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Elizabeth Ann is a timid, sickly little girl who lives with her Aunt Frances and her Great-Aunt Harriet. When Great-Aunt Harriet becomes ill, poor little Elizabeth Ann is sent to live with the much-feared Putney cousins, whom, as Great-Aunt Harriet said Such lack of sympathy, such perfect indifference to the sacred sensitiveness of child-life, such a starving of the child-heart ... No, I shall never forget it! They had chores to do ... as though they had been hired men! But to the Putney cousins in Vermont Elizabeth Ann has to go. And there, with her Uncle Henry, Aunt Abigail and Cousin Ann, she grows strong and well and happy and, most importantly, learns to think for herself, and truly becomes Understood Betsy. (summary Kymm Zuckert)...

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Children

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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). (Summary by Judy Bieber)...

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Children

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Lucy Maud Montgomery's classic children's novel, Anne of Green Gables tells the story of a red headed orphan girl with a personality you can't help but love. Despite her tragical past, Anne's optimism and imagination have helped her to always see the best in things. Anne's life changes considerably when she is accidentally adopted by the Cuthberts, a brother and sister who thought they were getting a boy to help out on the farm. The Cuthberts decide Anne will have to be sent back to the orphange but before they know it, she has begun to work her way into their hearts. (Summary by Annie Coleman)...

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Children

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This is the book that started it all. Johnny Gruelle gave his daughter Marcella a rag doll, on which he had drawn an eternally smiling face. Marcella and Raggedy Ann became inseparable, and inspired Gruelle to write Raggedy Ann Stories, which was sold with its very own Raggedy Ann doll. Sadly, Marcella died at age 13 after complications from a smallpox vaccine, but Gruelle continued writing about Raggedy Ann. (description by Zachary Brewster-Geisz)...

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Children, Literature

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The classic Aesop's Fables have been translated to every language for hundreds of years. The fables, told in the form of allegories, give us universal, worldly advice. The use of animals and ancient gods makes the lessons unbiased and impartial. Short and smart, these fables entertain and enrich our lives. In this volume you will find 30 of the 300 fables we offer you in Spanish. Las clásicas Fábulas de Esopo han sido traducidas a todos idiomas por cientos de años. Las fábulas, en forma de alegorias, nos dan consejos en una forma universal. El uso de animales y dioses antiguos hace que las lecciones sean imparcial. Cortitas y sabias, cada fábula nos entretiene y enriquese nuestras vidas. En este volúmen encontrará 30 de las 300 fábulas que le ofrecemos en Español....

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Children, Animals

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Tom Swift is approached by Mr. Preston, the owner of a circus, and begins to tell the story of Jake Poddington, Mr. Preston's most skilled hunter. As it turns out, Jake went missing just after sending word to Preston that Jake was on the trail of a tribe of giants, somewhere in South Africa. That was the last Preston has heard of Jake Poddington. Preston would like Tom to use one of his airships to search for Poddington, and if possible, bring back a giant for the circus. 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.(Introduction by Wikipedia and Tom Weiss)...

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Children

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A collection of 12 true stories of young children during the time leading up to their First Holy Communion. Written by a Sister of Notre Dame, this is the companion volume to True Stories For First Communicants (Summary by Maria Therese)...

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Children

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The Little Wizard Stories of Oz are six short stories written by L. Frank Baum in 1913. By all accounts, Baum intended to finish the Oz series with The Emerald City of Oz, published in 1910. Following that, he attempted to write non-Oz books, publishing The Sea Fairies in 1911 and Sky Island in 1912. But, (as Baum himself laments in the prefaces of many of his Oz books,) his little tyrants were only interested in hearing more Oz stories. So in 1913, he returned to writing about Oz, putting out both The Little Wizard Stories and The Patchwork Girl of Oz that year. According to http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/faq06.html this comprehensive Oz FAQ site , The Little Wizard Stories were geared toward younger children and were originally published separately, similar in style to today's Little Golden Books. The next year, they were published together as one volume. Each Little Wizard Story revolves around the adventures of two famous Oz characters, and their humorous adventures in and around the land of Oz. (Summary by Maddie)...

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Children

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Reading bedtime stories to children can be a wonderful way to relax and at the same time act out the exciting things happening in the story for them. If you've done it, you know the feeling and if you haven't I can only hope that you were the rapt audience for such stories when a child. We can let ourselves go and perform all the parts with abandon because the only audience are those who unreservedly appreciate our thespian talents. These 25 stories are all original and all sparkling examples of Abby Walker's ability to spin a witty story that is fun to read and listen to. Don't you really want to know about The Good Sea Monster? The Shoemaker Rat or most of all, The Disorderly Girl? If not, you may go back to reading Kant with my blessing. (Summary by Phil Chenevert)...

