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Alice
In Wonderland
- Extraordinary. This is
Alice in Wonderland as you've never ever seen it. This also
happens to be one howlingly funny tale, that continues to
enchant readers nearly 140 years after it was first written. Replete
with the complete works of NINE of the original
19th century and early 20th century illustrators, plus
two contemporary illustrators. This tale also has a marvelous
Story Background section, called
The Making of Alice In Wonderland. Did you know, for example,
that the Flamingo Alice used as a mallet in the croquet game was
originally an Ostrich? And by the way, has anyone ever explained
to you the best way to suppress the testimony of a witness during
a court proceeding? No? Well then..... first you take a large
sack.......
Suggested Age Group:
From age 6 thru CEO. The Owl and the Pussycat - "The Owl and the Pussycat went to sea, in a beautiful pea-green boat..." It was clearly love at first sight for these two, in the most famous of Edward Lear's delightful nonsense rhymes. Author's original illustrations, plus beautiful color image by a well known contemporary artist. Interesting sequel and biographical information accompanies verse. Suggested Age Group:
For any age. The Little Lame Prince - This is the story of a young prince, who as an infant, is accidentally dropped by his nurse, and as a result, will never be able to walk properly. Well, sad things do happen, and life is often unfair, but our young man is bright and strong and the rest of him works just fine. I mean it's not as if he suddenly found himself an orphan, or his uncle wanted him out of the way so he could be the king instead, right?....I mean, if you were in that kind of pickle you'd certainly wish you had some magic about, wouldn't you? I know I would. Delightful tale. Works of two of the original illustrators grace this story, written by Dinah Maria Mulock Craik in 1874. By the time you finish reading this, you'll wish you had known the author personally. No, we're not kidding. Reading time: 10
chapters - About 20 minutes ea.
Pickles The Cat Rides A Bike - It's a beautiful day, and Pickles the cat is curled up in a nice warm patch of sun, watching, as the busy world rushes by, just outside his window. Wouldn't it be wonderful, he thought, if I could just get outside to experience all of that excitement myself? Be careful what you wish for, Pickles. Suggested Age Group:
For any age, and well suited for little folks. Pickles The Cat Finds A True Friend - The neighborhood cats are poking fun at Pickles, just because he does things they don't think are normal. Like reading books. We like reading books. You probably do too. But we don't think Pickles' neighbors should pick on him just because they think he's different. If you think about it, everybody's different. Besides.... true friends accept you for who you are!
Suggested Age Group:
For any age, and well suited for little folks.
Lavinia
Mudwallow Greets The Day
- This is a warm, friendly story, about a little girl named Amanda Grey
and her dog, Lavinia Mudwallow. Lavinia Mudwallow, a determined, but
decidedly affable critter, will definitely make you smile. Professional
Illustrations. Sequels are online.
Suggested Age Group:
For any age. Suggested Age Group:
For any age Suggested Age Group:
Thru age 10. Suggested Age Group:
Thru about age 90 would be our guess. Suggested Age Group:
Any Age Two
Gray Cats
- OK. Say you had two cats and they looked EXACTLY alike, right down
to their very whiskers! How would you figure out which was
which?
Suggested Age Group:
Any Age Maya - If you were to close your eyes very, very tight, and ask with all of your might, "What magic will you open my eyes to see? " You might be VERY surprised at what suddenly appeared right in front of you. Luke and his sister Crystal certainly were ! Suggested Age Group:
Any Age Maya Book II - The Dream - The really neat thing about magical creatures, is that they have the most wonderful ability to introduce you to new adventures. Take today, for instance... Suggested Age Group:
Any Age Maya Book III - The Hike - When your magical dog tells you to grab your backpack and fill your canteen with water because you're going to go on a hike, you had better believe you're about to go someplace really, really, REALLY far away. This is a swell story that's also a wonderful LEARNING ADVENTURE. Many of the terrific illustrations are also clickable to show you actual photographs of what you're reading about, and underlined words in the story are also clickable to display more photographs. Suggested Age Group:
Any Age
Comfort
in the loss of a pet, see:
A Dragon In Cleveland - "Mom, Dad!, There's a dragon flying over our car!" shouted Molly. "The dragon is in your head, Molly" said her Mom. Uh.....No he's not. Reading
time: About 4 minutes
The
Dragon In The Forest
- "Are you the dragon that is going to burn everyone's homes down?"
