Author: Kenneth Grahame%3b

1Wind in the Willows

By Kenneth Grahame

This much-loved story follows a group of animal friends in the English countryside as they pursue adventure … and as adventure pursues them! The chief characters - Mole, Rat, and Toad - generally lead upbeat and happy lives, but their tales are leavened with moments of terror, homesickness, awe, madcap antics, and derring-do.<br /><br /> Although classed as children’s literature, The Wind in the Willows holds a gentle fascination for adults too. The vocabulary is decidedly not “Dick and Jane”, and a reader with a love of words will find new ones to treasure, even if well-equipped for the journey. Parents will appreciate the themes of loyalty, manners, self-restraint, and comradeship which are evident throughout the book. When the characters err, they are prompt to acknowledge it, and so a reading of this book can model good behavior to children, who will otherwise be enchanted with the many ways in which the lives of these bucolic characters differ from modern life.<br /><br /> This book was so successful that it enabled the author to retire from banking and take up a country life somewhat like that of his creations. It has been adapted for screen, stage, and even a ride at the original Disneyland.<br /> (Summary by Mark F. Smith)

2Reluctant Dragon

By Kenneth Grahame

What would you do if you discovered a dragon living in a cave on a hill above your home? Make friends, read poetry together? It turns out that not all dragons are intent on pillaging the countryside. Some might actually enjoy peace, quiet, and the occasional banquet. The Boy of this story knows how to handle dragons, and life is good… until a knight in shining armor arrives in town to exterminate his friend! It doesn’t matter that it’s a “good” dragon — rules are rules, you know! (Summary by Mark)

3Wind in the Willows (version 2)

By Kenneth Grahame

This much-loved story follows a group of animal friends in the English countryside as they pursue adventure ... and as adventure pursues them! The chief characters - Mole, Rat, and Toad - generally lead upbeat and happy lives, but their tales are leavened with moments of terror, homesickness, awe, madcap antics, and derring-do.<br /><br />Although classed as children's literature, The Wind in the Willows holds a gentle fascination for adults too. The vocabulary is decidedly not "Dick and Jane", and a reader with a love of words will find new ones to treasure, even if well-equipped for the journey. Parents will appreciate the themes of loyalty, manners, self-restraint, and comradeship which are evident throughout the book. When the characters err, they are prompt to acknowledge it, and so a reading of this book can model good behavior to children, who will otherwise be enchanted with the many ways in which the lives of these bucolic characters differ from modern life.<br /><br />This book was so successful that it enabled the author to retire from banking and take up a country life somewhat like that of his creations. It has been adapted for screen, stage, and even a ride at the original Disneyland.<br />(Summary by Mark F. Smith)

4Dream Days

By Kenneth Grahame

Dream Days is a collection of children's fiction and reminiscences of childhood written by Kenneth Grahame. A sequel to Grahame's 1895 collection The Golden Age (some of its selections feature the same family of five children), Dream Days was first published in 1898 under the imprint John Lane: The Bodley Head. (The first six selections in the book had been previously published in periodicals of the day—in the Yellow Book, the New Review, and in Scribner's Magazine in the United States.) The book is best known for its inclusion of Grahame's classic story <a href="http://librivox.org/newcatalog/search.php?title=reluctant+dragon&author;=&status=complete&action=Search">The Reluctant Dragon</a>.<br /><br > Like its precursor volume, Dream Days received strong approval from the literary critics of the day. In the decades since, the book has perhaps suffered a reputation as a thinner and weaker sequel to The Golden Age—except for its single hit story. In one modern estimation, both books "paint a convincingly unsentimental picture of childhood, with the adults in these sketches totally out of touch with the real concerns of the young people around them, including their griefs and rages." Its concern is chiefly with the lands of imagination, ranging from a reconnaissance of men of solitude, a disastrous introduction of a girl to the narrator's private castle in the clouds, derring-do on the high seas, and, of course, an encounter with a dragon. Its concluding bittersweet story bids a reluctant farewell to the dream days of childhood. (Summary by Wikipedia and Catharine Eastman)

5Wind in the Willows (version 3)

By Kenneth Grahame

The classic story of how Rat, Mole, and the other river-bankers saved Toad from his excesses. This book has it all: excitement, sentiment, destruction of private property (plenty of that), paganism, and a happy ending. The prose is beautiful and occasionally requires the use of a dictionary - I had to look up “asperities.” Written as a children’s story, The Wind in the Willows is enjoyed by many grown-ups who relish Grahame’s ability to evoke the long summer days of childhood. (Summary by Adrian Praetzellis)

6Golden Age

By Kenneth Grahame

The Golden Age is a collection of reminiscences of childhood, written by Kenneth Grahame and originally published in book form in 1895, in London by The Bodley Head, and in Chicago by Stone & Kimball. (The Prologue and six of the stories had previously appeared in the National Observer, the journal then edited by William Ernest Henley.) Widely praised upon its first appearance—Algernon Charles Swinburne, writing in the Daily Chronicle, called it “one of the few books which are well-nigh too praiseworthy for praise”—the book has come to be regarded as a classic in its genre. <br /><br />Typical of his culture and his era, Grahame casts his reminiscences in imagery and metaphor rooted in the culture of Ancient Greece; to the children whose impressions are recorded in the book, the adults in their lives are “Olympians,” while the chapter titled “The Argonauts” refers to Perseus, Apollo, Psyche, and similar figures of Greek mythology. Grahame’s reminiscences, in The Golden Age and in the later Dream Days (1898), were notable for their conception “of a world where children are locked in perpetual warfare with the adult ‘Olympians’ who have wholly forgotten how it feels to be young”—a theme later explored by J. M. Barrie and other authors. (Summary by Wikipedia)

