Lucy's Picnic 
"What a pretty day!" said Grandma. "Let's have a picnic!" said Lucy. "Good thinking," said Grandma. They ran upstairs and put on their picnic …

The Grapevines 
Click the arrow to listen online. I crawl through the neglected intertwined vines that hang like emerald curtains from the trellis. Being careful …

Pants on the Ground 
My eight year old daughter, Cilla, walks around our home singing “pants on the ground, pants on the ground, lookin like a fool with your pants on the …

Somehow I Know 
*Disclaimer- The following story is not a children's story, but is family friendly. It does deal with the very hard reality of Alzheimer's Disease and …

Ricky's Magic Shoes 
“Time to get up, Ricky! Today is your party.” “Ok, Mom,” Ricky ran over to his dresser and threw on his shirt with his jean shorts. He then ran …

Dance. Fall down. Dance again.  
Cynthia Rodrigez liked to dance. It was her passion and her joy. She would twirl around the breakfast table and waltz on her way to school. The pink shoes …

The Bad Little Bears Get A Bath 
It was a warm, sunny day. Birds were singing, butterflies were flittering, and Mamma Bear decided it was the perfect time for her to take a bath. …

Faith & Grace: A Friendship Story 
Faith & Grace: A Friendship Story Written by Grace Henderson *****Written for Faith Owen Chapter 1: Home Schooling Once there were two best …

Angel Bear Gets His Wings 
“I have to go to school today, Angel Bear,” said Margery. She climbed into the school bus and left Angel Bear behind. What would he do without …

Fire Tail Story  
Very long ago, a band of Indians was drying deer meat in the sun. They thought how wonderful it would be to have a small sun to dry the meat better and …

Dinner Hour 
Marge was very tiny, almost swallowed up by the wheelchair. A nurse's aide pushed her into the dining room, then left abruptly. An attendant brought a …

Family Game Night 
Part One: The Exploding Casserole Dish I can still remember how the sky seemed to scoop down and form a magic carpet for me to glide away upon. …

Sweetest Dream Land 
Close your eyes little one and soon you will be on your trip to dream land. The sweetest land you can find. Once you let your mind drift with me the …

Rosy Becomes a Star 
On a very warm July afternoon Rosy ran up to her mom with great enthusiasm, her curls bouncing in the wind, and said "I want to be a star." "A …

Mary Lou There's a Bug in Your Shoe 
Mary Lou put on her favorite shoes and took a stroll in the park. She was hurrying through the woods, so she could get home before it got dark. …

The Little Town of Alphabet 
Nestled on a hillside, in a place called Knowledge, is the little town of Alphabet. The people there are called Letters. The Letters spend almost …

Charlotte and the Big Red Lobster 
"Can we go to the beach today?" Charlotte asked her Mommy and Daddy. "That's a great idea," said Daddy. "Yay!" Charlotte laughed and clapped …

Flying in Circles 
Toby dreamed of flying fast and high through the sky. Unfortunately, the other young butterflies made fun of him because he had just one wing. It took …

An Elephant Living In The House 
"Why can't I have an elephant for a pet?" I asked Mum and Dad. We'd gone to the zoo. We were looking at the elephants. "Elephants are too big to keep," …

Lu-Lu Belle's Bedtime Story 
"Okay, Little Lu, which story do you want to hear?" "I don't want to hear any bedtime stories tonight, Grandma," said the tiny five-year-old girl …

The Jelly Bean Tree 
Click the arrow to listen. “That’s silly,” Brooke said. “Jelly beans won’t grow.” Matthew filled a pot with dirt. “Why not? Lima beans …

A Color for Katie 
Click the arrow to listen. Katie didn’t have a favorite color. She wanted to find a color that fit her perfectly, like her favorite pair of …

The Silver Helmet 
My grandparents, Doran and Dorothy McEntire, are people you could only hope to know. They have always been the constant in my life of unending change. …

A Pet for Sugar 
Sugar sighed and kicked at a clump of grass overgrowing the sidewalk. All her friends had a pet except her. Caitlin said she only had a goldfish and that …

All Around the Kitchen Table 
Kara loved her kitchen table. It sat in the middle of her kitchen, big and brown and strong. She loved it even though it had scratches in it from …

The Night I Had a Fight With the Almost-Tooth Fairy 
The Night I Had a Fight with the Almost Tooth Fairy was the Third Place Winner in our 2010 Short Story Writing Contest. Read a little about the author …

Mama's Christmas Surprise 
Esther raced into the house and dropped her books on the kitchen table. Then she saw the big J.C. Penney's catalog with the plain brown wrapper. …

