Free Online Stories for Children

Most children love stories. Encouraging children to read at a young age would help to encourage an appreciation for literature into adulthood. The Internet offers a great resource for people who are trying to find stories for students. Story reading as a family activity is also a splendid way to get together and enjoy some good old-fashioned fun. Here’s a collection of some of the very best free online stories for PreK-5 children.

Kindergarten

• Jay Jay the Airplane: Find out how Jay Jay overcomes his fear of the dark.
• The Three Little Pigs: A retelling of the favorite tale with great illustrations.
• Goldilocks & the Three Bears: What is Goldilocks doing in the house of the three bears?
• Bananas for Lunch: How many bananas did the monkey eat?
• The Frog & the Ox: A good place to read one of Aesop’s most beloved fables.
• Bunny & the Pirates: Follow Bunny as he goes on a treasure hunt.
• The Frog Prince: How will the frog become a prince again?
• Sleeping Beauty: Come here to read the original fairy tale.
• The Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf: The classic is retold by Roald Dahl in rhyme.
• The Ugly Duckling: Easily one of the top children’s classics.

Grades 1-5

• The Cowgirl Princess: Here’s a story about a princess who’s most happy as a cowgirl.
• The Brave Tin Soldier: A place to read the Hans Christian Andersen classic.
• The Boatman: This is a special story from the Middle East.
• The Journey of the Noble Gnarble: A delightful story by Daniel Errico with wonderful illustration by Christian Colabelli.
• Dudley the Dolphin: An original story by Chris March, a 4^th grader from Pennsylvania.
• Raccoons from Mars: The Mount Arlington Public Library presents an interesting story by James Garland.
• The Fisherman & His Wife: Find out what happens when the fisherman catches a magic flounder.
• The Story of Persephone: The origin of seasons according to Greek mythology.
• Amaterasu Omikami: The story of the Japanese Sun Goddess.
• Illustrated Ramayan: Read this Indian classic with colorful illustrations.
• Ali Baba & the Forty Thieves: What does Ali Baba find when he says, “Open Sesame”?
• Little Snow White: The text has hyperlinks to compare texts with other sites.
• East o’ the Sun and West o’ the Moon: A retelling of the Norwegian fairy tale by Gudrun Thorne-Thomsen.
• Birds in the Nest: A modern parable by Mrs. Alfred Gatty.
• Alice in Wonderland: Online text of the Lewis Carroll favorite with illustrations.
• How the Leopard Got His Spots: Let Rudyard Kipling tell you.
• Trolls: Read all about Snicker Doodle, Tizzy, Button Breaker, and Sparkles.
• The Origin of Light: The story of how light came about according to Native American lore.
• Four Dragons: The story of the creation of China’s four main rivers.
• Wusong the Tiger Slayer: Recounts the tale of how Wusong killed a tiger with his bare hands.
• Why the Sea is Salty: This Korean story has an explanation.
• Girl Ghost: A haunting Korean love story.
• The History of Jack the Giant Killer: The University of Virginia presents this wonderful tale of bravery.
• The Princess Mayblossom: Read this fascinating fairy tale by Andrew Lang.
• Aladdin & the Magic Lamp: What happens when Aladdin rubs on the lamp?
• The Trojan War: One of the greatest Greek tales of all time.
• The Mirror of Matsuyama: An interesting tale from old Japan.
• Jack and the Beanstalk: One of the favorite tales of all time.
• The Emperor’s New Clothes: How does the Emperor look in his new clothes?
• The Golem: A famous Jewish legend.
• Baba Yaga: The frightening witch of old Russia.
• Thor & the Midgard Serpent: A fascinating ancient Norse myth.
• The Tale of the Dead Princess: A popular fairy tale from Russia.
• Hansel & Gretel: The tale of two children left in the forest.
• The Two Brothers: An ancient Egyptian story of two brothers.
• The Sword in the Stone: Read about how Arthur became King.
• The Woman who Was Turned Into a Tree: An African tale retold by Moyra Caldecott.
• Jamie Freel & the Young Lady: An enlightening Irish folk tale.
• A Small Fish Story: The St. Nicholas Center presents this charming Irish tale.
• Gizo & the Lizard: Read about how Gizo tried to use the lizard to marry the princess.