Material appropriate for primary age groups
This is the story of a little girl with big dreams. All the girl ever wanted was an education. But in Rhodesia, education for girls was nearly impossible. So she taught herself to read and write with her brother’s schoolbooks and to count while watching cattle graze. When the girl became a young wife and mother, she wrote her goals on a scrap of paper and buried them in a can—an ancient ritual that reminded her that she couldn’t give up on her dreams.
Jackrabbit McCabe’s unusually long legs have made him the fastest thing around, and he uses his speed for everything from racing against horses to fetching the doctor, but when the electric telegraph arrives in Windy Flats, Jackrabbit may have met his match.
The finches live in a big flock that makes such a racket nobody can hear themselves think. But one day a small bird wakes up in quiet darkness and has a thought, and he hears it: I am Henry Finch. I could be great. The next day, the Beast comes, and Henry sees his chance—but then a mouth opens wide, and the path to greatness turns out to have some unexpected twists. da
This is a big old house full of treasure, mystery, and stories. Here, just look up on the wall. See these beautiful paintings? These are children who used to live here long ago: the DeVillechild twins, the Pinksweet tots…My, they look like such good children. So very well behaved.
So, you think you know the story of Cinderella? Well, you’d better think again because in this hilarious tale, nothing is what it seems. Did you know that Cinderella wasn’t actually very nice? And that there were three Ugly stepsisters? And that the youngest sister, Gertie, was absolutely the nicest person you could ever hope to meet?
Working in a big house owned by two refined ladies to support her mother and brothers, a young scullery maid in early-twentieth-century England borrows books and dreams of a better life before saving her employers from a kitchen fire.
Rabbit is bored. What shall he do? Luckily, Wolf has the perfect solution. “Why not write a story?” he suggests. Rabbit thinks this is a great idea! And so Wolf teaches Rabbit to use his imagination to create the perfect story with lots of exciting props and interesting characters.
Adam feels alone in the strange new city. He misses his old friends and the colors of his faraway home. It’s fun to build snow animals with children in his new neighborhood, but Adam’s concrete surroundings still make him wish for something more.
When a young girl named Kikko realizes her father has forgotten the pie he was supposed to bring to Grandma’s house, she offers to try and catch him as he makes his way through the woods. She hurriedly follows her father’s footprints in the snow and happens upon a large house she has never seen before. Curious, Kikko peers through the window, when she is startled by a small lamb wearing a coat and carrying a purse. Even more surprising, the lamb speaks, asking her in a kind voice, Are you here for the tea party? Suddenly, Kikko realizes her trip through the woods has turned into something magical.
Kiyoshi’s love for making paper lanterns becomes a problem when it distracts him from learning the more practical farming skills taught to him by his father. Fascinated by dragonflies that hum in their rice paddy, Kiyoshi crafts a lantern that changes his destiny.