What Pepper Loved Best: The Day He Was Really, Really Naughty 
Click the arrow to listen. Pepper was a big black and white dog with white paws dotted with many black spots. He loved to play and whirl and dance …

College Kid 
Click the arrow to listen. "I want to go to college," Megan stated at the dinner table. "Well that's great honey," her mother replied. …

REPAIRING FENCES AND FRIENDSHIPS 
On a hot, sticky summer day in the late 1950's, a twelve year old boy rushes to change his clothes after finishing practice at baseball camp. He can't …

COTTONMOUTH SNAKES, ARE THEY THE BAD BOYS OF THE SOUTH? 
A cottonmouth snake has a stand-your-ground attitude. With its head back and mouth open, showing the snow-white lining of its mouth makes it an easy snake …

Chandler’s Secret Weapon 
Chandler brushed his teeth, making sure each tooth got a good scrub. When he looked in the mirror he saw fear lurking in his eyes. To boost his courage …

The Chrysallis 
Joshua loved summer because summer was the beginning of all good things; like sunny days, bike rides, no school and sticky, drippy popsicles. But Joshua …

The Day I Saw the Ghost 
I don't usually see things...well, the only time I did was when I saw the ghost. See, I was walking home from Mrs. O'Malley's yard where I'd mowed, …

Water Plus Land Makes Sky 
When the world was new the sky wasn't blue. It was dull gray day and night. The wise wizards told the people not to bother looking at the sky. The …

Bones for Christmas 
Click the arrow to listen. Sir, I don't think I can do this. My family has a trip planned for Christmas." Lily could hear her mom, Susan, urging …

New Beginning In Time 
It was getting close to spring- I could feel it, hear it- I could even smell it. I step out of the red clapboard house that was my home and walk towards …

Jason and the Old Man 
“Mom, I’m ready to go,” called Jason. He had finished changing the water of the vase. He put the flowers back and set the vase on the little altar …

Shadow and Carly 
“Goodbye, Shadow,” Paige said as her family dropped me off at the cat shelter. “I know you’ll find a good home soon. I’m sorry I’m allergic to you.” She …

Home, Sweet, Home 
One day as i was walking home from school I realized i have never been on vacation. When I got home I asked my mom if we would be able to go on vacation …

Off in the Distance 
We were frustrated. My two brothers, one little sister and I ran away. We were sick of the orphanage, and we were NOT going back. …

THE GIRL WHO LOVED CHRISTMAS 
Once there lived this girl who loved Christmas. She would get ready for it every Thanksgiving. Her Mom would say, "Isabel, it's not time." Isabel said, …

Latte's Heavenly Home 
The tornado that whisked Latte up to heaven whipped her milk into a foamy milkshake and made her hair stick straight up. She didn't mind. …

SILENT SHEPHERD 
Aaron lay close to his father to stay warm in the cold night air. Nonetheless, a shiver went through Aaron. He wanted desperately to be like his …

Leonard Sleeps Through Christmas 
“Tomorrow’s the big day!” Leonard’s father said.             It must be Christmas, he thought. His house had been decorated for weeks. …

Challenges of Middle School 
The school year has begun and Whitney is very excited, it will be her first year in Middle School. She has picked out her clothes and she is ready to roll. …

Pu: or How the Skunk Got Its' Stripe and Stink 
Once there were four great forest friends. This was a very long time ago. They lived near a leafy and enchanting wood, And their names you surely …

Love Grows 
"Let's go letterboxing, Natalie," I heard my stepfather say. I looked up from my book to see Josh, my stepfather, standing in my doorway, …

The Dangerous Duo 
Jeepers Sneakers! Here comes Dover Riding on his four-wheeled motor. And his grand dog Belvadere Wearing Dover’s football gear. Where they …

Abigail’s Dream of Horsehair & Strings 
The high-rise buildings failed in their attempt to block the cold wind as it blew down the busy street. The little girl, violin case in one hand and …

The Penguin That Didn't Like Water 
Penny the penguin turned around and looked at the crowd gathering. "I wonder if she's going to swim today," she heard one of the keepers say. …

Halloween Spider 
Halloween Short Stories: The Halloween Spider Click the arrow to listen. Racky the spider spun her web in the corner of Cindy’s kitchen by …

Monty's Big Decision 
Listen and read along to Monty's Big Decision, a funny story about the election process. Teach kids this complicated matter as Monty tries to distinguish …

Stories of Bullying: Pippy versus Big Betty Barry 
Stories of Bullying: Scared "Hurry up and get ready for school, Pippy," said Mom. "I feel sick," said Pippy. "May I stay home?" Mom felt …

