Free Reads - Fiction
OakSchoolofKnowledge
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1
Little Red Riding Hood
7:10

Little Red Riding Hood

Written by Shirley Holt and illustrated by Lee Richardson. The story follows a young girl known as Little Red Riding-Hood, who is given a red hood by her grandmother and is sent to visit her grandmother with a basket of food. On her way through the woods, she encounters a wolf who learns of her destination and races her to the house. The wolf arrives first, eats the grandmother, and then disguises himself in her clothes. When Little Red Riding-Hood arrives, she is deceived by the wolf's appearance and enters the bed, where she is then eaten by the wolf.
2
Ghost's Hour, Spook's Hour
7:11

Ghost's Hour, Spook's Hour

Written by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Donald Carrick. It tells the story of a young boy who wakes up in the middle of the night to find the electricity off and his parents missing. Accompanied by his dog Biff, he explores the house, encountering various spooky phenomena, all of which have logical explanations. The story transitions from being eerie to reassuring, making it suitable for younger children who enjoy ghost stories.
3
Rabbit's Party
2:28

Rabbit's Party

Written by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Jody Wheeler. Rabbit invites three friends to his birthday party and asks each one to bring two friends so he can have 10 at his party. Rabbit soon learns that three is enough for a party.
4
Ralph's Secret Weapon
4:30

Ralph's Secret Weapon

Written and illustrated by Steven Kellogg. The story follows Ralph, who is persuaded by his eccentric Aunt Georgiana to learn how to play the bassoon. This leads him to a snake-charming convention, where his aunt makes a promise to a Navy admiral that Ralph will be able to get rid of a sea monster causing problems for the navy. Ralph's secret weapon comes into play when the monster eats his bassoon, and he must find a way to save the day.
5
The Mysterious Tadpole
5:23

The Mysterious Tadpole

Written and illustrated by Steven Kellogg. The story follows a boy named Louis who receives a tadpole from his uncle and names it Alphonse. As Alphonse grows rapidly, he outgrows his jar, the sink, and eventually the bathtub, leading to a series of humorous events as Louis tries to manage his ever-growing companion.
Library Lion
9:30

Library Lion

Written by Michelle Knudsen and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. The story revolves around Miss Merriweather, the head librarian, who is very particular about rules in the library, such as no running and being quiet. However, when a lion comes to the library one day, no one is sure what to do. There aren't any rules about lions in the library. As it turns out, this lion seems very well suited to library visiting. His big feet are quiet on the library floor, and he makes a comfy backrest for the children during story hour. The lion never roars in the library, at least not anymore. But when something terrible happens, the lion quickly comes to the rescue in the only way he knows how.
7
Caps for Sale - A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and their Monkey Business
4:45

Caps for Sale - A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and their Monkey Business

Written and illustrated by Esphyr Slobodkina. The story is based on a folktale and follows an unnamed moustachioed cap-selling peddler who wears his entire stock of caps on his head. When the peddler falls asleep under a tree, a group of monkeys steals all the caps, except his own checked cap, and puts them on. The peddler tries various actions to get the monkeys to return the caps, but they only imitate him. Finally, he throws his own cap on the ground in disgust, causing the monkeys to do the same, allowing him to collect all the caps and continue his journey.
8
Pettifur
7:22

Pettifur

Written by Jay Williams and illustrated by Hilary Knight. A humorous tale about a very handsome and fat black and white cat named Pettifur who becomes so fat he can only waddle. The story follows Pettifur as he tries to lose weight and regain his ability to move freely.
9
The Stubborn Old Woman
9:41

The Stubborn Old Woman

Written by Clyde Robert Bulla and illustrated by Anne Rockwell. The story revolves around an old woman who is so stubborn that she refuses to leave her house and farm, which are deteriorating and near the river, until she meets a little girl who is equally stubborn and wants her to leave.
10
River Parade
2:17

River Parade

Written and illustrated by Alexandra Day. The story follows a little boy and his father on a boat ride down the river on a hot summer day. Initially, the boy is a bit nervous, but as he and his father float down the river with three wooden toys, he begins to enjoy the experience.
11
Petrosinella - A Neapolitan Fairy Tale
9:38

Petrosinella - A Neapolitan Fairy Tale

Written by Giambattista Basile and illustrated by Diane Stanley. The story follows a pregnant woman who steals parsley from an ogress's garden and agrees to give up her child as payment. The child, named Petrosinella after the parsley, is raised by the ogress in a tower. The tale is notable for its influence on later versions of the "Rapunzel" story, including the Brothers Grimm's version.
12
The Baby's Own Aesop
23:17

The Baby's Own Aesop

Written and illustrated by Walter Crane. A collection of fables written in the late 19th century, adapted by Walter Crane and based on the original stories attributed to Aesop, a slave and storyteller believed to have lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 560 BCE. This book offers a delightful adaptation of Aesop's timeless fables, expressed in rhymed verse suitable for young readers. It features a variety of animal characters and moral lessons that are accessible and engaging for children, making it an introductory text to moral education through storytelling.
13
The Water of Life
14:31

The Water of Life

Written by Jay Williams, with contributions from Victoria Williams and illustrated by Lucinda McQueen. The story revolves around a kind-hearted fisherman named Pilchard who is tasked by the king to find the Water of Life but ends up giving away his magical tools to help various creatures along his journey.
14
Chanticleer and the Fox
10:25

Chanticleer and the Fox

Written and illustrated by Barbara Cooney. Adapted from the Nun's Priest's Tale in Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales" The book tells the story of Chanticleer, a proud rooster, and his encounter with a cunning fox who tricks him.
15
The Three Sillies
8:10

