Tonight's bedtime story

How tonight's story is chosen

One story is picked for the whole site each day, the same for every visitor, so there is nothing to decide at nine o'clock. The pick changes at midnight, never repeats two days running, and is always drawn from the calm end of the library.

Why it is usually a short one

Weekday picks are kept under about eight minutes read aloud, because a school-night story that overruns costs more than it gives. At weekends the limit relaxes, so a longer tale can appear. If you would rather choose the length yourself, there are five-minute stories, ten-minute stories and long stories in chapters.

If tonight's pick is not right for your child

The age label above is a suggestion, not a rule. A story marked for ages five to eight will usually work for a confident four-year-old and will still hold an older child who likes the tale. If it is not the right fit, browse by age, pick a mood from the collections, or take the random button and see what turns up. Parents who want the reasoning behind the labels will find it in the guide on what to read at each age.

Reading it aloud

Every story page has a Listen button that reads the tale in your device's own voice, a story-book mode that turns the chapters into big-text pages, and a night light for the last story of the evening. There are notes on reading aloud well if you would like them.