Strawberry Shortcake 
“So how much do we have?” “Well, let’s see, twenty five … plus seven… plus seventy six cents. How much is that?” “Thirty two dollars and seventy …

Mr. Pancake Turkey 
Early one morning, Farmer Francis set out to feed his turkeys. He was the owner of a tiny little Turkey farm in Burlington, Ontario. He was the poorest …

Blood for Chiaka 
Clara closed her eyes as she lay on the hospital bed. She couldn't bring herself to think of anything. She tried to sit …

Book Bliss 
Click the arrow to listen to stories online. The author at her computer heard her parrot squawk. His squawks made her suddenly think of a story, …

The House on Maple Street 
“Someone’s moving into that old house across the street.” Aunt Jane was looking out the window as she was dusting in the living room. David and …

THE ABC FOR LIVING A VICTORIOUS ABUNDANT LIFE 
A- Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard. 1 Sam 22:23 (KJV) Abiding …

Circumstantial Evidence 
Mrs. Dowling marched purposefully across the lawn, half leading, half dragging a sorrowful looking, large, shaggy dog. She arrived at the front door …

Garth Drills' News 
“First I got a slice of brown bread and I put it on a plastic plate,” said Garth Drill. “Boring!” “Don’t interrupt, please, class,” ordered Mr Cage. …

The Missing Tides 
THE MISSING TIDES Victor Acosto was the smartest kid in the world. He lived in a place not far from the Tropic of Capricorn, on a small island …

Heights Elementary Cupcake Wars 
“Whaaaa”, echoed through the lunchroom. All eyes were focused on the screaming coming …

PETAL 
Jessica sat near the window and watched the rain. She sighed, hoping for a glimpse of sunshine. It had been raining for three days and she began to …

REMUS 2110 
Peace friend, I'm ready for my run now. The boy jerked up, dropping his joystick. "America!" he cried. "You've got to stop doing …

Whats Hiding Under your Bed? 
There once was a little boy who's name was Alex, he and his family just moved into a new house. Since it was so new to him, everything seemed scary. …

SAMMY 
**Disclaimer-Parents please preview this story. It includes thoughts about suicide that may be too mature for some, but can lead to good discussions …

The Amazing Little Brother 
This family is like other families. Every day we go to school and when we get home we do homework. Then we do chores and eat after, then our day is done. …

the memory of green 
Once, a boy dropped a seed from the mountain top of the fifth mountain, letting nature decide the way of it; it lived as he did for a long time, but when …

The Dwarfish Old Man and Mrs. Rosemary... 
Jane Heartily stared out the window of her room while the voices of her parents erupt continuously from downstairs. She couldn't understand why mom and …

Go Bananas Go 
It was right after lunch when Jackson's mom handed him a grocery bag full of over-ripe bananas to give to his animal friends. Jackson yelled, ”Yea” …

Alfred The Alien 
ALFRED THE ALIEN When twilight came and went and night stepped in, when everyone was asleep and when anything could happen; Alfred from the planet …

Poppie, Cocoa and ShuShu 
Poppie was a lonely old man. His friends told him "Poppie it's time to stop grieving for Emma". But Poppie was lost without her. They were married for …

The Wonderful Christmas Story Not rated yet
Once upon a time there was this family that lived in this house that was really big! Two nights before Christmas, when their dad came home they started …

Lunch in the Park Not rated yet
It's a gorgeous day for lunch in the park, Holly decided. Today was the perfect day, perfect weather, perfect last day working in the district attorney's …

At the Supermarket Not rated yet
Waiting for change always takes longer than you would expect. So I counted again. Not my change; my items. There they sat in my grocery basket: a bunch …

The Farmer's Wife Not rated yet
Farmer Fred came running …

Thanksgiving Dinner Not rated yet
Farmer Fred grabbed his shotgun and headed out the front door. Everyone waited in anticipation. A few minutes later he returned to the house with an …

JUST A LITTLE CHILD Not rated yet
BY: Dodo Email:dodpens@yahoo.com ONE “No –not again” I screamed loudly, my eyes staring hopefully with fear at the sullen face of my husband …

A Happy Smell Not rated yet
Happy was a young skunk who had few animal friends and actually liked people. One day Happy told his mother. “People seem to be afraid of me, they …

The Sleepy Cat’s Treasure Hunt Not rated yet
Oreo the cat was fast asleep on the top half of my pillow. He awoke and looked straight into my eyes. I could tell he was in that magical place that …

The Sleeping Beauty’s Secret Not rated yet
The little blonde girl was gazing up at the night sky while snuggling in her mother’s lap. They were sitting on the front porch of a small cottage. …