The Three Sillies

Written and illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt. The story follows a young man who believes his sweetheart and her family are the silliest people in the world until he meets three others who are even sillier.
16
The Cookie Tree
12:13

The Cookie Tree

Written by Jay Williams and illustrated by Blake Hampton. The story revolves around a magical tree that appears in the town square of Owlgate, a village where nothing surprising ever happens. This tree has silver bark, golden leaves, and bears chocolate cookies, puzzling the adults but delighting the children who believe it is a gift from a kind magician.
17
The King with Six Friends
22:17

The King with Six Friends

Written by Jay Williams and illustrated by Imero Gobbato. The story revolves around young King Zar, who loses his kingdom and sets out to find a new one, encountering six unusual friends along the way who possess unique skills that help him achieve his goal.
18
Tattercoats
10:09

Tattercoats

he story revolves around a young girl named Tattercoats, who is the granddaughter of a wealthy lord. She is neglected by her grandfather because her mother, his favorite daughter, died during childbirth. Tattercoats grows up wearing rags and spending her days in the fields with only a gooseherd for company. Despite her difficult circumstances, she eventually attends a royal ball and marries a prince, thanks to the help of her gooseherd friend and the prince's admiration for her despite her appearance in tattered clothes. Collected and edited by Jacob Jacobs, with illustrations by Margot Tomes.
19
The Land of Long Ago
12:29

The Land of Long Ago

It tells the story of two children, Kelly and Kai, who are whisked off to a magical realm on the back of a living tree trunk transformed into a dragon by a mischievous gnome. During their journey, they meet a princess, rescue a knight, and trick the king of the trolls. However, the old tree dragon might not survive the trip back home. Written and illustrated by Elsa Beskow.
20
Dick Whittington and His Cat
13:01

Dick Whittington and His Cat

The story of Dick Whittington, a character from British folklore who becomes a successful merchant and Lord Mayor of London due to his cat's ability to catch mice. Written and illustrated by Marcia Brown.
21
Clancy's Coat
15:18

Clancy's Coat

he story revolves around Clancy bringing an old winter coat to Tippitt the tailor for repair, which leads to the mending of their broken friendship. Written by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Lorinda Bryan Cauley.
22
"Stand Back," Said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze!"
6:28

"Stand Back," Said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze!"

The story revolves around a group of animals who are afraid of an elephant's impending sneeze, only to discover that the sneeze turns out to be a gentle puff of air, bringing laughter and relief. Written by Patricia Thomas and illustrated by Wallace Tripp.
23
"There Are Rocks in My Socks!" Said the Ox to the Fox
6:56

"There Are Rocks in My Socks!" Said the Ox to the Fox

The story revolves around an ox who gets himself into various ridiculous situations after getting rocks in his socks, and these situations become worse when he follows the advice of his friend, the fox. Written by Patricia Thomas and illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein.
24
Our Library
5:20

Our Library

a children's book that tells the story of Raccoon and his friends who face the closure of their beloved library. When Miss Goose, the librarian, announces that the library is going to close forever, the animals spring into action to save it. They use books to learn how to repair the library, raise funds, and eventually move it to a new location in Buttercup Meadow. Written by Eve Bunting and illustrations by Maggie Smith.
25
Ming Lo Moves the Mountain
6:48

Ming Lo Moves the Mountain

The story follows Ming Lo and his wife who live next to a large mountain that causes them constant trouble, such as dropping rocks on their house and blocking sunlight, leading to frequent rain. Ming Lo's wife insists he must move the mountain, and he seeks advice from the village wise man, who provides increasingly absurd suggestions until finally tricking Ming Lo and his wife into moving themselves, believing they have moved the mountain instead. Written and illustrated by Arnold Lobel
26
The Water of Life
14:31

The Water of Life

The story revolves around a kindly fisherman who is tasked by the king to find the Water of Life but ends up giving away all his magic implements to creatures in need during his journey. Written by Jay Williams and illustrated by Lucinda McQueen.
27
Magic in the Margins: A Medieval Tale of Bookmaking(Written by W. Nikola-Lisa)
13:13

Magic in the Margins: A Medieval Tale of Bookmaking(Written by W. Nikola-Lisa)

Magic in the Margins: A Medieval Tale of Bookmaking is a book written by W. Nikola-Lisa and illustrated by Bonnie Christensen. The story is set in a medieval monastery where an orphaned boy named Simon, who is the son of peasants, learns the art of creating illuminated manuscripts. Simon dreams of illustrating his own pictures but is instructed by Father Anselm to first capture mice, which he interprets literally before realizing the task is about observing and using his imagination to draw them with life and humour.
28
Ralph's Secret Weapon (written by Steven Kellogg)
4:30

Ralph's Secret Weapon (written by Steven Kellogg)

The story follows a boy named Ralph who is persuaded by his Aunt Georgiana to charm a dangerous sea serpent by playing the bassoon. Ralph spends the summer with his aunt, learning to play the instrument and eventually using a secret weapon to save the day when the sea serpent eats his bassoon. Written and illustrated by Steven Kellogg.

Library Lion

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5 months ago
Entertainment Readings & Audiobooks Read Alouds Michelle Knudsen Kevin Hawkes Libraries Lion

Written by Michelle Knudsen and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes.

The story revolves around Miss Merriweather, the head librarian, who is very particular about rules in the library, such as no running and being quiet. However, when a lion comes to the library one day, no one is sure what to do. There aren't any rules about lions in the library. As it turns out, this lion seems very well suited to library visiting. His big feet are quiet on the library floor, and he makes a comfy backrest for the children during story hour. The lion never roars in the library, at least not anymore. But when something terrible happens, the lion quickly comes to the rescue in the only way he knows how.

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