Fantasy Books for Kids
Pendo Knows the Truth
In the coral-stone town of Lamu, a girl named Pendo sells fish and can read faces like a sailor reads the sky. When a powerful merchant accuses her father of theft, who will believe a girl’s word against three witnesses? Then, in a warm tide pool, her fingers touch a strange singing shell that holds the truth of that morning. Will anyone else listen? This Bookbot Level KN story practices the /n/ sound in words like ‘knew’, ‘knows’, ‘knot’, and ‘knuckles’.
When the Well Went Wrong
Everyone in the coastal village knows the old baobab is wise, but no one dares ask it anything. When the well suddenly runs dry and the elders argue for days, can a quick ten year old named Nuru find the courage to climb the red-sand ridge and listen to a tree? What will the baobab tell her, and will anyone believe a girl who says she ‘knows’ the answer? This Bookbot level practices the ‘kn’ sound with words like ‘knew’, ‘knows’, ‘knot’, and ‘knocks’.
Wares From Afar
A stranger rolls up to the farm with llamas, chests, and a smile too big to trust. What happens when Jack spots a glowing turquoise thing the Trader swears is cursed? Can Zom and Skel stop him before beds turn to mushrooms, swords turn to carrots, and the whole house turns to watermelon? This decodable reader practices the kn phonogram in words like ‘knelt,’ ‘knew,’ ‘knickknacks,’ ‘knocking,’ and ‘knucklehead.’
Where's My Fire?!
Dragon is sure he’s a natural. Why practice for the big fire test when he could lounge on a sunny hillside with a basket of tasty snacks? But when the day arrives, only puffs of gray smoke come out - and everyone is watching! Can a strange little chili plant with a spicy red pepper help Dragon find his missing flame before it’s too late? This decodable reader practices VC/CV syllables in words like ‘basket,’ ‘sunset,’ ‘pepper,’ and ‘hillside.’
Who Drew That?
When Shawn falls asleep with a brand new box of pencils, something magical stirs in the dark. Can a nervous red pencil be brave enough to color his very first page? And what happens when the pencils decide to pick up themselves and draw while Shawn is snoozing? Tiptoe into a night full of shadows, giggles, and bursts of bright, beautiful color. This decodable reader practices si making /zh/ in words like ’treasure,’ ‘pleasure,’ ‘precision,’ and ‘unusual.’
Giraffe Ate the Sun!
Giraffe promised Mom he wouldn’t do anything silly - but when the sun beats down and makes her droop, he makes a very silly decision indeed. What happens when a hungry giraffe swallows the sun whole? Can Bear, floating in his pond with dreams of bread, turn this glowing, rumbly disaster into something wonderful? This decodable reader practices si making /zh/ in words like “decision,” “explosion,” “confusion,” and “vision.”
The Cloud Above Diane
Diane is the proudest litterbug around - until she wakes up one morning to find a stinking cloud of rubbish hovering right above her bed! Flies buzz, wrappers swirl, and the cloud follows her everywhere she goes. Can Diane figure out how to make her smelly shadow disappear? Will anyone want to sit with her at lunch, or is a small gray rat her only friend now? This decodable reader practices 2-syllable open words such as ‘about,’ ‘open,’ ’even,’ and ‘only.’
Look! Look!
When a sneaky dragon snatches Phil’s favorite toy and zooms off into the clouds, can Sophie and Phil grab hold of his mane and chase him through the sky? What happens when Dragon spots a beanstalk bursting with treasure and flings them into a storm of spinning gold? Hold on tight for a wild, tumbling ride full of giggles, gasps, and very stretchy hoodies! This decodable reader practices the ‘ph’ sound in words like ‘phone,’ ‘photo,’ ‘megaphone,’ and ’triumphant.’
Stop Daydreaming!
Have you ever daydreamed so hard you forgot where you were? Boy can’t stop! One minute he’s bouncing on the moon, the next he’s a woodpecker tapping a tree, a goat on a sunny hillside, or a mole munching earthworms underground. But what could possibly be strong enough to pull him out of his wildest daydream yet? Something warm and delicious is drifting through the doorway… This decodable reader practices compound words such as ‘backpack,’ ‘daydream,’ ‘goldfish,’ and ‘sunshine.’
Amara Has No Path
At the edge of the great Congo rainforest, a girl named Amara chases a runaway hen straight past the one tree her mother warned her never to pass. What waits in the deep green shadows? When she stops to help a fallen palm, something ancient is watching, and it has a message for the proud elder who has taken too much. Will Amara find the courage to speak? This Bookbot level practices the ‘augh’ sound with words like ‘caught’, ’taught’, ’naughty’, ‘haughty’, and ‘distraught’.