Princess Marigold asked in a very frightened little voice. "Goodness
gracious me!" exclaimed a startled Zlartinpole the Dragon, "What
a thought!" Well there. So much for judging a book by it's cover.
Actually, Zlartinpole only breathes fire when he gets scared or
sneezes. Uh-oh. Get the marshmallows out.
Reading
time: About 10 minutes Quazz's
Breath
- Once upon a time there lived a small green dragon named Quazz,
who had made up his mind that he would only be nice on Mondays.
Hmmmmm.....Sounds like a little green dragon WE used to know. Sam and the Dragon - "It doesn't get cold in the winter," young Sam told his mother. "That's just a myth, like dragons and unicorns," he said. Boy oh-boy, we'd bet that Sam is going to be in for some really big surprises this winter! Reading time: About
10 minutes
Suggested Age Group:
Thru age 6
The Goggle-Eyed Green Hairy Monster And Me - You know those funny thumps you hear at night? Yup. It's him. Scary, isn't he? Except, you know what? He's not all that scary once you get to know him. And hey, when you get right down to it, he's actually sort of cute. In a goggle-eyed green hairy monster sort of way. Whimsical verse designed to let little folks overcome night-time fears while at the same time showing them it's important to consider how others might feel. Friendly professional illustrations of you know who. ILLUSTRATOR PORTFOLIO - MEYERS, JEFF Reading time: About
2 minutes The Goggle-Eyed Green Hairy Monster Returns - Heeee's BAAACCK! Our furry green buddy teaches that the sky is the limit because if you put your mind to it, you can be just about anything you want to be. In little Willie's case, perhaps he'd like to be a cat. Or maybe a king. Or maybe....well, you can find out for yourself. Say...what do YOU want to be? Whimsical verse. Swell Professional Illustrations. ILLUSTRATOR PORTFOLIO - MEYERS, JEFF Reading time: About
3 minutes Reading time: About
4 minutes Reading time: About
10 minutes
Good
Morning Fish
- This is a story about
a gift from a Grandpa to a Grandson and it's a tale that couldn't
possibly be true... or so we thought. Suggested Age
Group: From about age 4 upwards. The
Book
- Tales of princesses and dragons, of pirates and treasure, of things
you could hardly believe! When you opened the book, a world of adventure
lay within. But one day the book had simply disappeared! Suggested Age
Group: From about age 4 upwards. Toby
And Sir Buff
- It's time for bed again. Darn. Same thing rolls around every single
night. The problem is... Toby doesn't like the dark. I mean
really, really, REALLY doesn't like the dark. So he
sleeps with a flashlight. A nice bright one. Wait a minute... oooh
yuck! Has somebody been slobbering all over this thing? Suggested Age
Group: From about age 4 upwards. Seafood
Fight At Su Shi's Cafe
- Have you ever forgotten about daylight savings time and shown up
someplace either an entire hour early, or maybe a whole hour late?
Boy, oh boy... you should see what happens when a bunch of Pirates
and Ninjas forget! Suggested Age
Group: From about age 5 upwards. Auntie
Marge's Hat & Dress Shop
- Have you ever looked at a lady wearing a really unusual hat and
said to yourself, "Oh. My. Goodness! Where on EARTH did THAT
come from!?" Chances are it came from Auntie Marge's place. Her
hats are really, really, really unusual. But do you know what else
she has there? Something magic! Suggested Age
Group: From about age 5 upwards. The Secret Princess - Do you know what YOU would like to be when you grow up? Noel already knows. She wants to be a Princess. Say...do you know anybody who wants to be a handsome Prince? Suggested Age
Group: From about age 6 upwards. The Un-Magical Kingdom (Sequel to The Secret Princess) - The King and Queen looked at their cranky children, shook their heads in dismay, and decided it was time to break out the magical jar of fairy dust. Uh-oh.....what do you suppose they're planning to do with THAT stuff? Suggested Age
Group: From about age 6 upwards. All About Olivia - Olivia is an only child. She's lonesome. And she's a bit spoiled. She stamps her little foot and insists that her parents have more children right now, so that she has someone to play with. Since Olivia has never really learned to share, I rather think she might be in for a big surprise, what do YOU think? Suggested Age
Group: From about age 6 upwards.
The Magic Bell - Long ago, in a far-off island Kingdom, a young Princess named Tania lived with her father the King, and her stepmother, the Queen Amara... Suggested Age Group:
For any age. Suggested Age Group:
For any age. Suggested Age Group:
For any age. Suggested Age Group:
Thru age 10 Suggested Age Group:
For any age Suggested Age Group:
For any age Suggested Age Group:
For children ages 3 - 10 Suggested Age Group:
For children ages 3 - 10 Suggested Age Group:
For children ages 3-10 Reading Time: About
a half hour. Easily read in segments for several nights of Technicolor
dreams.
Age Group: For children
ages 4 - 10.
The
Train Trip -
The sound of wheels on the tracks, the countryside flashing past, the
fold-down sleeping berth that rocks you to sleep at night. And in the
background, the plaintive whistle, the muffled ningningningning
as the train flashes past the railroad-crossings. Share the excitement
of the journey with this young boy. Original Illustration and links
to trains on the web.
Reading time - approximately
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Reading time: About 12 minutes Age Group: From about age 6 through grown-ups. A seriously funny chain reaction, you can just SEE this one happening. Lets Read THIS One! Out Of The Nest - Hey, we like this! This winsome little tale about a flock of young birds newly out of the nest, entertaining in its own right, also lets us know that friends can look different and still be friends, and that helping others is a good thing. The tale has a bonus at the end, because in addition to a wealth of charming illustrations by the Author/Illustrator, it also has color photographs of seven different types of birds, as well as shots of a Squirrel, a Ladybug, and Mallard Ducks to help children identify each when they see them in person. Clever idea! Lots of images. Give them time to load! Reading time: About
5 minutes Letters for Tyree - Seven-year-old Tyree Wilson is an only child who enjoys writing and reciting letters of the alphabet. T is for Tyree, he'll say to himself. L is for Letter. Hey....do you suppose the mailman has a Letter for ME?. Could be, Tyree. Why don't we go see! Reading time: About 5 minutes Age Group: From about age 3. Let's Read THIS One! A Quiet Life? - There it was, a perfectly nice day, when all of a sudden something VERY strange came whizzing out of the sky and landed right smack in the middle of Nanna's back yard. Uh... Poppa, what IS that thing??? Reading time: About 4 minutes Age Group: From age 3 through Grandma and Grandpa Let's Read THIS One! The
Open Door
- This is perfectly charming moment from the life of a mother and
son who, because it was a beautiful day, simply chose to leave the
door open... and then began to wonder if maybe that wasn't
such a good idea after all. Sally and the Sorcerer It was a beautiful day. "Hey Daddy," called Sally, "C'mon, let's go catch butterflies!" Daddy looked at Sally. "I'm sorry, honey," he told her. "But I've got wots of lork to do today. I've got to wax the hamsters, wash the hedges and..." WAX the HAMSTERS? WASH the HEDGES? ...what in the world is going on around here? Reading time: About 7 minutes Age Group: From about age 5. Let's Read THIS One! Justin's Treehouse - Young Justin has always wanted a treehouse. Well, there's no time like the present. Might as well ask Dad. Maybe he'll want to help! Reading time: About 8 minutes Age Group: From about age 5. Let's Read THIS One! The Wonderful Thing- Every Bedtime-Story parent, and every Bedtime-Story grandparent will recognize this tale for exactly what it is. A Wonderful Thing. Reading time: About 2 minutes Age Group: From Kindergarten through CEO. Let's Read THIS One! What Happened To All of The Dinosaurs...And What If They All Came Back?- One of the most interesting things about 5-year olds, is that they have their own particular brand of logic. Short, fun, with swell illustrations, and Learning links to real dinosaurs. Reading time: About a minute. Age Group: From about age 4 to grownups Let's Read THIS One! Mouse Brothers: Cheese Cookies for Benji and Petey - Yaaaaayyy! Let's make cookies! We'll bake them and then we'll put them right here to cool. Put them right...where? ummmm... wait a minute...they were here a minute ago, weren't they? HEY! Where are those cookies? Reading time: About
5 minutes Reading time: About
5 minutes Reading time: About
3 minutes
Tyler
and the Red Balloon -
What so you suppose would happen if Tyler took that wonderful red balloon
and filled it absolutely full of this or that or
the other ? Hey, wait a minute, I know who's going to
know the answer to that question. C'mon. Let's go ask!
A rather special brand of wisdom is at work here. TWO STORY VERSIONS. Enjoy! Reading
time: About a minute
Rebeccah Rabbit's Runaway Pie - It's Bobby Bunny's birthday, and his Aunt Rebeccah always bakes him his favorite apple pie for a present. Mmmmm, doesn't that smell good!? It's hot though, because she's just taken it out of the oven. She always sets her pies right there on the windowsill to cool and then.....hey, wait a minute...didn't she just set that pie down?......I mean gee-whiz...what's going on?? All she did was turn around and....HEY! Where's that pie, people!? Reading time: About
4 minutes The Missing Rainbow - Rain, rain, rain. Booooring. Hey you guys, it's finally stopped!. Alllriiight!,we're outtahere, let's go get some fresh air. Wow, it really smells good after a rain, doesn't it?. My favorite thing is the rainbow, though, ...the rainbow...the...uh...where's the rainbow, fellas? Isn't there supposed to be a rainbow? And what's that gold thing in the sky? The thing that's coming closer...the thing that looks like a horse?????!!!!! Hoooodoggie, it IS a horse! Hey, I know who that is! It's Billy's friend, Pal the Dreamhorse! He's back and he needs our help. Seems somebody somebody stole all the rainbows. Hey...you guys wanna go climb around on some clouds and help get the rainbows back? Yeah, me too! Reading time: About
10 minutes
The
Many Sisters of Molly Brown
- Molly
is thoroughly fed up. Her sisters are everywhere. She never has a
minute of peace and quiet. She
just wishes they'd all go away and leave her alone. But good golly,
what would happen if they did? Whimsical rhyming tale.
ILLUSTRATOR PORTFOLIO - REYNOLDS, DIANE Reading time: About
2 minutes George. Or Not - George wants to be a lot of things. Mostly though, George simply doesn't want to be George. Actually, George thinks he'd rather be a toaster. A toaster??? Golly geewhiz, George. Great good fun! Reading time: About
10 minutes Tidy
Ted -
Ooooh icckk!,
you guys are such PIGS! For pete's sake, why can't you be more like
Ted? Ted's such a nice neat little boy, and he... huh? Reading time: About
5 minutes Tommy and the Emperor - A variation of the classic, The Emperor's New Clothes. Do we tell the Emperor what we think he wants to hear, or do we tell him the truth? Well gee whiz, nobody else is telling him that he looks kinda silly parading around town like that. Reading time: About
5 minutes The
Pig Who Wanted To Fly ILLUSTRATOR
PORTFOLIO
- COX, DENNIS Reading
time: About 10 minutes
The Little Witch's Birthday - Doing something to help somebody else, because it's the right thing to do, is the mark of somebody pretty special, don't you think? But suppose you're a little witch, and you're being told that you're not supposed to do nice stuff for other people. Now there's a real puzzlement for you. To make it even tougher, there's a little girl named Sally who really, really needs the little witch's help! Oh my goodness! What should she DO? Reading time: About
10 minutes Growing Tomatoes - Young Steven wants a bicycle. Not just any old bike, mind you, Steven wants a Western Flyer. And he's determined to get it, no matter how long it takes him. We loved this poignant tale. You will too. Reading time: About
3 minutes. Little Twerp - Hey...Do YOU think little brothers are total twerps? Ouch! Quit poking me, you little twerp, I didn't say YOU were a twerp, I was asking THEM if THEIR little brother was a twerp. Reading time: About 3 minutes. Age Group: From age 4 to 40 would be about right. Lets Read THIS One! PIG - A TALE OF COURAGE AND ENDEAVOUR. Behind the barn at the back of young Helen’s house there lived a large pig. It had never been given a name, in fact, nobody even seemed to know how or when it had got there. So Helen’s family just called it “Pig”, and fed it leftover custard tart and shepherd’s pie. A perfectly reasonable thing to do, don't you think? Reading time: About 15 minutes. Age Group: From about age 7 Lets Read THIS One! The Pony Ranch - Merrilyn Merryweather has wanted a pony since...well gosh, she's wanted a pony for as long as she can remember. In Merrilyns case, however, that actually translates into a pretty long time. Say...what did you want most in the entire world when you were a little bitty kid? Reading time: About 5 minutes. Age Group: From about age 7 Lets Read THIS One! Four Words - Remember that show, "Kids Say The Darnedest Things!"? Remember blinking and shaking your head at some of the skewed logic you heard from little kids? Well listen, some of their logic actually made perfectly good sense. Sorta. Say....got any little kids around your place? Reading time: About
5 minutes. Matthew Thomas - Good grief. All these things keep happening. And just whose fault is it? Well, Matthew Thomas says it's not him doing all that stuff. It's his buddy Art who's causing all the mischief. The only problem is, Art happens to be invisible. Well gee whiz.... that could be a bit of a problem, couldn't it?. Reading time: About
10 minutes. Meaghan In the Butterfly Museum - Say...do you like butterflies? Yep, we do too. Gee...what do you suppose it would be like if you were allowed into a place where there were zil-l-l-l-ions of butterflies, all flying around loose? They could sit on your head, they could perch on your nose, they could... whoooooops...that tickles... hey!... don't leave that door---uh-oh... Reading time: About 5 minutes. Age Group: From about age 5 Lets Read THIS One! George the Rainbow Rabbit - George is beautiful. George knows he's beautiful, and he won't let anybody forget it. Whoa...Get a grip, George! Everyone is beautiful in their own way! Reading time: About 5 minutes. Age Group: From about age 5 Lets Read THIS One!
Dad Didn't Get It - Dustin stood with his nose pressed to the pet shop window and announced, "That's him! That's the pet I want!" "Oh brother," thought Dustin's Dad. "How about a nice goldfish instead, Dustin?" Zillions of terrific illustrations, and you have simply got to see the clerk in this pet store!. ILLUSTRATOR PORTFOLIO - COX, DENNIS Reading time: About
5 minutes The Big Hill - Sean and his father are going sledding today. Well sure, they go sledding all the time, but today, well... actually, today is going to be special. Reading time: About
5 minutes Lala And Her Butterflies - Lala's family has just moved to a whole new house in a whole new neighborhood, and she's supposed to start third grade in a whole new school today but it feels like everything is going wrong. There seems to be a whole LOT of butterflies in Lala's stomach. Have YOU ever been nervous about meeting new people? Yep. Me too. Reading time:
About 5 minutes
Willie Goes Poo - It never fails. There you are out shopping with your mom and your baby brother, and all of a sudden he starts turning a funny color and making a bunch of really gross sounds in his diaper. And then the people standing next to you start getting a funny look on THEIR face. Very funny verse. Reading time: About
a minute
PERHAPS...
There you are, all comfy in your bed, just drifting off, when all
of a sudden something jolts you out of a sound sleep. What on
earth was that noise downstairs? Are you going to crawl out
of bed to go see? Are you kidding? Do you have any idea
what might actually be down there at this time of night?
No? Well, then....Perhaps.... it was the.......oh
for pete's sake, go find out for yourself. Story and illustrations
are an absolute hoot!
ILLUSTRATOR PORTFOLIO - SHEEN, STEPHEN Reading time: About
a minute
U.S.S.
Starship Treehouse
- "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Amanda Grey asks
her brother Timothy. "The world's first Starship Commander,"
he replies. The fact that Starships haven't quite been invented yet
is only a minor setback. If you've already read The
Flying Lesson, you know that Timothy, his sister Amanda, and
their cat Sam, may have a wee bit of an edge on technology.
Cool special effects accompany these 7 short chapters. Devour it in
one reading or make it last for a week. Richly imaginative, wonderfully
clever. Story opens with young Timothy's active imagination in full
play.
Suggested
Age Group: For children ages 7 through about......oh...say,
Chairman of the Board or thereabouts.
