Everyday firstsEN-US
Charlotte and the Humming Hill
Charlotte swings her legs on the doctor's big bed, and the paper crackles under her. She has a plan. Today she is going to hear her own heartbeat. "Dr. Pim…
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205 stories
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Just written· English
Community helpersEN-US
The Letter That Dripped
The letter at the bottom of Noah's bag was dripping. Noah was the mail carrier on Maple Lane. Every morning he put on his sneakers, packed his bag, and walked…
Community helpersEN-AU
Ivy and the Last Egg
Ivy was the only baker in Lily Pond who woke up before the sun. Every morning, while the stars were still out, her clock went brrring, and she hopped out of…
Community helpersEN-US
Emma and the Missing Spoon
The bakery sits at the bottom of Crumb Hill, where the streets are still dark and sleepy. Emma the baker is already awake. "Up before the sun, up before the…
Community helpersEN-GB
Isla and the Missing Spoon
In the flour bin, Isla found a tiny hole, round as a plum. She was the baker on Pudding Lane, and she was up before the sun, as she always was. "Up before the…
Courage & fearsEN-AU
Poppy and the Humming Hive
"Hum-hum, hummm," went the beehive in the garden, and Poppy hopped out of bed to hear it better. Poppy was five, and she did not like the dark. But tonight was…
Courage & fearsEN-GB
Isla and the Squeaking Bun
Isla wanted to find Bun before the last light went out of the sky. Bun was her toy rabbit, soft and grey, with a squeaker in his tummy. She had dropped him…
Courage & fearsEN-US
The Snow Fort Windows
Mason patted a scoop of snow onto the roof of his fort. Pat, pat, pat. The fort was all his. It had thick walls and a tunnel just wide enough to crawl through.…
Isla Wanted a Kind Word
Isla wanted to say one kind word to the man with the wheelbarrow, before the bell rang. He had come late to the greenhouse, when everyone else was packing up.…
Everyday firstsEN-US
Mason and the Wobbly Tooth
Mason pushed the last cushion onto the top of his fort and crawled inside. Every cushion in the house was in it. It smelled like socks and sunshine. His front…
Poppy and the Far Lily Pad
The pond had lily pads big enough to stand on. Poppy hopped across them every morning in her yellow boots, hop, hop, hop. Today a stranger sat on the very last…
The Kettle That Sang Hello
Amelia found a trail of tiny blue crumbs on the park path. She wanted to know who had dropped them, so she followed. Crumb, crumb, crumb, all the way past the…
The Rope Swing in the Hayloft
"My turn now," said Alfie from the ladder, but Poppy pretended not to hear and kicked off again. Poppy loved the rope swing in the hayloft more than anything.…
Feelings & emotionsEN-GB
Isla and the Tune Pot
"I miss Grandad's whistle," said Isla. She sat on an upturned bucket in the garden shed. Flowerpots were stacked all around her, and no two were the same.…
Family & homeEN-GB
The Pebble Row
"My pebble broke!" called Pip, and Theo put down his fish and ran to the bedroom. Theo was a big brother otter, and Pip was his small sister. Every night, the…
Family & homeEN-AU
Florence and the Missing Pebble
Florence was sliding down the muddy bank on her tummy when she remembered her stone. She stopped at the bottom with a splat and checked under her arm. Empty.…
Family & homeEN-US
The Snail in the Teacup
Mia wanted to keep one small snail safe for one whole day. He was sitting on the path in the kitchen garden, right where Papa's big feet would go. The otter…
Family & homeEN-US
Rooster Points at the Apple Tree
The tin rooster on Grandma's kitchen roof was pointing at the apple tree, and it only ever pointed when something was lost. Sophia saw it through the window.…
Family & homeEN-GB
The Pancake Whisk
"I'll make the pancakes all by myself," said Isla. She stood in the middle of Grandma's kitchen in her socks. The floor was cool. The kettle ticked on the…
Family & homeEN-AU
The Lemon That Rolled Away
Elsie heard Grandma say, "Oh dear, my lemon has rolled off the table," so she hopped down from her stool to find it. She wanted that lemon very much. Without…
Family & homeEN-AU
One Small Yellow Sock
The Saturday market was packed with baskets, stacked up to the awning. Poppy walked beside Dad with her hand in his coat pocket. She had a job to do. Her baby…
Family & homeEN-US
Noah and the Red String
Noah wanted his new baby sister to smile at him. Her name was Rosie, and she was as small as a loaf of bread. She lay in a basket by the window, wrapped in a…
Family & homeEN-GB
The Well That Answers Late
Elsie found a tiny white sock hanging on the lowest branch of the plum tree. It had come off her new baby sister's foot. Pip was asleep in the sling on Mum's…
Duck Pond Fog and the Long Day
"Is it still today?" asked Olivia, peering over the edge of her boat. She sat on the bank of the duck pond with her toy boat in her lap. It was the longest day…