Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

Help Children Learn to Read

It's Easy, Share This Page!!

Short Stories for Children

Please enjoy these great stories, fairy-tales, fables, and nursery rhymes for children. They help kids learn to read and make excellent bedtime stories! We have hundreds of great children's stories for you to share.

You may also enjoy Favorite Fairy Tales, Books for Young Readers, Children's Poems, Lullabies and Short Stories for Students

The Three Little Pigs

Little Red Riding Hood

The Velveteen Rabbit

Jack and the Beanstalk

Peter Rabbit is a naughty bunny who eats the vegetables in Mr. McGregor's garden, loses his coat and shoes, narrowly escapes back home. — The Tale of Peter Rabbit

The Elves and the Shoemaker is a wonderful story of giving to enjoy all year long! — The Elves and the Shoemaker

The old women is happy no matter what her pot (or life) brings. — The Bogey-Beast

Winnie The Pooh

Ruth Stiles Gannett's children's adventure about a baby dragon rescue, My Father's Dragon! — My Father's Dragon

St. George and the Dragon

Snow White

Cinderella

Rikki Tikki Tavi — Rikki-Tikki-Tavi

The Tortoise and the Hare — The Tortoise & the Hare

The Gingerbread Man

The Little Thief in the Pantry

The Ugly Duckling

Thumbelina

A band of outcast animals each out-wit bumbling robbers in a home near Bremen. — The Bremen Town Musicians

Alice's Adventures Under Ground, with illustrations by Lewis Carroll — Alice in Wonderland abridged

Aesop's Fable The Ant and the Grasshopper — The Grasshopper and the Ant

Aesop's fables, 145 fables, many of them are illustrated! — Aesop's Fables

The Reluctant Dragon

Hans Christian Andersen's The Emperor's New Clothes — The Emperor's New Clothes

The Princess and the Pea

Fairy Tales from Hans Christian Andersen; The Ugly Duckling, The Little Match Girl, The Last Dream of Old Oak and more — Hans Christian Andersen

Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair! — Rapunzel

The Little Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe

Five Little Pigs

Mother Goose & Her Son Jack — Old Mother Goose & Her Son Jack

Nursery Rhymes from Mother Goose; Jack and Jill, Baa Baa Black Sheep and other favorites — Mother Goose Rhymes

Fairy Tales from The Brothers Grimm; The Brave Little Tailor, Cinderella, Briar-Rose, and more ... — Grimm's Fairy Tales

Hansel and Gretel

The Little Mermaid

The Snow Image: A Childish Miracle — The Snow Image

Father Frost

The Snow Queen

How the Moon Became Beautiful: A Chinese Fairy Tale — How the Moon Became Beautiful

Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Paradise of Children — The Paradise of Children

The Little Match Girl, a beautiful, poignant, and sad Christmas Story worthy of your time and thoughtful consideration throughout the holiday season — The Little Match Girl

Cousin Tribulation's Story

The Pied Piper of Hamelin

Huckleberry, a fairy tale about two gnomes who tell riddles to humans — Huckleberry

Carl Sandburg, Rootabaga Stories — The Zigzag Railroad

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County — The Celebrated Jumping Frog

Hindu Tale: The Magic Pitcher — The Magic Pitcher

Just So Stories from Rudyard Kipling; How the Leopard Got His Spots, How the Camel Got His Hump, and other great stories for kids — Just So Stories

Woody Guthrie, This Land Is Your Land — This Land Is Your Land

Johnny Town-Mouse meets his friend from the country and they become lasting friends. — The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse

Goldilocks makes herself feel 'just right' in the bears' home, they discover she's still there! — Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Dog Stories: Little-Girl-Afraid-of-a-Dog — Little Girl Afraid of a Dog

The Little Red Hen

Little Bo-Peep

The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids — The Wolf & Seven Little Kids

The Three Billy-Goats Gruff

Children will enjoy reading and counting with this Old English nursery rhyme. — This Old Man

One sister is sympathetic and helpful, the other is mean and selfish. One good turn deserves another. — The Two Sisters

A Little Tiny Thing

The Brothers Grimm's Cunning Little Tailor is a bear of a story! — The Cunning Little Tailor

Perfect for young children, the unlikely pair of an owl and a pussy-cat set out for adventures over the sea. — The Owl and the Pussy-Cat

Androclus and the Lion

A young moth learned to care more for a warm heart and courage than for whole wings and straight feelers. — Night Moth With Crooked Feeler

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

Norwegian Tale: East of the Sun and West of the Moon — East of the Sun & West of the Moon

Bruce and the Spider

Find out how Jack sought his fortune on his adventure with a cat, rooster, cow, goat and dog. — How Jack Sought His Fortune

The Adventures of Aladdin

Celtic Fairy Tale about a Sea-Maiden who grants a poor fisherman plenty of fish for a promise; there is a three-headed beast to fight. — The Sky is Falling!

