Mystery and magic stories for kids
These start with something small that does not add up. A staircase with one more step than you can count. A doorbell that never plays the same tune twice. A shortcut that takes a different amount of time every day.
Kids get to work out the answer alongside the characters, and the magic is always the friendly kind.
24 free illustrated stories, each with a read-aloud button and questions to talk about after.
A World Up High
Clara wishes she could see a new world, then finds a giant stalk that reaches the clouds and climbs it with her friends cheering.
Ages 4 to 6 5 min read
Boxy's Big Surprise
Every morning the toys wake up in new places, until a teddy bear and a block robot discover what their toy box has been building.
Ages 4 to 6 4 min read
Chilly's Midnight Melody
Late at night, Leo and his cat follow a soft humming sound down the hall and find the fridge singing a lullaby.
Ages 4 to 6 4 min read
Chromatic's Magical Lines
Alani finds a green crayon that makes everything it draws come true, and the best thing she draws is a wheel for a friend's broken toy car.
Ages 4 to 6 5 min read
Kaelan's Peculiar Paths
Kaelan finds every decision hard, until glowing doors start showing him what each choice would bring. Then there are far too many doors.
Ages 8 to 10 6 min read
Maya's Marvelous Lunchbox
Maya's silver lunchbox packs itself with a new surprise every school day, and one day it packs enough for a friend.
Ages 4 to 6 3 min read
Orion's Wonderful Tunes
Esther's doorbell plays a different tune every time, so she starts a book to draw every song she hears.
Ages 4 to 6 4 min read
Sparkle Woods Adventure
Two friends follow a trail of glitter into the woods and meet the shy, fluffy creature who leaves it everywhere it goes.
Ages 4 to 6 4 min read
The Annual Query
In Oakhaven everyone gets one question answered truthfully each year. Chloe asks about her lost ribbon, and Leo saves his question for something bigger.
Ages 8 to 10 6 min read
The Echoing Shell's Secret
On Aethel Island every object remembers who held it, except one giant shell. Tessa and Diego follow the island's whispers to wake it up.
Ages 8 to 10 9 min read
The Experience Orb Library
The library at the edge of town lends out experiences instead of books, and Kaelen borrows a jungle expedition with a riddle at the river.
Ages 8 to 10 7 min read
The Extra Step Mystery
Maya can feel one more step on the staircase than she can count. Nobody believes her, except her cat Muffin.
Ages 4 to 6 4 min read
The Harbor of Lost Echoes
Some ships in Elias's harbor carry cargo from places that no longer exist, and Captain Silas has brought back a puzzle box from one of them.
Ages 8 to 10 7 min read
The Harmony Hub's Secret
Everything in Harmonia is perfectly in place, until Kaelo asks why and follows a tidy little robot to the top of the clock tower.
Ages 8 to 10 7 min read
The Hidden Closet Door
Looking for a lost toy car, Anya and Koji find a small red door at the back of the closet, and a dust bunny helps them find its tiny key.
Ages 4 to 6 3 min read
The Listening Friend
Clara, Samira and Benny set out to find a missing locket. Everyone brushes off Benny's strange clues, but he is the only one really listening.
Ages 8 to 10 7 min read
The Piano's Secret Song
A tiny chirping sound is coming from inside Grandma's old piano, and Anya and Jian find a hidden latch to see what it is.
Ages 4 to 6 3 min read
The Rainy Day Tunnel
On a bored, rainy afternoon, a little moss creature leads Maya and Leo to a glowing tunnel that only appears in the rain.
Ages 4 to 6 5 min read
The Secret Attic Box
Amara and Kian find a plain box in the attic that nobody remembers putting there. Inside is a dust sprite and their own forgotten treasures.
Ages 4 to 6 5 min read
The Whimsical Weather Machine
Sam finds an old brass weather machine in Grandma Martha's attic. One turn of the dial brings fog, the next brings snow in July.
Ages 8 to 10 6 min read
The Whispering Star Rescue
Kira and Dax's favorite bedtime story is fading from memory, and the last copy is hidden somewhere in a giant library behind a riddle.
Ages 7 to 8 5 min read
The World-Heart Oak
Leo finds a glowing sphere in the hollow of the park's oldest oak, and it shows him the tree is older than the planet itself.
Ages 8 to 10 6 min read
Whispers of the Ever-Changing Hall
In the Hall of Shifting Sights, Kael and Zola look at the same exhibits and see completely different things, and they need both views to solve the museum's puzzle.
Ages 8 to 10 7 min read
Zoom's Big Adventure Day
Rhea's yellow sneakers wiggle when they want to go somewhere, and today they walk her to a hidden trail and a pond full of ducks.
Ages 4 to 6 4 min read
Want one about your child's own idea?
Every story in this library started as one sentence said out loud. In the Storybox app your child says the idea, and a new illustrated story comes back in about a minute.
Get Storybox for iPhone and iPad