Classic Adaptation

Jane Eyre is alone in the world. Disliked by her aunt’s family, she is sent away to school. Here she learns that a young girl, with neither money nor family to support her, can expect little from the world. She survives, but she wants more from life than simply to survive: she wants respect, and love. When she goes to work for Mr Rochester, she hopes she has found both at once. But the sound of strange laughter, late at night, behind a locked door, warns her that her troubles are only beginning.

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.

Classic Starts: The stories are abridged; the quality is complete. The discovery of a neglected garden transforms the life of a sullen and unloved little girl-and everyone around her, too. When the newly orphaned Mary Lennox leaves her native India and arrives at her uncle's mansion in Yorkshire, everything seems strange to her. Then Mary hears of a mysterious garden where no one has set foot in 10 years. With the help of some new friends, she plans to uncover its secrets...and make it blossom once again.

From realizing that there is no “right” way to live to respecting our planet and learning what really makes someone a winner, the messages at the heart of Natalie Portman’s Fables are modern takes on timeless life lessons. Told with a playful, kid-friendly voice, Portman’s insightful retellings of The Tortoise and the Hare, The Three Little Pigs, and Country Mouse and City Mouse are ideal for listening and are sure to become beloved additions to family libraries.

Classic Starts: The stories are abridged; the quality is complete. Classic Starts treats the world's beloved tales (and children) with the respect they deserve. No child is too young to appreciate the amazing deductive powers of the world's smartest detective. These easy-to-listen-to Sherlock Holmes stories provide the perfect introduction to the super sleuth and his friend and assistant, Dr. Watson. Among the intriguing tales: "A Scandal in Bohemia", Holmes's first encounter with the mysterious Irene Adler; "The Red-Headed League"; "The Adventure of the Six Napoleons" and others.

First published in 1865, The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland was an immediate success. Carroll's sense of the absurd and his amazing gift for games of logic and language have made the Alice books popular with both adults and children, and they have remained some of the best-known children's books written in English.

At 17, Anna K is at the top of Manhattan and Greenwich society (even if she prefers the company of her horses and dogs); she has the perfect (if perfectly boring) boyfriend, Alexander W.; and she has always made her Korean-American father proud (even if he can be a little controlling). Meanwhile, Anna's brother, Steven, and his girlfriend, Lolly, are trying to weather a sexting scandal.

Edgar Allan Poe may be 150 years beyond this world, but the themes of his beloved works have much in common with modern young adult fiction. Whether the stories are familiar or discovered for the first time, listeners will revel in both Edgar Allan Poe's classic tales, and in the 13 unique and unforgettable ways that they've been brought to life.

A full cast performance starring Joan Greenwood and Stanley Holloway.

Are you looking for a short story for your children? This one has a good moral and teaches not to trust strangers. "Little Red Riding Hood" is a European fairy-tale about a young girl and a big bad wolf. Its origins can be traced back to the 10th century to several European folk tales, including one from Italy called "The False Grandmother". The best known version was written by Charles Perrault.

Aladdin rubbed the lamp, and—whoosh! A genie appeared. “I am the Genie of the Lamp,” the genie said. “How may I serve you?” Listen to this classic tale of Aladdin, a carefree boy with big dreams, his wondrous lamp, and a powerful genie to grant his heart’s desire.

Finally, Goldilocks tasted the porridge from Baby Bear’s teeny-tiny bowl, and it was just right. In fact, it was so delicious, she ate it all up! Listen to this classic tale of a little house in the woods, a Papa, Mama, and Baby Bear, and one curious girl who is much too nosy!

In this audio dramatization performed by a talented cast of children aged 7 to 14, L. Frank Baum's, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, is exquisitely brought to life. This fantasy classic will charm both young and old listeners. Narration and dialogue is accompanied by a rich audio landscape of music and sound effects, creating a vivid landscape of the mind. Join Dorothy, her faithful dog Toto, the Scarecrow, The Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion on their adventures in their quest to find the great Wizard of Oz.

Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, and Davy Crockett are some of the roughest, toughest characters to ever blaze the frontier. Clever as the crack of a whip and strong as a wildcat, these tall-tale heroes each left a legacy of larger-than-life deeds that has captured the American imagination for over a century. Three rib-tickling tracks tell the whole story -- believe it or not.

This is a modern adaptation of The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim. The story and characters remain the same; the text has been completely rewritten in modern language.

Everyone is in a panic - a dragon has been discovered in a cave near the town! The people call for that famous dragon-slaying knight Saint George to defeat the monstrous beast. But when one smart little boy actually meets the dragon, he finds a harmless, friendly creature who would much rather write poems than burn villages

When Black Beauty is trained to carry a rider on his back, or to pull a carriage behind him, he finds it hard at first. But he is lucky - his first home is a good one, where his owners are kind people, who would never be cruel to a horse. But in the 19th century many people were cruel to their horses, whipping them and beating them, and using them like machines until they dropped dead. Black Beauty soon finds this out, and as he describes his life, he has many terrible stories to tell.

“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.

The story of noble Black Beauty is one of the most popular children's books of all time. In this sensitive children's adaptation, Beauty movingly describes the friends, people, and places - good and bad - that he encounters in the course of his dramatic life as he is passed from master to master.

Shakespeare's celebrated tragedy made accessible as drama for younger listeners whilst remaining true to the Bard's verse and vocabulary. What could be worse than falling in love with your enemy? Romeo Montague thinks he's in love until he meets Juliet Capulet. With her, he discovers what true love really feels like. But their two families are bitter rivals, and no one must know about their secret passion. When Romeo kills Juliet's cousin in a brawl, their hopes of happiness seem doomed.