He is regarded as a major “innovator in the art of the short story”; his children’s books are enduring classics of children’s literature; and his best work speaks to a versatile and luminous narrative gift.
Dan and Una met Puck last summer, in Puck of Pook’s Hill. This summer, they meet him again - and several individuals from different periods in history, who, while generally not famous themselves, tell their tales of meeting Queen Elizabeth, Francis Drake, George Washington, and other well-known historical figures. Sadly, Dan and Una forget these encounters as soon as they are over, but the reader can enjoy them for years to come! -
New Chronicles of Rebecca
This book tells further stories from the period of Rebecca's sojourn in Riverboro. -
King Arthur's Knights: The Tales Retold for Boys and Girls
This book is an attempt to tell some of the stories of King Arthur and his Knights in a way which will be interesting to every boy and girl who loves adventures. -
Magic World, The
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.
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Adventures of Reddy Fox, The
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. -
Golden Goose Book, The
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.
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Golden Age, The
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.
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Glinda of Oz
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. -
It's Like This, Cat
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. -
Sandman's Goodnight Stories
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. -
Nonsense Songs, Stories, Botany and Alphabets
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. -
Jingle Book, The
A collection of silly poetry and limericks for children. -
Tik-Tok of Oz
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. -
Ring o' Roses: A Nursery Rhyme Picture Book
A collection of Classical children's nursery rhymes. Many familiar, a few unfamiliar, all simple and easy for younger children. -
Aunt Jo's Scrapbag
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. -
Bilingual Versions - Alice's in Wonderland (English – Spanish)
This book tells of a girl named Alice falling through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures.