Children's Fiction
Showing 51–65 of 65 results
The Birds’ Christmas Carol (version 2)
Born on Christmas Day, little Carol Bird is a gentle soul who touches every life around her. Despite physical illness, Carol is loved by everyone who knows her. This year, she is going to make Christmas extra special for her family and the little Ruggles children who live nearby. (Introduction by Andrea Boltz)
The Black Fawn
Bud Sloan was an orphan who had been ‘sold out’ of the orphanage to work on a farm once he’d been old enough to labor. The farm where he was to work was owned by an aging farmer and his wife who had raised a large family and were now left alone. One day, after his chores were done, Bud wandered into the woods nearby and with mouth agape, he noticed a newborn jet black fawn all alone and apparently confused in his new surroundings. Bud resolved that day that this baby fawn was just like himself, an orphan, and would be bound to him in spirit. But many obstacles would keep the two separated, and the black fawn would eventually become the target of the local hunters. (Introduction by Roger Melin)
The Blind Brother
This is the first book written by Homer Greene, whose primary occupation was lawyer. It tells of 14-year-old Tom Taylor, and his 12-year-old blind brother Bennie, who work in the Pennsylvania coal mines in the late 1800s, earning money for an operation for the younger lad. A story of strikes and mine “falls” (cave-ins) along the way. – Summary by Donald Cummings
The Blue Bird for Children
One of the strongest pieces of imaginative writing for children that the past decade has produced and one of the most delicate and beautiful of all times, is “The Blue Bird,” by Maurice Maeterlinck, written as a play, and very successfully produced on the stage. Georgette Leblanc (Madame Maurice Maeterlinck), has rendered this play in story form for children, under the title “The Children’s Blue Bird,” and in this form it has now been carefully edited and arranged for schools. On the night of Christmas a boy and a girl, Tyltil and Mytil, are visited by Fairy Berilyuna. Fairy’s granddaughter is sick and can only be saved by the Blue Bird. Thanks to the Fairy’s magic gift children have the opportunity to see the soul of things. Inanimate objects Clocks, Fire, Water, Bread, Sugar, Milk transformed into beings with their own character. Together, they set off on a dangerous journey for the fabulous Blue Bird. (F.O. Perkins, A.T. de Mattos, ShiNeko, Wikipedia)
The Boarded Up House
What is the secret of the old boarded up house? And what is the answer to the mystery of the long lost letter that is found in it? Best friends Joyce and Cynthia – along with their dog “Goliath”, are determined to find out in this pre-Nancy Drew juvenile mystery for girls. Augusta Huiell Seaman was the author of over 40 historical fiction and mystery novels for older children. (Summary by Maria Therese)
The Bobbsey Twins at Meadow Brook
The Bobbseys are home from their adventure on the houseboat and now they’re off to visit their cousins at Meadow Brook Farm. But they haven’t even arrived before they encounter a runaway boy, a runaway dog, and a runaway ram! Meadow Brook proves even more exciting, what with wild animals, a missing twin, and even acting in a movie. It’s the Bobbsey twins on another delightful adventure! This the 7th in the Bobbsey Twins series, which were published by the Stratemyer Syndicate under the house pseudonym of Laura Lee Hope. – Summary by Summary by Rachel
The Bobbsey Twins at Snow Lodge
The Bobbsey Twins are back at school after summer vacation, but Danny Rugg, the school bully, is up to mischief again–and this time he’s trying to pin it onto Bert. Bert gets accused of freezing a giant snowball to the school steps, and all the evidence seems to point against him. Christmas is coming too, and the Bobbsey Twins are busy planning for their trip to Snow Lodge–where a lost treasure, a restored friendship, and exciting adventures await. (Summary by Adele de Pignerolles)
The Bobbsey Twins on a Houseboat
The Bobbsey family are are staying on a houseboat for summer vacation! At first all seems to be going well – what with fishing, playing with friends, and exploring the river. But then a mean farmer arrives, who seems determined to stop the trip. Why? Where has Will Watson, his mistreated hired boy, run away to? Who is stealing food from the houseboat? Who or what made the strange noises the cook heard? And can the twins solve the mystery? – Summary by Summary by Rachel
The Bobbsey Twins on Blueberry Island
The Bobbsey twins are off to spend a summer full of fun and adventures on Blueberry Island. They will encounter a cave, and gypsies, and other things I won’t tell you about. You can find out by listening to this book! As with many children’s books written during this time in history, there are racial stereotypes that would not pass muster today. To edit them out would be to erase history, so I’m reading the book, as is. There is a “fat black mammy” named Dinah, and gypsies (of undetermined geographical origin) who naturally steal because they don’t know any better. These stereotypes can act as a good springboard for educating your child on how far we have come, and how far we still need to go, to erase racism altogether. – Summary by Nan Dodge
The Bobbsey Twins on the Deep Blue Sea
This is the 11th in the original series of books about the Bobbseys — two sets of twins in one family, solving mysteries and having adventures. Bert and Nan are 12, Flossie and Freddie are six. There is a father who works, a mother who stays home, a cook, a handyman, and an assortment of animals. – Summary by Nan Dodge
The Book of Dragons
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. (Summary by Laurie Anne Walden)
The Book of Nature Myths
This is a book of myths told by the Indians of North America to their children. They could be compared to present day Fairy Tales. (Summary by Kenneth Coon)
The Crofton Boys
Children’s Fictional Novel; an historic testament to family and school life in the 1800’s; a mesmerizing and touching piece about a young boy’s school experience, fun and spirited but which also includes the topic of bullying, relevant still. Written by Harriet Martineau, a noteworthy author, abolitionist and women’s rights activist, who shed light on social issues in her skillfully written work. A Gutenberg Project piece, audio recorded by Jane Dever for Librivox.org and part of the public domain; originally published in 1844. Summary by Jane Dever
The Fairy Ring
The Fairy Ring, originally published in 1910, is a collection of 63 fairy tales from around the globe. It includes such well-known favorites as “History of Jack the Giant-Killer”, “The Frog Prince”,”Rumpel-stilts-ken”, and “Snow-white and Rose-red”, among many others. Children of all ages will enjoy these stories. (Summary by Paul Williams)
The Farmer’s Boy
A year in the life of a New England farm boy at the end of the 19th century (Introduction by LC)