Alligator Eyes - "One dark, dreary night my Father let me borrow his brand new, big, long, shiny, five battery, waterproof flashlight..." Wow. It's pretty dark out here, isn't it? Yeah. It's REALLY dark out here. Shhhhhh. Listen.....CRACK! thump. Uh-oh. What was that? Hey, was that you? No, it wasn't me. Then what WAS it?? YAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!! Uh-huh. Yup. Been there. Done that. Just didn't think anybody else knew about it was all. So. That was really you back then, that sound, I mean, right? No, it wasn't me. It WASN'T?? You're kidding?! Well then....what the heck do you suppose it WAS ???? CRACK! thump. YAAAAHHHHHHH!!! Reading
time: About 6 minutes
Olivia's Spine-Tingling Halloween Party- It's Halloween, everybody is dressing up and going Trick or Treating together, and afterwards, they've all been invited to a sleepover party at their friend Olivia's house. Whoops! Wait a minute...what happened to all of the lights in the neighborhood? I can only see the candles glowing in the Jack-O-Lanterns. Whoa...did you see THAT? Was that a BAT? Wow...it's pretty spooky out here, isn't it? Suggested Age
Group: From about age 6 upwards. Josh's Spooky Adventure - Sometimes it's tough being the littlest kid in a great big family. Everybody else gets to DO stuff because they're older. At least that's the way young Josh sees things. So he's decided he's big enough to go exploring. All by himself. At night. Oh, my goodness! I don't think that's going to be a very good idea, do you? Suggested Age
Group: From about age 5 upwards.
CharlieOx - The Quinns were a perfectly normal family who lived in a big old house that had a spooky cellar. And a monster. OK...well... it might be a monster. You never can tell about these things, you know. Dad was pretty sure the monster had lived in Ireland once upon a time, because his father's whole large family had come from Ireland. It IS fairly well known that lots of trolls and other odd creatures live in that magical place. Probably, CharlieOx had simply gotten on the boat with the family when they came to America. Hey...I've got an idea....let's go down to the cellar and see for ourselves. Reading
time: About 10 minutes. The
Imagination Plantation - The problem started when the window seat
began to growl. I mean...window seats are not actually supposed
to growl, are they? No, they're not, but we're not going to tell you
any more, because we don't want to spoil it. Great for sleepovers
and around the campfire. This is a hoot! Reading time: About 2 minutes Age Group: From about age 3 to grownups Let's Read THIS One!
The Great Eel Race - Elementary School Field Day is fun for some kids, but Aeran would just as soon be doing something else. Nevertheless, she's a good sport, so here she is. The next event is a race. Oh, wow. This one is a weird race. Trust us, this is a REALLY weird race. By the way, did we mention that Aerian lives in South Korea? Reading
time: About 5 minutes
An
Adventure for Tom and John
- Around the turn of the century, (late 1800's) these two
young brothers picked up their fishing poles and waved goodbye,
promising to be home before nightfall. But before you knew
it, it was dark, and they weren't home yet, and there was a strange
sound echoing through the woods...... Reading
time: About 10 minutes
As
The Crow Flies
- Young Johnny and his family have moved to Alaska and their pet
crow Timmy has come with them. It's getting harder and harder for
a fella to get a decent meal since all those puppies arrived though.
They hog the food bowl something fierce. There's only one thing
for a crow to do. He's going to have to trick the little dickens.
True story. Smart crow.
Reading time: About 5 minutes Age Group: From about age 5 Lets Read THIS One!
Turtle
and the Skybowl
- Inspired by the Pueblo Indian culture
is this clever tale of how the turtle came to earn her shell and the
vulture his curved beak. Links to sites inviting you to learn more about
the fascinating Pueblo Indian Culture.
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The
Magic Watch:
Amanda Grey finds a watch catalog, the cover of which says Time
Travelers. "Is there such a thing as a magic watch?"
she asks. Well. That's quite a question. You mean the kind of watch
where when you touch the stem like this, you just sort of instantly
transport yourself into a whole 'nother dimen ... whooooops!
This story is ALSO a LEARNING
ADVENTURE! Reading time: About
25 minutes
The
Conversation
- The awful jumble of senseless violence
that accompanies the six o'clock news. It's always somebody
else it happens to. ..... Unless you've contemplated
the violence yourself.
