Free summaries
Children & Young Adult Reading — page 21
1,392 public-domain children & young adult reading books, summarised. Page 21 of 29.
The golden heart, and other fairy stories
Violet Jacob
Noble hearts, cunning sorcerers, and resourceful animal companions brave hazardous wildernesses to undo cruel curses and claim their rightful fortunes.
The Good Crow's Happy Shop
Patten Beard
A recovering young girl turns a box of wallpaper samples into a world of craft and kindness under the gentle guidance of an imaginative aunt.
The Peacock 'At Home:': A Sequel to the Butterfly's Ball
Catherine Ann Turner Dorset
When the insect kingdom's lively festivities spark jealousy among the feathered tribes, an aristocratic peacock hosts a grand party to reassert avian superiority.
The Princess Nobody: A Tale of Fairyland
Andrew Lang
A king gives away his unborn child for a baby's laugh, leading a humble prince across enchanted lands to rescue a lost princess.
The Tiny Picture Book
Anonymous
A simple alphabet verse collection uses everyday objects, animals, and moral lessons to teach young readers their letters while guiding them toward quiet obedience, gentle conduct, and religious devotion.
A Book of Nimble Beasts: Bunny Rabbit, Squirrel, Toad, and "Those Sort of People"
Douglas English
A quiet walk through English fields and hedgerows reveals a hidden, bustling world of miniature predators, patient architects, and nimble escape artists.
Dr. Hardhack's Prescription: A Play for Children in Four Acts
Harriet Beecher Stowe
When a wealthy city family faces their daughter’s failing health, a blunt doctor sweeps away fashionable remedies in favor of country air, honest work, and common sense.
Fun and Frolic
Unknown
An idyllic collection of nineteenth-century rhymes and cautionary tales captures the gentle moral universe, domestic quietude, and innocent mischief of Victorian childhood.
Granny's Wonderful Chair
Frances Browne
A poor girl, a prince lost in a velvet cushion, and a magical traveling seat transform a dreary court through the sheer power of storytelling.
Our Little Canadian Cousin
Elizabeth Roberts MacDonald
Childhood in turn-of-the-century Maritime Canada is an unending outdoors adventure, where wooded hills, wide blue rivers, and seasonal rituals turn everyday home life into a quiet celebration.
Polly of the Hospital Staff
Emma C. Dowd
A bright, motherless girl wins the hearts of doctors, nurses, and fellow patients, bringing quiet transformations to a city hospital's convalescent ward.
The Boys and I: A Child's Story for Children
Mrs. Molesworth
A nine-year-old girl and her little brothers are uprooted to their uncle's London townhouse, where misunderstanding and domestic friction force them to find their own way toward warmth and belonging.
The Girl Scouts' Good Turn
Edith Lavell
At Miss Allen’s Boarding School, dedicated sophomore Marjorie Wilkinson balances campus rivalries, social gatherings, and troop adventures while attempting to rehabilitate a troubled runaway who tests every principle of Girl Scouting.
![Cover of The 'Look About You' Nature Study Books, Book 3 [of 7]](https://cdn.myebooksbuy.com/c/the-look-about-you-nature-study-books-book-3-of-7-thomas-w-hoare.webp)
The 'Look About You' Nature Study Books, Book 3 [of 7]
Thomas W. Hoare
Curious children uncover the quiet wonders of nature alongside their knowledgeable uncle, learning to observe the wild world in their own backyard with patience, scientific precision, and deep respect.
Celtic Tales, Told to the Children
Louey Chisholm
A woman transformed into a swan spends centuries battered by wintry seas, singing songs so sweet they bring peace to all who hear her.
Ciphers for the little folks
Dorothy Crain
A secret message hides inside every picture, clock, and line of verse, waiting for a sharp eye to bring it to light.
Half-Past Bedtime
Bashford, H. H. (Henry Howarth), Sir
A night-time journey through English towns, frozen northern slopes, and tropical islands reveals that heaven is never as far from ordinary life as grown-ups suppose.
John and Betty's History Visit
Margaret Williamson
An American brother and sister travel through England's historic landmarks, learning that history comes alive when standing where past kings, poets, and knights once walked.
The Phantom Treasure
Harriet Pyne Grove
A young girl's search for belonging in an unfamiliar ancestral home yields unexpected family secrets, eerie noises, and a hidden path to her past.
The Piskey-Purse: Legends and Tales of North Cornwall
Enys Tregarthen
Coastal Cornwall harbors ancient creatures in its cliffs, moors, and well-springs, where human kindness toward the Small People is rewarded and greed earns bitter tricks.
Bessie and Her Friends
Joanna H. (Joanna Hooe) Mathews
A young girl’s quest to write a book about her family becomes a lesson in patience when a difficult relative tests everyone’s resolve.
The alley cat's kitten
Caroline Fuller
The story follows the adventures of a stray kitten named Weejums and her adoptive family, capturing the imaginative, often chaotic world of childhood pets. It is a gentle, episodic portrait of companionship, responsibility, and the humor found in the daily lives of animals and the children who love them.
The First Easter
James Hartwell Willard
This retelling of the resurrection narrative focuses on the final days of Jesus’ ministry, framing the events of the first Easter as the culmination of a life defined by mercy and supernatural compassion.
The Squirrels and other animals
George Waring
A squirrel awakens from a long winter slumber to discover the beauty of spring, leading to a series of observations about the natural world and the creatures inhabiting his valley.
Uncle Titus and His Visit to the Country
Johanna Spyri
A child’s solitary grief opens into a summer of unexpected warmth and noisy grace when she is transplanted from a suffocating city flat to the sunlit meadows of a vibrant Swiss estate.
