Children's / Teenage fiction: Traditional stories

Taken at birth by an evil witch, Rapunzel remained locked within a giant tower. Then one day, a prince heard her voice through the forest. To reach her, he must climb Rapunzel's lovely locks and avoid being caught by the witch.

You are alone in the woods, seen only by the unblinking yellow moon. Your hands are empty. You are nearly naked. And the wolf is angry. Since her grandmother became her caretaker when she was four years old, Bisou Martel has lived a quiet life in a little house in Seattle. She's kept mostly to he...

'Once upon a time there was a village child who was so pretty - so pretty as never was seen'. So begins Beatrix Potter's retelling of Red Riding Hood. A darkly delicious adaptation of the classic tale, filled with trademark Potter wit and flourishes, little Red Riding Hood sets off to Granny's ho...

Robin Hood and his band of merry men rob from the rich to give to the poor. When the cruel Sheriff of Nottingham threatens the throne of King Richard, can Robin save the kingdom and win the heart of the fair Maid Marian?

The action-packed story of Roman boy Lucius, exiled from Rome to the most savage province of the Empire - Britannia. Banished from Rome by his jealous stepfather, 14-year-old Lucius is exiled to Londinium. Plunged into mortal danger as he flees his stepfather's assassin, Lucius takes a false name...

When a flea, a grasshopper and a frog compete to show the King who can jump the highest, it causes CHAOS in the royal dining hall. Who can jump the highest? Can the clever leap-frog use his wits to win? And will the Emperor's dog EVER get rid of the flea?

Rachel and Kirsty meet on the ferry, on the way to magical Rainspell Island for a holiday with their families. In each of the 'Rainbow Fairies' stories, they meet a Rainbow Fairy. To restore colour to Fairyland, they must find them all.

For as long as she can remember Rumaysa has been locked away in her tall, tall tower, forced to use her magic to spin straw into gold for the evil Witch and unable to leave. Until one day, after dropping a hijab out of her small tower-window, Rumaysa realises how she might be able to escape. Join...

This 'Read it Yourself' version of 'Rumpelstiltskin' is a level 2 title and so suitable for children who can read short, simple sentences with help. The story is told simply, with frequent repetition of the main story words and phrases.

This story is part of 'Reading Champion', a series carefully linked to book bands to encourage independent reading skills, developed with Dr Sue Bodman and Glen Franklin of UCL Institute of Education (IOE). 'Reading Champion' offers independent reading books for children to practise and reinforce...