Showing results by narrator "Rebecca K. Reynolds" in All Categories

Set in a richly rendered 15th-century Paris, Victor Hugo's powerful drama focuses on a beautiful gypsy girl named Esmeralda, the two men (including an obsessed and manipulative priest) who love her, and the pitiful hunchback Quasimodo who tries to save her. With this simplified yet spellbinding version, kids can enjoy all the excitement of Hugo's masterful story.

Take a thrilling whirlwind trip around the world with Phileas Fogg! When Fogg - a man of habit whose every day is just like the one before - makes a bet that he can circle the globe and be back in his men’s club in just 80 days, the race is on. Jules Verne’s classic tale bubbles with excitement, suspense, and colorful locations.

After an explanation of how the magic umbrella works, the two children, joined by Cap'n Bill, decide to take a trip to a nearby island. They call it "Sky Island" because it looks like it's "halfway in the sky"—but the umbrella takes them to a different place entirely, a literal island in the sky.

The novel involves Mayre Griffiths, nicknamed Trot, or sometimes Tiny Trot, who is a little girl who lives on the coast of southern California. Her father is the captain of a sailing schooner, and her constant companion is Cap'n Bill Weedles, a retired sailor with a wooden leg.

An imaginative work first published in 1902, L. Frank Baum’s The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus tells the story of Claus, an orphaned boy raised by various immortal creatures in an enchanted forest. When he reaches adulthood, Claus is told to live among mortals; he is disheartened initially by poverty, war, and other negative aspects of humanity. He becomes well-known for his kindness to children, and this enthusiasm leads to the invention of the first toys.

A searing tale of fear and courage, set during the Civil War, but more powerful today than ever. A young man enlists in the Union Army but nervously wonders how he will react to the blood, violence, and death of a real battle. When that terrible day arrives, he flees the fighting in terror. But his cowardly behavior gnaws at his conscience, and he searches for redemption for what he has done.

The long-ago mysteries of the great opera house in Paris have never been explained. Why did so many terrible tragedies happen there? Why did everyone flee from it in fear? This gripping story about the “opera ghost” and the beautiful singer he loves launched one of the most popular musicals in Broadway history - and it serves up enough thrills, chills, and surprises to keep even the most reluctant listener fascinated.

Homer's epic tale of the warrior Odysseus' decades-long struggle to return home after the Trojan War is simply and beautifully retold, with all the drama intact. Young listeners will thrill at Odysseus' adventures with the man-eating Cyclops; the enchantress Circe, who turns his crew into pigs; and the angry sea god Poseidon.

One very special boy weaves some magic in Frances Hodgson Burnett’s sentimental favorite. When young Cedric Errol learns that he is actually a British lord and heir to an estate, his life is transformed. He leaves Boston for Dorincourt Castle to live with his uncle, the earl - a tyrant who’s loathed by one and all. Will Cedric succeed in melting his cold, cruel uncle’s heart?

A fascinating adventure story, grounded in American history. As the French and Indian war rages, the two daughters of a British officer prepare to return home. But when Cora, Alice, and the soldiers who guard them are betrayed by their Native American scout, their safety depends on wily forest tracker Hawkeye and his friends Chingachkook and Uncas - the last of the Mohicans.

“Go down the crater of the volcano Snaefells. Follow the shadow just before the month of July. You will find your way to the center of the Earth. I did it.” That mysterious message, found in a long-lost letter, propels a young man and his uncle on the adventure of a lifetime: to a prehistoric world below the earth where dinosaurs and other strange creatures still roam. Jules Verne's classic fantasy will enchant a new generation of listeners. Retold from the original by Kathleen Olmstead.

Once upon a time…there were two brothers, Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm, who gave the world some of the best-loved fairy tales ever written. From “Cinderella” and “Rumpelstiltskin” to “Snow White” and “The Brave Little Tailor”, this charming anthology offers young listeners a wonderful introduction to 12 of the Grimms' most popular stories.

When young Pip accidentally meets a convict out in the marsh one Christmas Eve, he has no idea that his life is about to change - forever. The amazing events following that encounter, and the strange tale of Miss Havisham and her adopted daughter, Estella, have made Great Expectations a must since it was first serialized in 1860. Now, young listeners can enjoy Dickens’ engrossing story in this simplified yet thrilling version.

“To help mother”: that was the goal of each and every one of the five Pepper children. Yet even as “Mamsie” struggles hard to feed and educate her brood, she still manages to fill the house with joy. The adventures of this poor but loving family - Ben, Polly, Joel, Davie, and the adored youngest, Phronsie - have charmed young listeners for more than a century. Overflowing with warmth, suspense, and many delightful surprises, this classic remains as compelling as ever.

This lovely collection will make little ballerinas dance for joy! Inside, they’ll find eight of the most beautiful ballet stories, including Swan Lake, Coppélia, The Firebird, and of course, that perennial holiday favorite, The Nutcracker. It’s the perfect way to prepare a child for seeing a performance - or to keep the magic going afterward.

Now every child can celebrate the 100th anniversary of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s ever-popular story! First introduced in Anne of Green Gables as a young orphan, Montgomery’s feisty and imaginative heroine is now 16 years old and embarking on a new adventure: becoming a teacher in her old Avonlea school. It’s an exciting year as Anne struggles to win over all her students, welcomes two new members to her family, and feels the first stirrings of love.

Here come the animals! From Rudyard Kipling’s most popular Just-So Stories to Jack London’s “Brown Wolf”, this collection features some of the best-loved animal tales of all time. They include Kipling’s “How the Elephant Got His Trunk”; Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Wild Swans”; Mark Twain’s “A Dog’s Tale”; Harriet Beecher Stowe’s “The Squirrels That Live in a House”, and more.

Half wolf, half dog, White Fang fully understands the cruelty of both nature and humans. After nearly starving to death during the frigid Arctic winter, he's taken in first by a man who "trains" him through constant whippings, and then by another who forces him to participate in vicious dogfights. Follow White Fang as he overcomes these obstacles and finally meets someone who offers him kindness and love. Retold from the Jack London original by Kathleen Olmstead.

Doctor Dolittle is a very special vet - because he knows how to talk to the animals! So when he hears that there's a terrible sickness hurting all the monkeys in Africa, the good doctor knows he must go and help them. Soon he's off on an exciting adventure across the seas in this superb retelling of Hugh Lofting's beloved classic.

H. G. Wells' sobering, thought-provoking novel is one of the greatest works of science fiction ever created - and as powerful today as when it was written. After inventing a machine that moves through time, the Traveler leaves Victorian London and goes far, far into the future. At first, the world he discovers seems peaceful and prosperous. But as he looks below the surface, he realizes that things are not exactly as they first appeared. Retold from the H.G. Wells original by Chris Sasaki.