50 Greatest Stories For Older Children

by Various

Oh, the writers you will read - from the full-of-surprises O. Henry to the ever-popular Enid Blyton, from the super-imaginative H.G. Wells to the adventurous Rudyard Kipling, from heart-tugging Munshi Premchand to tongue-in-cheek Sukumar Ray, and a whole lot of other unforgettable authors...

Ah, the places they will take you - from a densely thicketed cantonment in eastern India to a battlefield in ancient Greece, from mysterious islands in unknown locations to the depths of the ocean, and from the thundering river Athabasca in North America to the Yukon trail in the chilly pine forests of Alaska, and a host of thrilling landscapes...

Ooh, the characters you will meet - adventurous heroes and brave royals, monkey-kings and fairies, dragons and sharks, mongooses and multi-headed hydras, and many others who will fascinate you...

This treasury of fifty timeless stories is a must-have, to read and revisit again and again. Its contents will enchant you, thrill you, keep you in suspense, tug at your heartstrings, make you laugh, make you think - and, not the least, turn you into a champion reader!

576 pages, Hardcover

Published September 25, 2020

About the author

Various is the correct author for any book with multiple unknown authors, and is acceptable for books with multiple known authors, especially if not all are known or the list is very long (over 50).

If an editor is known, however, Various is not necessary. List the name of the editor as the primary author (with role "editor"). Contributing authors' names follow it.

Note: WorldCat is an excellent resource for finding author information and contents of anthologies.

Reviews

[Deepan Maitra · Rating 5 out of 5]

These delightful editions is sure to make adults (like me) have again a taste of chidhood.

I mean, see, not always do we need nail-biting reads or deeply thoughtful stories. Sometimes we need comfort reads, reads which can make us happy without us giving much effort. Like having ice-cream, where you can just scoop it and plop it in your mouth without much speculation.

These two books published by Hachette India makes its place as a collection of stories that every reader (occasional or avid) will love to keep close.

Don't you see why children fiction has been tested upon by prolific short story writers of all time? Be it Chekov, Tagore, Maugham, RK Narayan, Lewis Caroll, Jules Verne, O Henry and many more---they've all given us books that feel like a fluffy blanket on a rainy evening.

In '100 stories for young children' we see a major inclusion of folktales and fables, from the epics like Ramayana, even from Jataka Tales, Kathasaritsagara, Panchatantra. These are accompanied by stories written by Enid Blyton, RK Narayan, Sukhmar Ray-- just to name a few. I could understand the efficiency and the intelligence behind the selection of these stories. Young minds cannot help but be ignited by such characters and lessons, and their imagination will get a new boost.

'50 stories for older children' is directed more towards teenage, and here you will find many stories which are included in school syllabuses. In here, the stories speak of a wide cast of topics and varieties, they focus on unconventional turn of events and talk about characters which leave an impact. For an avid reader, these are classic stories for young readers. These stories have made history, and have influenced countless minds.

Thanks Hachette India for sending me the copies.

[_booksagsm · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I have grown into adulthood, my heart still holds onto the wonder and nostalgia of childhood. 50 Greatest Stories For Older Children took my heart instantly, as it is a collection featuring some of my favorite authors—O. Henry, Saki, Mark Twain, and many others. Their works, rich in wit, irony, and adventure, bring back memories of simpler times, when stories had the power to transport us effortlessly into different worlds. This book feels like a treasure trove of timeless tales, reminding me why I fell in love with literature in the first place.

The selection in this book is both diverse and impactful, spanning across cultures and eras. From Shakespeare’s King Lear to Oscar Wilde’s The Happy Prince, each story offers a unique glimpse into human nature, morality, and imagination. The settings shift beautifully—from bustling marketplaces and eerie mansions to deep forests and mythical lands—offering older children and even adults a literary escape. What makes this collection even more special is how it blends classics with folktales, making it an enriching read for those who enjoy stories with depth, lessons, and a touch of nostalgia.

Beyond just revisiting beloved stories, this book serves as a comforting companion, a reminder of childhood evenings spent poring over pages with wide-eyed curiosity. While meant for older children, its ability to captivate readers of all ages is undeniable. In a world filled with complex narratives, this collection offers a return to storytelling in its purest form—simple, heartfelt, and unforgettable.

[AMEERA ARIF · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recently I got my hands on '50 Greatest Stories for Older Children,' and I just want to say that this book is a treasure chest of timeless stories that will not only cater to older children but also people of all ages.From William Shakespeare to Rabindranath Tagore, this book is a compilation of stories from renowned authors belonging to different eras and backgrounds, making this a perfect and diverse read.This carefully curated collection of stories had some tales that I read when I was young, and it was nostalgic to go back to them and relive the good old days of childhood. 'Alibaba and the Forty Robbers' is one such tale that is close to me because I am someone who spent countless hours reading Arabian Nights during school summer breaks.Happy Prince, The Bet, Idgah, Great Expectations, etc., are some of the tales from this book that I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend everyone to give a read. At last, all the tales from this book truly stay with you and remind you of the time when stories used to be a reflection of society and would give you a life lesson by the end of it. '50 Greatest Stories for Older Children' is something I would cherish forever and will always revisit to remind myself of childhood and good old days!