Read-Aloud Stories With Fred (Editor-911 Books, 2021)

By Fred Olds

Children’s Fiction

Looking for uplifting, thoughtful stories you can read aloud to the kids or grands that are both enjoyable and engaging? Check out Fred Olds’ Read Aloud Stories With Fred.

Stories begin with a question for the reader and/or listener to ponder as the story unfolds. Each tale also includes an age-appropriate message and is hemmed with themes like kindness, honesty, or friendship.

Stories are lively and relatively short so as to keep the interest of little ones and not over-tax young attention spans. Vivid imagery and colorful illustrations combine with expert pacing and edifying themes to communicate specific, positive character traits or virtues.

Memorable characters include an unsuccessful chairmaker with a voice like a nightingale, a hobbling hermit and a shrewd, silver-tongued mouse, fourth-grader Ben who’s always getting red-carded, and Sammy, who can understand and talk to animals.

The tone is reminiscent of Fred Rogers or Aesop’s Fables. And like Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Fred Olds’ “neighborhood” of uplifting stories offers young listeners a gentle oasis of faith, hope, and love.

If you or someone you know is a parent or grandparent looking for quality short stories and fairy tales to read aloud to young children or grandchildren, the Read-Aloud Stories With Fred Collection is a good place to start. (Be sure to read the Foreword.) Wholesome and homespun, this charming collection of seven stories is sure to delight audiences both young and young-at-heart. And have them asking for more!

Our Rating: 4.5

About the Author

Fred Olds has crafted dozens of stories over the years and has been involved with various writing and critique groups. At the age of 92, he is a devoted husband and proud father and grandfather living in Central Illinois.

After retirement from the Postal Service as an electronic technician, he finally has time to concentrate on writing. A true storyteller at heart, his first love is writing children’s books with an occasional murder mystery thrown in for a change of pace.

Check out his kids’ short story books, Read-Aloud Stories with Fred, Vol. 1 and then Vol. 2, and his first book for adults, The Hobo Who Wasn’t, an exciting detective story. He’s also the author of The Dog and the Flea: A Tale of Two Opposites and The Cat, the Mouse, and the Neighbors’ Dog, two books of the Perky Pet Problems picture book series.

You can purchase the Read-Aloud Stories with Fred Collection on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.