Suggested
Age Group: TEACHERS, WE'RE GOING TO RECOMMEND
FROM JUNIOR HIGH ON UP ON THIS TALE. The Rainbow Bridge - For Michael - Jack is gone and Timothy is grieving over his death. Timothy's uncle, a firefighter, reminisces about his dog Sheba, the pup who was his friend for better than twenty years, as he explains to Timothy about a place of warmth and love, a place called The Rainbow Bridge. A particularly comforting tale for a child or an adult who's lost a friend or a pet. Suggested Age Group:
All ages Worth Something - Young Tommy opens the newspaper and learns from the obituary column that his famous great-grandfather has died. Nobody bothered to tell him. A sharply poignant tale which reflects upon a child's own worth...regardless of his or her current age. Suggested Age Group:
From 7 to 97 The Broken Diamond - Look beyond the surface. Children can arrive broken too. In this world there are children who are born with Autism, with Down's Syndrome, with Cerebral Palsy. There are so very many things that can suddenly go wrong, and for no apparent reason. Worse, there are so many people who can't begin to see the worth in these children. Families who would just as soon toss their less than perfect children away, without ever really understanding the life and the joy that continues to glow within them. This story will touch your heart. Suggested Age Group:
From 7 to 97
MOTHERS ARE SPECIAL BEINGS. The loss of a mother, your own, or someone else's Mom, can have a remarkably profound effect on those whose lives she touched. Whatever your age, whatever the circumstances were, however recent, or however long ago you felt that loss.... this story is a hug. It is meant for you. From the short-story collection "A Rainbow From Tears", Mommy Make the Feather Dance and Collector of Tears - is a story within a story. It will speak directly to your heart. It is more than remarkable. Share it. Reading time: About
15 minutes Hensley The Cat - Things happen. A beloved pet suddenly fails to appear at mealtime. You post signs and hope against hope that he's simply lost his way. Sadly, it's not to be. This poignant little verse, jointly authored by a child and her mother, offers a soothing balm for the most troubled of little hearts. Reading time: Under
two minutes The Rag Doll - 10 year old Krissie is heartbroken. Her father has just gotten a major promotion and the family has to move to Chicago. To lessen the child's sorrow at having to leave friends and family behind, Krissie's grandmother gives her a well-worn little rag doll named Eugene. Treasured and passed down by the women in their family since the era of slavery, Krissie's grandmother gently relates a simple tale, but surely one worth talking about. Wonderful story, wonderful illustrations. ILLUSTRATOR PORTFOLIO - HARPER-MITCHELL, CECILY Reading time: About
10 minutes Billy's New Home --For Foster Children Everywhere - Unless you've been there, you couldn't begin to know. And so this incredibly moving story will tell you. You will want to take this child into your arms, and into your heart. ILLUSTRATOR PORTFOLIO - MEYERS, JEFF Reading time: About
6 minutes Guirella's Gift - Kevin is playing on the edge of a meadow, happy to be in the sunshine and out of the house. His Dad hasn't been well and it worries him. He accidentally trips over a log and finds himself face to face with the magical and comical little meadow fairy Guirella, in this heartwarming story of unselfish choices. ILLUSTRATOR PORTFOLIO - MEYERS, JEFF Reading time: About
4 minutes The Inventor - Believe in your dream. Others have believed in theirs. Don't give up. If they can do it, so can you. ILLUSTRATOR PORTFOLIO - COX, DENNIS  Reading time:
About 4 minutesAge Group: From about age 8 through CEO This story was #3 on M.I.T.'s Invention Dimension! Invention Related Links and Resources: "SITES FOR KIDS AND THE KID IN ALL OF US". Let's Read THIS One! The Cat Who Cried Oh-WOW! - People grow old, memories fail. It happens to pets too. Sometimes the two have more in common than you might have imagined. A quiet tale, about the awakening of compassion. Share it with your memories. Then share it with a child. Reading time: About
4 minutes Do Unto Otters - Sometimes we become angry and lose our tempers. Sometimes we even hurt others without intending to do so. So it's a really good idea for all of us to stop and remember The Golden Rule before that happens. Ollie wishes he had. Reading time: About
4 minutes