Young Folks' Bible in Words of Easy Reading: The Sweet Stories of God's Word in the Language of Childhood
Josephine Pollard
This collection of biblical narratives strips away complex theological terminology, offering a simplified retelling of scripture designed to bridge the gap between childhood reading levels and foundational religious history. By focusing on essential human dramas, it translates the stories of the Old and New…
A Sweet Little Maid
Amy Ella Blanchard
Two young girls navigate the small, sun-drenched dramas of childhood, finding adventure in their own backyard and learning to balance their spirited imaginations with the gentle expectations of their families.
Aunt Mary's Primer: Adorned with a Hundred and Twenty Pretty Pictures
Anonymous
This 1851 primer serves as a foundational bridge between a child’s first spoken words and the world of written language, utilizing immersive, sensory-based instruction to build early literacy. It remains a fascinating artifact of nineteenth-century pedagogy, capturing the era’s commitment to associating abstract…
Everychild
Louis Dodge
This allegorical odyssey follows a young boy’s transformative trek through a landscape populated by the familiar icons of folklore. It serves as a gentle exploration of the transition from childhood innocence to the realities of adult life.
Harper's Young People, February 10, 1880: An Illustrated Weekly
Various
This weekly periodical serves as a vibrant time capsule of late 19th-century American childhood, blending educational instruction with moral storytelling and interactive engagement. It captures the curiosity and domestic life of a generation through a mix of history, natural science, and serialized fiction.
Harper's Young People, February 3, 1880: An Illustrated Weekly
Various
This weekly periodical captures a singular snapshot of late nineteenth-century American childhood, blending natural history, moral instruction, and imaginative play into a format designed to enlighten and entertain young readers.
J. Cole
Emma Gellibrand
A waif with oversized clothes and a heart of gold arrives at a doorstep, seeking only a chance to work and to belong. His quiet devotion transforms a household, proving that true worth is measured by character, not stature.
The Child's Book of the Seasons
Arthur Ransome
A warm invitation to observe the natural world, this book follows a year of outdoor discovery through the eyes of two curious children. It celebrates the cyclic magic of the countryside, from the first almond blossoms of spring to the silent, snow-dusted woods of winter.
The Chosen People: A Compendium of Sacred and Church History for School-Children
Charlotte M. (Charlotte Mary) Yonge
This historical survey traces the narrative arc of the biblical and church tradition, framing the lives of prophets, kings, and martyrs as a unified, divine plan for humanity.
The Frog Who Would A Wooing Go
Charles H. (Charles Henry) Bennett
A headstrong frog ignores his mother’s warnings and embarks on a disastrous romantic quest, only to find that the world outside his quiet pond is far more dangerous than he imagined.
The Hollow Tree Snowed-in Book: being a continuation of the stories about the Hollow Tree and Deep Woods people
Albert Bigelow Paine
A cozy, imaginative refuge for the young at heart, these tales follow the woodland inhabitants of a giant tree as they navigate the small dramas and domestic comforts of the Big Deep Woods.
The Nursery, February 1877, Vol. XXI. No. 2: A Monthly Magazine for Youngest Readers
Various
This vibrant monthly magazine from 1877 captures the Victorian childhood ideal through charming tales of industrious children, clever animals, and the gentle wonders of the natural world.
Birds, Illustrated by Color Photography, Vol. 2, No. 1: July 1897
Various
This volume serves as a vivid, educational window into the avian world of 1897, blending early color photography with anecdotal natural history to inspire a new generation of bird observers.
Brooks's Readers: First Year
Stratton D. (Stratton Duluth) Brooks
This primer offers a gentle, structured introduction to the English language for early readers, focusing on familiar domestic scenes and the natural world.
Fairies Afield
Mrs. Molesworth
The quiet magic of the everyday world hides in plain sight, waiting for those with gentle hearts and steady hands to claim it. A collection of interconnected moral fables, these tales weave the extraordinary into the fabric of ordinary lives.
Peggy Parsons, a Hampton Freshman
Annabel Sharp
Hook A spirited freshman navigates the joys, social pressures, and hidden anxieties of her first year at college, discovering that true belonging is found not in status, but in unwavering friendship.
Stories of Animal Sagacity
William Henry Giles Kingston
This collection presents a series of anecdotal observations intended to demonstrate that animals possess both the capacity for complex reasoning and a profound emotional life. It argues that creatures, far from being driven solely by instinct, exhibit qualities of loyalty, courage, and sympathy that mirror those of…
The tale of Kiddie Katydid
Arthur Scott Bailey
Kiddie Katydid lives in the trees of Pleasant Valley, guarding a cryptic secret and navigating the complex social lives of field insects. He proves that a clever, quiet observer can outwit the neighborhood bullies and predators alike.
Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue
Laura Lee Hope
Bunny Brown and his sister Sue are two perpetually curious, wide-eyed children whose innocent attempts to explore their world frequently lead to unplanned escapades and gentle lessons in responsibility.
Grand-Daddy Whiskers, M.D
Nellie M. (Nellie Mabel) Leonard
The little mice of the attic venture into the wild, discovering that the life of a country doctor is filled with both rewarding service and unexpected, hair-raising hazards.
Gray Lady and the Birds: Stories of the Bird Year for Home and School
Mabel Osgood Wright
A teacher guides children toward a deeper understanding of the natural world, fostering a protective affection for the birds that inhabit their New England home. This instructional narrative blends storytelling with field observation to encourage environmental stewardship.
How Mr. Rabbit Lost his Tail: Hollow Tree Stories
Albert Bigelow Paine
In the heart of the Big Deep Woods, the residents of a hollow tree gather by the fire to trade tall tales, settle ancient family history, and share the warmth of friendship during a long, snowy winter.
Northcliffe boys
Charlotte Grace O'Brien
A boy’s steady integrity and gentle persistence bring hope to his struggling family, proving that even a simple life can be a powerful force for good.