7Wind in the Willows (Version 4)

By Kenneth Grahame

Kenneth Grahame wrote a classic children’s tale in 1908 - he penned The Wind in the Willows. He wrote of the English countryside and the beauty of it, but more than that, he showed how even the most commonplace can be extraordinary and rare. Wind in the Willows is a tale of friendship, of adventure, of foolishness and wisdom, of travel and change as well as peace and predictability; but most of all, it is a story of friendship - friendship that crosses species, ages, and professions. We all could do far worse than remember in this changing world that what changes least is that which is most true. (Summary by Arthur Piantadosi)

8Wind in the Willows (version 5)

By Kenneth Grahame

A children's classic, this is the story of Rat and Mole, who have many adventures both on and off their beloved river, with their friends Toad and Badger. This version has been read in a whisper and is perfect for night-time listening in a quiet room. The low volume is intentional! (Summary by Cori Samuel)

This poem is taken from A Book of Women’s Verse published in 1921. (Summary by David Lawrence)

10Pagan Papers

By Kenneth Grahame

We join our thoughtful author on a dreamy stroll at dusk through the English countryside, and listen to his nonchalant, slightly scattered musings on the human condition...everything from loafing about and old book collecting, to heavier topics like what is more valuable: memory or forgetfulness and can we connect back to nature, or is it too late to do so. All these ponderings, and more, are explored within. Published in 1898, this collection of essays is Kenneth Grahame's first complied work. His wry and witty humor, which later would be celebrated in his famous novel, The Wind in the Willows, shines through here. - Summary by Mary Kay.

11Cambridge Book of Poetry for Children

By Kenneth Grahame

A collection of poems, many well-known or by famous writers for children, celebrating the joys of life for children and avoiding the all-too-common subject of death. Selected and edited by Kenneth Grahame. - Summary by Lynne Thompson

12Wind in the Willows (Version 6)

By Kenneth Grahame

The Wind in the Willows is a classic children's book--enjoyed by all ages!--by British novelist Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. Begun as letters to his 7-year-old son Alistair and later developed into a novel, it tells the adventures of animals Mole, Rat, and Toad, who dwell, along with Badger, Otter, and other animals, in the riverbank, fields, and woodlands of the English countryside. Best friends Mole and Rat, along with Badger, are continually rescuing Toad from his scrapes. An encounter with nature god Pan lends a special magic to this tale.<br><br> In 2011, I recorded this delightful reading by my friend Sarbaga Falk. We made presents of the recordings for Sarbaga’s family and our friends and their children and grandchildren; and had it in mind to put it on LibriVox. Shortly after we recorded Wind in the Willows, Sarbaga was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, which worsened until she passed away in February 2020.<br><br> Sarbaga loved tales, jokes, and stories, and she would no doubt be tickled to listen to this wonderful tale told in her own inimitable and expressive voice. This stands as a fitting tribute to our dear friend, as she continues to delight us all. <br><br> - Summary by Cynthia Rylander Crossen

13Wind in the Willows (Version 7 Dramatic Reading)

By Kenneth Grahame

Join Mole and Water Rat for terrifically fun romps along a river and through burrows and forests . . . visiting with Otter and Mr. Badger, and witnessing crazy adventures by Mr. Toad as he evades the authorities and meets various interesting individuals. Kenneth Grahame's classic was first published in 1908, but continues to delight young and old folks today. (Summary by Lynette Caulkins)<br><br><b>Cast List:</b><br>Narrator: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/13661">Lynette Caulkins</a><br> Badger: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/13706">Scott Caulkins</a><br> Mole: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/13781">Shelly</a><br> Toad: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/13780">Estelle</a><br> Otter: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/16672">Marissa Siobhan</a><br> Wayfarer/Sea Rat: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/16709">J. Schumacher</a><br> Water Rat/Elderly Rabbit: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/16205">Jim Hedrick</a><br> Girl: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/12243">Jasmin Salma</a><br> Engineer: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/11395">Rich Brown</a><br> Barge Woman: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/16513">Vonna</a><br> Gentleman: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/8425">Larry Wilson</a><br> Gypsy: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/12980">Wayne Cook</a><br> Rabbit 2: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/16409">Mira Williams</a><br> Rabbit 3: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/15580">Joanna Michal Hoyt</a><br> Conscience: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/15806">Sandra</a><br> Hedgehog: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/13123">Little Peanut</a><br> Fieldmouse 1: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/15932">Andrea Attwood</a><br> Fieldmouse 2: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/10706">Robin Lamb</a><br> Fieldmouse 3: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/11617">Starling Reader</a><br> Chairman/Caroler: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/16368">Mozart Jr.</a><br> Clerk: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/16615">Marie Christian</a><br> Sergeant: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/16696">Amanda Chandler</a><br> Detective 1: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/10542">David Purdy</a><br> Detective 2/Caroler: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/16484">Therese Lindholm</a><br> Detective 3: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/4880">Glehnmarc Hibburt</a><br> Fox/Caroler: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/13140">Jenn Broda</a><br> Sparrow 1: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/11180">Diane Alailima</a><br> Sparrow 2/Caroler: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/16828">Fiona Wilson</a><br> Sparrow 3/Caroler: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/16844">Meredith Wilson</a><br> Sparrow 4: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/16835">Medorakay</a><br> Sparrow 5: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/16828">Jonny117</a><br> Ferret: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/14297">Scarbo</a><br> Stoat/Motor Car: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/15456">Jack Ball</a><br> Caroler: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/11180">Diane</a><br> Caroler: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/16409">Mira Williams</a><br>