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Children

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The Poor Little Rich Girl is a children’s fantasy about a little girl named Gwendolyn who is lonely and longs for a friend. But she is isolated by rich parents who ignore her and left to the care of servants who are indifferent. Her nanny’s carelessness with some medicine plunges Gwendolyn into a bewildering world in which metaphors literally come to life. (Summary by Susan Umpleby)...

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Children

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Rinkitink in Oz is the tenth book in the Oz series written by L. Frank Baum, first published in 1916. It was originally written in 1905 as a stand alone fantasy work and subequently rewritten as an Oz book. Therefore, most of the action takes place outside of Oz in neighboring fairy countries. It tells the story of Prince Inga's quest to rescue his parents from captivity after his island home is ravaged by enemies. With the help of three magical pearls and the more dubious assistance of the excessively jolly King Rinkitink and his surly goat, Bilbil, his travels lead him to the underground caverns of the Nome King where he is united with some people from Oz who help him to free his parents and restore his island kingdom. (description written by Judy Bieber)...

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Children

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This delightful story is full of ups and downs involving a young boy and his dog, a gift from the sea. The adventures range from playful antics to times of peril, and through it all, our protagonists (both human and canine alike) come through for each other as only a dog and his boy can! This adventurous and fun tale will bring you back to your own childhood memories...you and that special tail-wagger from the good ol' days....

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Children

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Little kids sent to stay the night with their Aunt Jane find themselves sharing an enormous bed. So enormous is it, that when they make a tent of the bedsheets and crawl in, they never make it to the foot of the bed, crawling instead into a dreamworld of caves and pirates and adventures. (summary by ohosostrange)...

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Children

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“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. (Summary from Wikipedia)...

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Children

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So the parties separated and then Dorothy was free to leave her hiding place. She longed to tell her friends the strange story, but she knew that the finding of Tavia was the one and only thing to be thought of just then. Are you sure that this is the direction in which the boys went? asked Nat, with something like a sigh. Dorothy looked over the rough woodland. No, she said, there was a swamp, for I distinctly remember that they picked their way through tall grass, and about here the grass is actually dried up. (Extract from Chapter 26)...

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Children

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Rainbow Valley, the seventh book in the Anne of Green Gables series explores the world of Anne & Gilbert’s six children along with the exploits of the Merediths, the children of the town’s new minister. With no mother and an absent-minded father, the Meredith children are not being properly brought up. This leads to their many adventures causing the ladies of the town to gossip, risking their father's job. These kind-hearted, but misguided children fumble their way through bringing themselves up, and learn about life and love along the way. Summary by Robin Cotter...

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Children

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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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Children

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Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz was the fourth of 14 Oz books written by L. Frank Baum (1856-1919). Published in 1908, while Baum was resident in Coronado, California, it is considered one of the “darker” of the Oz tales. However, it also is enlivened by Baum’s considerable wit, penchant for puns, and dry social commentary. In this title, Dorothy, her kitten Eureka, Jim, a cab horse, and Zeb, a ranch hand, descend into the earth through a rift opened by an earthquake. There they encounter the “humbug” wizard who once ruled Oz. In their journey back to the earth’s surface, they meet a number of potentially dangerous magical peoples and creatures including the cold-blooded Mangaboos, invisible bears, the flying wooden Gargoyles, a den of dragonettes, and an eccentric inventor. With a little help from Ozma, the group end up in Oz where they are treated to feasts and celebrations. The animals end up humbled by a few of their experiences in Oz, where all animals can talk, and return home a little wiser. (Summary by Judy Bieber)...

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Children

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A beautifully illustrated children’s picture book. Listen to the narration while you view (on gutenberg.org) a variety of delightful animals doing strange things such as the kangaroo who tried to paint the roses blue. This is a follow up to Johnny Crow’s Garden. (Summary by Jim)...

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Children

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When twelve-year-old Chris entered Mr. Wicker's shop to inquire about a job for his friend, something about old Mr. Wicker forced him to take the job himself. Chris found himself the pupil of Mr. Wicker, not the old man he first saw, but a powerful man in his forties--a magician. Chris learned how to turn himself into a fish, a bird, a fly, and with a magic rope he learned to make a boat or even an elephant. Chris had been chosen to sail to China on a mysterious mission. Long before he sailed, Chris met the enemies who would try and stop him--evil Claggett Chew, the dandy Osterbridge Hawsey, the treacherous old beggar Simon Gosler. With a Nubian boy Chris brought to life with magic, he set out on his hazardous voyage.(Summary by Saturday Review of Literature)...

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Children