The Fisherman and his Wife

Sleeping Beauty, also known as Briar-Rose — Sleeping Beauty (Briar-Rose)

Basho's poetry is short and beautiful, with wonderful pictures too. — Haiku Poetry - Basho

The Forest Bride: The Story of a Little Mouse Who Was a Princess — The Forest Bride

The Selfish Giant

The Happy Prince

The Blind Men and the Elephant

The Sagacious Monkey and the Boar: A Japanese Fairy Tale — The Wise Monkey & the Boar

The Farmer and the Badger: A Japanese Fairy Tale — The Farmer and the Badger

Hinky Pinkie answers are two rhyming words, two syllables each — Hinky Pinkie Riddles

Children's Stories: Mother Bear's Call — Mother Bear's Call

The Wind in the Willows featuring Mr. Toad, Badger and friends — The Wind in the Willows

The Last Dream of Old Oak, a wonderful Christmas story that can be enjoyed any time of the year. — The Last Dream of Old Oak

Soup On a Sausage Peg, Andersen's version of 'Stone Soup' — Soup on a Sausage Peg

Winter Sports Stories: The Rover Boys: Fun on the Ice — Fun on the Ice

Two boys set out along on a hunt adventure that doesn't turn out quite as they thought it would. — How They Ran Away

The Golden Touch

Pegasus, The Winged Horse

How Theseus Slays the Minotaur — Theseus Slays the Minotaur

The Great Stone Face

An allegory about a boy who admires who his friend has, and doesn't realize he has it too, just depends on where you're standing — The Golden Windows

Join Queen Telphassa and her son-princess on their quest in search of Europea, carried off by a snow-white bull — The Dragon's Teeth

An allegory about working together to improve our environment, king or no king — The Coming of the King

An allegory about making the best out of what you have — The Great Feast

Two storks migrate in Spring to a Viking warrior's rooftop and tell the story of the wicked Marsh King's daughter. — The Marsh King's Daughter

Celtic Fairy Tale about a Sea-Maiden who grants a poor fisherman plenty of fish for a promise; there is a three-headed beast to fight. — The Sea-Maiden

L. Frank Baum tells familiar Mother Goose nursery rhymes in prose. — The Story of Little Boy Blue

Mother Earth's Children, Fruit and Vegetables Rhymes — Mother Earth's Children

What a surprise, left on their door-step ten years ago. What will they decide? — Little Benjamin

The Master Cat; or, Puss in Boots tells the story of a cat from humble beginnings who becomes a great lord. — Puss in Boots

Goody Two Shoes

Folk Hero Paul Bunyan and Babe the Big Blue Ox — Paul Bunyan & the Big Blue Ox

Kids Halloween Stories: A magical collection, featured story is about two deserving children who dance with witches, pumpkins and vegetables on Halloween night for good luck! — Fun Halloween Stories

The Pumpkin Glory is about two seeds who want to be the best pumpkin pies ever! — The Pumpkin Glory

Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, Thankful, the Thanksgiving turkey story — Thankful

Favorite Christmas Stories for Children — Christmas Stories

Twas The Night Before Christmas

Looking for chapter books like The Wizard of Oz and Treasure Island? Enjoy our collection of chapter Books for Young Readers

You might also like our whimsical Children's Poems, Yummy Stories and for learn-to-read fun, Pre-K Wordplay!

Return to American Literature Home Page

Follow @amlitreader

.bg-amlit-test{color:#333;background-color:#fdfcdc}.bg-amlit2{background-color:#fffff1}.al-toc{text-decoration:none!important;font-size:1.025rem}.al-figure{margin:6px;padding:14px;background-color:#bedefa;max-width:280px;text-align:center}figcaption{padding-bottom:6px;font-size:1.1em;font-weight:500;text-align:center}