The Angels In Heaven Danced When You Were Born- Hooray, a new baby! The angels are all delighted. But one little angel raises her hand and says she's terribly worried about this one. What happens if the child can't hear, or can't see, or what if the infant turns out to be lame, or maybe it won't be as smart as its playmates, or what if it gets into mischief all the time......then what? What happens if this baby isn't perfect....who's going to love it? And while we're at it, what do you suppose perfect means, anyway? A heartwarming verse, about love and a child's self-esteem. ILLUSTRATOR PORTFOLIO - HENRY, EDDIE Reading time: About
2 minutes. The Pioneer Princess - Hildegard Hannah's father had a yen for some ice cream. That's what he said, anyway. So out he went in the middle of the night. The problem is, he never came back. So Hildegard Hannah is forced to explain to herself why he's gone. Maybe a rock fell on his head and he has amnesia. Or maybe that wasn't it at all. One child, trying to understand why she is without her father, in a world full of other children without their fathers. Beautifully poignant illustrations. ILLUSTRATOR
PORTFOLIO
- BENJAMIN, PAMELA The Night Watch - "Dad?" asked 11 year old Christopher,“Do you miss Grampy a lot?” - A truly special tale. Reading time: About
5 minutes. Two Sides To Every Story - Ever want to be OLDER so you could do whatever you wanted? Wait a minute....do you suppose grown-ups ever wish they were YOUNGER? You betcha! A charming bit of whimsy. Reading time: About
2 minutes. What's
Wrong With Pauly Puppy? - The Johnson's
dog Mollie has given birth to a litter of four puppies. Three
of them are perfect. This is a story about love and compassion and
understanding and tolerance. A story about what's right. Daltonism
- Nathan's the new kid in school. There's a pretty neat girl
in his class, and he'd really like to talk to her, but she's being
teased by the other kids. Well, that's certainly not right, is
it? But why were they teasing her in the first place? Well, it
seems that the Art teacher told the class to paint a picture of palm
trees. That sounds OK. So what was the problem? Well... palm fronds
(that's what you call the leaves on palm trees) are green,
of course, but for some reason, Abbi had just painted all of hers
bright red. Wait a minute...she painted them RED? The
Butterfly Swimmer - Oh my goodness! One of her teammates
showed up with a broken arm and can't participate in the swim meet.
Misty's been tapped to take her place. But Misty has been coming in
last lately, and her self-confidence is at an all time low.
Mandy's
Valentines - What happens when your very best friend
in the whole wide world seems to want somebody ELSE as THEIR very
best friend? You know... that's actually a pretty good question.
How would YOU handle it?
The Murphy Family Christmas -There are eight children in the Murphy family and there is SO much excitement! And to top that off, the weather report says it might even snow! The big tree is sitting right outside the front door, ready to be brought inside and decorated. Oh wow, look at Pepper, the family's Yellow Labrador puppy. He's got a strand of Christmas lights on his head and Clover, the children's recently rescued orange kitten is chasing the lights the puppy is dragging along behind him. They're tearing around the house, every bit as excited as the children. This is just a wonderful time of the year, isn't it? Somebody turn on the Christmas Carols! Reading
time: About 30 minutes. This is a TWO part story, complete with
lots of pictures.
The Christmas Family - There's a painting on the wall of Toby's room in the Orphanage. Funny thing about that painting, though....the people in it are so real he can almost see them move. Here's a perfectly terrific story for any time of year. This is a perfectly MARVELOUS, feel-good story! Reading time: About 30 minutes Age Group: From about age 7 to grownups Let's Read THIS One! The Birth - This sweet little CHRISTMAS fable gives us a glimpse of one particular child's entry into this world, as seen through the eyes of the personable animals who came to share their humble stable with him. Age Group: For children
of all ages The Old Lamplighter - Alfonso is a kindly old man who shares his home with his friend Minerva the mouse. They live far across the sea in a little town called Villa Macaroni where the street lights must all be lit one at a time, each and every night. Come CHRISTMAS eve, however, Alfonso discovers that his barrel of lamp oil is empty. Oh no! How will Santa ever find his town? Now Minerva the mouse is pretty old too, and she has a wonderful memory. Somewhere in the back of her mind she remembers hearing something about a pair of magical cats. Could they be the same weary pair who just turned up tired and hungry on Alfonso's doorstep? Maybe. Suppose they are. Do you think they'll be willing to help? But HOW? - Illustrations. Age Group: From about
age 5 THIS IS THE
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