Stories Come to Life

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Stories Come to Life. I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. Interesting things are happening on both sides of the wall that Miss Minchin’s Select Seminary shares with the Indian Gentleman’s house. Sara is imagining with Becky that they are visiting the tropical jungle where the monkey next door must have lived once. And the Indian Gentleman is despairing about ever findi...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Stories Come to Life. I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. Most of Sara’s life is filled with drudgery and loneliness, hunger and cold. But every now and then she is able to look out at the beautiful sunsets visible from her attic window and immerse herself in their splendid beauty. One day, after the house next door is finally inhabited, she meets a new friend, and his...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Stories Come to Life. I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. Now that Sara lives in a cold little room with a rusted grate and no fire, she has a very different life than she used to live. But three people make this difficult time more endurable: Becky, the “prisoner in the next cell,” faithful Ermengarde, and little Lottie. Sara also wins over the confidence of one of th...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Stories Come to Life. I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. Sara Crewe, the little heiress to the fabulous diamond mines that have caught the imagination of the entire seminary, is turning eleven years old. Miss Minchin has prepared a fantastic party for her, complete with presents and a feast. But as the children are enjoying the festivities, Miss Minchin has a caller w...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Stories Come to Life. I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. In today’s chapters of A Little Princess , Sara is finally able to meet Becky, the little scullery maid who makes her fire and loves to quietly listen to the amazing stories that Sara spins. When Sara finds Becky fast asleep in her easy chair, she realizes she has an opportunity to scatter a form of largess, jus...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Stories Come to Life. I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. In chapters three and four of A Little Princess , we meet some of Sara’s schoolmates. First is Ermengarde, who is plump and a bit dull. She can’t remember her lessons very well, but she loves Sara and has the potential to become a true friend. Then there is little four-year-old Lottie who needs a mother most of...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Stories Come to Life. I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. Today I will be reading the first two chapters of A Little Princess , by Frances Hodgson Burnett. This book was published in 1912, and has become a beloved favorite all over the world. In these chapters we will meet little Sara Crewe, who is seven years old. She and her father have come all the way from India, w...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Stories Come to Life. This is Episode 35, and I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker.   In this poetic interlude, listen to the pretty pattern rhymes make. The rhythm of poetry is delightful. But just as not all poetry has to rhyme, neither does it always bring delight. Sometimes it has a different message: of hope, or grief, or even amusement, such as when a kitten discov...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Stories Come to Life. This is Episode 34, and I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. The four stories you will hear today are from the book Ashley Bryan’s African Tales, Uh-Huh. You will hear about adventures of Ananse the Spider, Elephant and Frog, Elephant and Bush Cow, and one of my favorites, How Animals Got Their Tails. These stories all illustrate one or more of the...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Stories Come to Life. This is Episode 33, and I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. Dear little Carol Bird prepares a marvelous feast for the Ruggles children. She has thought of everything: turkey, cranberry sauce, desserts galore, and best of all, presents for everyone! Finally, at the very end of the evening, the church next door has prepared some very special Christm...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Stories Come to Life. This is Episode 32, and I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker.   This story, The Birds’ Christmas Carol , was written by Kate Douglas Wiggin in 1886. It is the story of a sweet little girl named Carol who was born on Christmas Day. Her kind and loving temperament endears her to everyone. But even for all the attention she gets, Carol wants to give so...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Stories Come to Life. This is Episode 31, and I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. Here are some holiday stories for you to enjoy. Today’s tales were written by Isaac Bashevis Singer and the publisher graciously gave permission to have them on this podcast. In the first story, a young boy with vivid dreams becomes lost in a snowstorm on Hanukkah Eve. Then from Warsaw we...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Stories Come to Life. I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker, and this is episode 30. As we have just finished a book, this episode will be a refreshing poetic interlude before we begin the next story.   Whether it rhymes or doesn’t rhyme, whether it is about nature or life or a historical event, or anything else, a poem can give you insights and help you see things in a d...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Stories Come to Life. This is Episode 29, book 3, and I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker.   After Old Mombi is captured by Glinda the Good, she reveals an astounding piece of information about something the Wonderful Wizard of Oz entrusted her to perform years ago. Everything will be different from now on, once Mombi reverses her nefarious magic!   Now, sit back, relax...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Stories Come to Life. This is Episode 28, book 3, and I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker.   The band of travelers reaches the land of Glinda the Good, and of course she wants to help the situation in the Land of Oz. She has some interesting news, though, that may change the outcome of Queen Jinjur’s revolt!   Now, sit back, relax, and listen to this story come to life!...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Stories Come to Life. This is Episode 27, book 3, and I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker.   Once the little band of friends reaches the Emerald City, it seems that they have to find a way to escape again! So they decide to build something to fly them away from the palace.    Now, sit back, relax, and listen to this story come to life! Listening to audiobooks really doe...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Stories Come to Life. This is Episode 26, book 3, and I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker.   Old Mombi is doing her best to thwart the Scarecrow’s advance to retake the Emerald City from the Army of Revolt by erecting insurmountable barriers as they travel. The little queen of the field mice, whom the Tin Woodman saved from death, gives essential help to the party, and...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Stories Come to Life. This is Episode 25, book 3, and I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker.   The Tin Woodman has joined the group, and now they are all traveling back to the Emerald City to quell the revolt. As they are traveling, they meet a very interesting, and highly magnified personage, to add to their little band.   Now, sit back, relax, and listen to this story c...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Stories Come to Life. This is Episode 24, book 3, and I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. Jack Pumpkinhead meets His Majesty, the Scarecrow,  and while they are becoming acquainted,  General Jinjur's army of revolt conquers the Emerald City! Can the Saw-Horse save the day by galloping them all to safety?  To find out, sit back, relax,  and listen to this story com...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Stories Come to Life. This is Episode 23, book 3, and I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker.   Tip and Jack Pumpkinhead decide to travel to the Emerald City to talk to His Majesty, the Scarecrow. But Jack can’t possibly travel so far on his wooden joints. Tip comes up with a marvelous solution, and the Saw-Horse joins their little group.   Now, sit back, relax, and listen...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Stories Come to Life. This is Episode 22, book 3, and I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. Almost everyone has heard the story of the Wizard of Oz, or has read the book, or has seen the movie. But did you know that there are many more books about adventures in Oz? The book I will be reading now is The Land of Oz , and it is the second in the series. It was written by L....

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Stories Come to Life. I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker, and this is episode 21. As we have just finished a book, this episode will be a refreshing poetic interlude before we begin the next story.   Whatever the season, whatever the weather, whether your mood is happy or sad, there are poems to help you find solace and beauty and companionship as you walk through life...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Stories Come to Life.  This is episode 20, book 2, and I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker.       This is a Christmas unlike any Maida has ever experienced! She opens her shop to Rosie, Dicky, and Arthur for their handicraft fair, and she finds the perfect gifts for her father, Billy, and of course the members of the WMNT. But Granny’s gift from Billy is the best gift o...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Stories Come to Life.  This is episode 19, book 2, and I am your host,  Kathryn Lopez Luker.  Maida goes to her first ever Halloween party,  but she has even more fun when it snows and she learns to coast down hills and build a very funny snowman. Now sit back,  relax,  and listen to this story come to life! Listening to audiobooks really does count as reading, and ther...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Stories Come to Life.  This is episode 18, book 2, and I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker.     Now Maida is part of the WMNT club. She loves it, and they have great plans! But when Laura Lathrop becomes deathly ill, Maida and the other children realize that there is more to life than either work or play.  Now sit back, relax, and listen to this story come to life! List...