Story collections
Stories gathered the way children ask for them: a princess one, a dragon one, a funny one, a sleepy one. Plus every theme, age and length, on one page.
A collection groups stories by what is in them, the way a child asks: a dragon one, a princess one, a funny one. A theme groups them by what they are about, such as kindness or bravery. Most stories appear in both, so the two are different routes to the same library rather than rival lists.
Questions about how the stories are grouped
What is the difference between a collection and a theme?
A collection is defined by what appears in the story: dragons, princesses, the sea, Christmas. A theme is defined by what the story means: kindness, courage, greed. A story about a dragon who learns to share sits in the dragon collection and the kindness theme.
Why do some collections have only one or two stories?
Because that is how many the library holds on that subject so far. Small collections are kept out of search results until they have at least four stories, but they still have a page, and it describes the stories it does have.
Can one story be in several collections?
Yes, and most are. A sea story with a talking seal is in both the sea and animal collections. Each story page lists every collection and theme it belongs to at the foot of the tale.
Collections
Each collection has its own introduction, its own advice on which story to read first, and every story it holds.
What children ask for by name
Princess storiesPrincesses who are clever, kind and occasionally in charge of the rescue
22
Dragon storiesFire-breathers, friendly dragons and the children who are not afraid of them
8
Animal storiesTalking beasts, loyal dogs, clever foxes and the whole farmyard
216
Christmas storiesSnow, stockings, kindness and the long wait for morning
4
Fairy storiesWings, wishes, and the rules of fairyland
54
Witches and wizardsSpells, cauldrons and the clever children who beat them
10
Sea and ocean storiesMermaids, sailors, sea beasts and secrets under the waves
8
Forest and woodland storiesPaths, cottages, wolves and the things that live between the trees
133
Kings and queensCastles, crowns, and rulers wise and foolish
23
Giants, trolls and ogresBig, loud, and always outwitted by someone small
6
Farm storiesHens, pigs, sheep, and the quiet drama of the farmyard
18
Bird storiesSwans, nightingales, geese and one very ugly duckling
14
Dog storiesLoyal, brave, and usually the best friend in the story
7
Wolf storiesThe fairy tale's favourite villain, and a few who are not villains at all
8
Fox storiesCunning, quick, and not always the winner
19
Funny bedtime storiesSilly, giggly stories for a bedtime that is allowed a laugh
17
Gentle sleepy storiesSlow, soft and calm: the last story of the night
91
Winter and snow storiesSnow queens, frost, fir trees and warm endings
4
Moon and stars storiesStories that look up
21
Adventure storiesQuests, journeys and heroes who leave home and come back changed
175
Brothers Grimm talesThe German collection that gave the world its fairy tales
7
Hans Christian Andersen talesThe Danish storyteller who wrote the saddest and kindest fairy tales
4
Folk tales from around the worldRussian, Norwegian, Chinese, Arabian, Indian and more
37
Brothers and sisters storiesSquabbles, loyalty, and the person who always has your back
10
Stories about big feelingsSad, scared, jealous, cross: stories that name the feeling and let it pass
166
Smaller collections, still growing
A handful of stories each for now. They have a page apiece, with notes on the stories they do hold.
By age
Every story carries a suggested age range, and the ranges overlap, so a story can sit in more than one group.
Four stages, from first words to last bedtime story
Toddlers · 1–3Short, rhythmic and repetitive: rhymes, animals and gentle surprises
Preschoolers · 3–5Clear heroes, gentle magic, a problem and a happy ending
Early readers · 5–8Longer adventures, cleverer heroes, and morals worth talking about
Big kids · 8–12Rich language, longer tales, and stories that reward thinking
By reading time
Times are measured at a read-aloud pace of about 130 words a minute, not a silent skim.
Pick the list that fits the evening you have
By theme
What the story is really about: the six parent themes and the sub-themes inside them.