Classic Childrens Literature

There are few characters in literature more iconic than J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up. Originally introduced in 1902 in another Barrie novel (The Little White Bird), Peter's story was expanded as a standalone novel in 1911 and since then has been memorably adapted for the movies, for television, and for stage.

Now, actress Lily Collins (The Blind Side, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones) brings new, youthful energy to Peter's magical adventures.

Orphaned at an early age, the young girl Heidi finds a home high in the Swiss Alps with her reclusive grandfather. There, each glorious day is filled with discovery, adventure and the friendship of a gentle goat boy, Peter. But when Heidi is sent away from her mountain paradise to a large, cold city, she is determined to find a way to return to the place she loves. For generations, children around the world have fallen under the spell of this small alpine girl. Heidi is the heartwarming story of an exuberant child’s goodness, courage, and love.

From the moment Mary Poppins arrives at Number Seventeen Cherry-Tree Lane, everyday life at the Banks house is forever changed. This classic series tells the story of the world's most beloved nanny, who brings enchantment and excitement with her everywhere she goes. Only the incomparable Mary Poppins can lead the Banks children on one marvelous adventure after another.

A poor peasant woman wishes for a child: but when a sorceress gives her a brown bulb, it grows a flower - and inside is tiny, perfect Thumbelina! A magical retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's classic tale, read by Tamsin Greig.

Mother Duck's brood of little ducklings are all adorable - except for one. The ugly duckling is large, grey, and awkward - but he has a surprise in store.... A magical retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's classic tale, read by Stephen Mangan.

Here is a timeless tale of waterside Britain that has been loved by generations of children and acclaimed as a classic. The story of Mole, Ratty, Badger, and Toad, and their escapades, whether messing about on the river or poop-pooping in Toad's shiny new car, cannot fail to enchant.

Beatrix Potter's amazing universe of animals dressed in human clothing has taught and entertained children for over a century. This volume brings together 21 of Potter's tales and verses in one audiobook. Hear Peter Rabbit outwit old Mr. McGregor, and Squirrel Nutkin come within a tail's length of being an owl's dinner. Listen as a family of mice save the kind tailor of Gloucester, and as Peter and Benjamin Bunny battle a barn cat. Learn how one fierce rabbit is set on the road to honesty.

An anthology of over 50 classic children's poems, read by some of our finest actors. Full of fun, excitement, and magic, the poems in this collection are guaranteed to spark the imagination and open up a world of wonder. Favourites from authors such as Edward Lear, Lewis Carroll, and Robert Louis Stevenson are all here, as well as less familiar but nonetheless hugely entertaining poems such as" The Camel's Complaint"and "The Elephant, or The Force of Habit".

Golden Globe nominee Scarlett Johansson ( Lost in Translation, Girl with a Pearl Earring) brings a palpable sense of joy and exuberance to her performance of Lewis Carroll's enduring classic Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The young and imaginative Alice grows weary of her storybook, one "without pictures or conversations", and follows a hasty hare underground - to come face to face with a host of strange and fantastic characters.

This classic tale of a handsome, spirited horse, Black Beauty has been a children's favourite for over 100 years. Sewell tells the story of Beauty's life from a young foal through to a working horse.

Mary Lennox starts her life as an unhappy victim of circumstance. After the loss of her parents, she moves to rural Yorkshire to live with a distant uncle where she resents the wildness of the countryside. At first, she struggles to find a place in this new existence. Although unsure about her surroundings and its occupants, through the gentle guidance of the maid she gradually becomes interested in the story of Mrs Craven, who apparently used to spend her time in a garden at the house, the key to which has vanished.

The Boy lives in a cottage with his mother and father, and the Dragon lives in a cave on the Downs. The Boy is his only friend. The Dragon is not at all the sort of Dragon one might expect to meet, however: he's polite and friendly.

Lad, a handsome collie, rules the Place for his master and mistress. With his sleek mate, Lady, at his side, he chases away neighborhood dogs and intruders. But one day, when the master brings home a spirited young male, Lady starts to spend all her time running with the newcomer. Will Lad be able to win back her loyalty? For Lad, the excitement is just beginning. Throughout this classic story, he faces one thrilling adventure after the other.

There was once a velveteen rabbit, and in the beginning he was really splendid. He was fat and bunchy, as a rabbit should be; his coat was spotted brown and white, he had real thread whiskers, and his ears were lined with pink sateen. On Christmas morning, when he sat wedged in the top of the Boy's stocking, with a sprig of holly between his paws, the effect was charming.

With all of the pluck and charm of its eponymous young hero, Rachel McAdams (The Notebook, Spotlight, Midnight in Paris) delivers a spectacular reading of Montgomery's beloved bildungsroman. In moments both funny and bittersweet, McAdams' voice is imbued with the spark that has made Anne a much-loved symbol of individualism and cheer for over a century.

This collection of 10 time-honored tales brims with enchantment, whimsy, and sly humor. Assembled by a renowned poet and student of Gaelic language and culture, this edition includes "The Birth of Bran", "The Little Brawl at Allen", "The Enchanted Cave of Cesh Corran", "Becuma of the White Skin", "Mongan's Frenzy", and other stories.

Here are some of the finest fairytales from around the world - most of them old favorites: "Sleeping Beauty," "Rumpelstiltskin," "Cinderella," three from "The Arabian Nights," and many more. Andrew Lang was one of the most famous literary critics around 1900. He also edited a series of children's fable books that preserved and illustrated a host of tales which are still used extensively today.

The architect of The Wizard of Oz delves into the mythological beginnings of the jolly old elf himself. Baum created a mythological world in which the magical forest of Burzee, created at the beginning of time, is the main source of all otherworldly magical power. Ak, the Master Woodsman, ruled the forests; Kern, the Master Husbandman of the World, ruled the food crops; Bo, the Master Mariner of the World, ruled the seas. All other immortals are subject to these three. Baum also created Ryls as guardians of the flowers and Knooks as guardians of the animals of the world.

Twelve-year-old Mary Jemison took for granted her peaceful days on her family's farm in eastern Pennsylvania. But on a spring day in 1758, something happened that changed her life forever. When a band of warriors invades the Jemisons' house and takes the family captive, Mary is separated from her parents and siblings. She travels with the Indians to southern Ohio and later to a Seneca village on the Genesee River in what is now western New York.

A magical storyteller's timeless tales. Here are 127 of Andersen's classic stories, translated by "Mrs. Edgar Lucas" in the 19th century. Included are such well-known tales as "The Emperor's New Suit", "The Little Match-Seller", "Thumbelina", "The Little Mermaid", and "The Snow Queen".