The Instant Storyteller
Library Dial-a-Story Lines
& Internet Story Downloads
By Tara Taylor
Updated January 2008
It's raining, it's pouring, the kids are not snoring
they are jumping on the couch, running through the house, and
ignoring your pleas for peace and quiet.
Library Dial-a-Story Lines
For those days where it's too cold or wet to pile into the
car and the children are in desperate need of entertainment,
library dial-a-story lines are a quick way to calm the storm.
Kids can listen to a story while you get a breather everyone
wins.
The directions are simple: just pick up the phone and dial
a plus for children old enough to use the phone. Many story
lines jump right into the tale, while on others the listener
must follow one or two-step instructions. Some libraries even
offer longer chapter book;, the listener can call in each week
for a new chapter. Story lines can be accessed 24/7 and are free.
Most libraries offer a new story each week.
 Benicia Public Library: Stories are
five minutes long and best for children ages 4 to 8. (707) 746-4339.
Marin County Free Library: Listeners
hear a new story every week. (415) 499-6051, then press 1.
Mountain View Public Library: Three
to five-minute stories in English and Spanish; new stories are
offered each Monday. (650) 903-6771.
Oakland Public Library: Suitable for
all ages, stories (and sometimes poems) are about three minutes
long and change weekly. Spanish and English language options.
(510) 597-5054.
Sacramento Public Library: For ages
3 to 6. Stories change regularly and are read in English, (916)
441-1234; and Spanish, (916) 264-2987. For ages 7 to 12, there's
Dial-a-Book, with a chapter each week: (916) 264-2726.
San Francisco Public Library: For ages
2 and up. Stories change regularly and are read in Cantonese,
(415) 437-4883; English, (415) 437-4880; and Spanish, (415) 437-4882.
San Leandro Public Library: A new story
each week, read by Miss Penny. (510) 577-6067.
Sunnyvale Library: English, (408) 730-7333;
Spanish, (408) 737-4907.
Story Downloads
Taking a trip to grandma's and you don't want to hear the
kids fight over the radio station? Does your little one want
to call a storyline, but your teen is hogging the phone? How
about hopping online to hear a story or you can even load
up your child's iPod or MP3 player with audio stories. There
are a handful of websites that offer free downloads of children's
stories or even chapter books.
Storynory: Prince Bertie the Frog and
storyteller Natasha Gostwick help children use their imagination
through dozens of fairytales and classic fables. Each week the
stories change; some feature Bertie as the main character. Each
story is about five to 10 minutes and covers a broad range of
age groups. Our favorite is the chapter reading of Lewis Carroll's
Alice in Wonderland. All stories can be downloaded onto
an MP3 player or iPod. www.storynory.com.
Light Up Your Brain: Created by Chuck
Brown, this website features a handful of short children's classics
ranging from Peter Rabbit to The Little Mermaid.
Each story can be played on your computer right then and there
or stored for later listening. Most stories are about five minutes
long and are geared toward preschoolers. http://lightupyourbrain.com/audio-stories-for-children.html.
BookBox: Looking for stories in other
languages? BookBox is the place. This website features more than
10 different stories in more than 10 different languages; including
Spanish, Arabic, and Mandarin. Each MP3 file has an accompanying
one-sheet storybook. All downloaded stories can be transferred
on to an MP3 player or iPod. Stories are geared toward ages 10
and under. http://www.bookbox.com/free_stuff.php.
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