Free Reads - Fiction

Written by Shirley Holt and illustrated by Lee Richardson. The story follows a young girl known as Little Red Riding-Hood, who is given a red hood by her grandmother and is sent to visit her grandmother with a basket of food. On her way through the woods, she encounters a wolf who learns of her destination and races her to the house. The wolf arrives first, eats the grandmother, and then disguises himself in her clothes. When Little Red Riding-Hood arrives, she is deceived by the wolf's appearance and enters the bed, where she is then eaten by the wolf.

Written by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Donald Carrick. It tells the story of a young boy who wakes up in the middle of the night to find the electricity off and his parents missing. Accompanied by his dog Biff, he explores the house, encountering various spooky phenomena, all of which have logical explanations. The story transitions from being eerie to reassuring, making it suitable for younger children who enjoy ghost stories.

Written by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Jody Wheeler. Rabbit invites three friends to his birthday party and asks each one to bring two friends so he can have 10 at his party. Rabbit soon learns that three is enough for a party.

Written and illustrated by Steven Kellogg. The story follows Ralph, who is persuaded by his eccentric Aunt Georgiana to learn how to play the bassoon. This leads him to a snake-charming convention, where his aunt makes a promise to a Navy admiral that Ralph will be able to get rid of a sea monster causing problems for the navy. Ralph's secret weapon comes into play when the monster eats his bassoon, and he must find a way to save the day.

Written and illustrated by Steven Kellogg. The story follows a boy named Louis who receives a tadpole from his uncle and names it Alphonse. As Alphonse grows rapidly, he outgrows his jar, the sink, and eventually the bathtub, leading to a series of humorous events as Louis tries to manage his ever-growing companion.

Written by Michelle Knudsen and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. The story revolves around Miss Merriweather, the head librarian, who is very particular about rules in the library, such as no running and being quiet. However, when a lion comes to the library one day, no one is sure what to do. There aren't any rules about lions in the library. As it turns out, this lion seems very well suited to library visiting. His big feet are quiet on the library floor, and he makes a comfy backrest for the children during story hour. The lion never roars in the library, at least not anymore. But when something terrible happens, the lion quickly comes to the rescue in the only way he knows how.

Written and illustrated by Esphyr Slobodkina. The story is based on a folktale and follows an unnamed moustachioed cap-selling peddler who wears his entire stock of caps on his head. When the peddler falls asleep under a tree, a group of monkeys steals all the caps, except his own checked cap, and puts them on. The peddler tries various actions to get the monkeys to return the caps, but they only imitate him. Finally, he throws his own cap on the ground in disgust, causing the monkeys to do the same, allowing him to collect all the caps and continue his journey.

Written by Jay Williams and illustrated by Hilary Knight. A humorous tale about a very handsome and fat black and white cat named Pettifur who becomes so fat he can only waddle. The story follows Pettifur as he tries to lose weight and regain his ability to move freely.

Written by Clyde Robert Bulla and illustrated by Anne Rockwell. The story revolves around an old woman who is so stubborn that she refuses to leave her house and farm, which are deteriorating and near the river, until she meets a little girl who is equally stubborn and wants her to leave.

Written and illustrated by Alexandra Day. The story follows a little boy and his father on a boat ride down the river on a hot summer day. Initially, the boy is a bit nervous, but as he and his father float down the river with three wooden toys, he begins to enjoy the experience.