Do you recall your parents reading a well-known holiday story or tall tale before bedtime? Stories featuring wizards, ghosts, or Santa Claus withstand the test of time, and entertain youngsters today as much as they did when first written.
Have you shared such stories with your kids, or are you expecting a day when you will read them to tomorrow's grandchildren and great-grandchildren? Bedtime stories do more than just amuse kids for a moment. Story-telling is a proven means of transferring culture, ways of life, and history to future generations.
Here is a short and sweet list of legendary, not-so famous, and sometimes downright silly stories and tales for bedtime reading. Snuggle up with a child and share a story or two. Literacy lasts – plant the seeds for tomorrow’s generations in your family today.
Nursery Rhymes
- Land of Nursery Rhymes – Read, listen, or download thousands of famous nursery rhymes and other stories.
- Children’s Nursery Room – Classic bedtime stories, fairy tales, and other interesting classic reading.
Aesop Fables
- Aesop’s Fables Retold – Interesting classroom project where students retell, illustrated, and sometimes animate Aesop’s Fables.
- Aesop’s Fables – Links to electronic text for 300 these famous fables.
- Aesop’s Fables – This website purports to have the largest online collection of Aesop’s Fables .
Fairy Tales
- "Aladdin and The Magic Lamp" – Read this famous fairy tale online or download it.
- Page by Page Books – Read the online story of "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper".
- "Three Little Pigs" – Online text with beautiful full color illustrations.
- Folk and Fairy Tales – Text of over 60 online folk and fairy tales.
- Grimm Fairy Tale – Games and interactive folk and fairy tales by the brothers Grimm.
- Romanian Fairy Tales – Traditional fairy tales retold.
- Arthur’s Classic Novels – Nice collection of folk and fairy tales from authors like Andrew Lang and Louisa May Alcott.
- Short Folk Tales – Folk tales by storyteller Heather Forest.
- "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" – Read and listen to this classic fairy tale.
Tall Tales
- The Giant Lumberjack – Read the tale of Paul Bunyan online and enjoy the illustrations.
- American Tall Tales – Favorite bedtime tall tales from across America.
- Jamaican Stories– Links to lots of Jamaican tall tales and folk stories.
- Tall Tales and Folklore – Links to folklore, fairy tales, and tall tales.
Holiday Stories
- Rainy Night Theater – Listen to original spooky stories by famous children’s author R. L. Stine.
- A Pooh Halloween – Online stories about Halloween featuring the character Winnie the Pooh.
- Popular Christmas Stories – Read two popular Christmas stories online.
Other Popular Stories
- Online Talking Stories – Literacy links to site for hearing and reading stories.
- Teacher Tap – Read or create your own online fable.
- Between the Lions – Online video stories for kids.
- Online stories – Links to sites with online stories for children.
- Children’s Stories Online – Read these to your children or let them listen to them via real audio.
- Children’s Reading Room – Fun short stories to print and read.
Written by Michael S. Atwood