Jim’s Recordings by Age Level

This page lists the Jim Weiss’ stories, presorted for age suitability. Your child may listen to whatever stories they want, but these categories give them a good place to start! Click a title to visit the recording’s page.

Not sure which Jim Weiss story to try first? Why not try a little of everything? Download Jim’s free sampler and pick your favorite!

3 and Up                       5 and Up                       7 and Up                        9 and Up                        Other selections

3 and Up

These two recordings provide guided visualizations for gentle and relaxing bedtime listening.
The perfect FIRST SPOKEN WORD recording for a child ready for a real story.
Half step more mature than Animal Tales.
Follows Tell Me A Story; a collection of classic stories.
A gentle old rabbit lives in the forest and helps those in need (a classic 19th century story retold).
Can a brave knight, a misunderstood dragon, and a clever boy find a way to win a fight without actually fighting?
Unabridged stories performed with animation.

5 and Up

The songs add to the spoken-word experience, rather than distracting from it.
Three fairy tales with music (a waltz and a minuet) between each one so that children can dance along.
Alternates stories and poems by authors such as Hans Christian Andersen and Lewis Carroll.
Notable for its creative, problem-solving female characters.
The story introduces the main Arthurian characters. ALA review: “Whets the appetite for a more civilized world.” Also available as a Companion Reader.
A broad survey of the stories at the very heart of Western civilization.
Two of the all-time great swashbuckling adventures.
Jim’s retelling of the Dickens classic, along with O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi” and Bret Harte’s Gold Rush story, “Dick Spindler’s Family Christmas.”
The classic story: the grass on the other side of the fence is not always greener.
Classics from many lands: wonderful to enhance the study of geography.”
Jim tells the stories of Passover, Purim and Chanukah.
Jim tells about great biblical figures in a way that sets them on a human level. Portions of “Abraham and the Idols” and “David’s Dance” come from the Apocrypha.
Both retellings offer powerful incentives to read the actual books.
Adventure and humor for young listeners. Also available as a Companion Reader.

7 and Up

ALA review says, “A great way to lead children to non-Disney Kipling.”
These three recordings are especially suited for children who love adventure but are reluctant readers. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is also available as a Companion Reader.
The perfect stories for a child who wants something “scary” (but doesn’t really want to be scared). Also available as a Companion Reader.
Focuses on the relationship of Holmes and Watson, and on problem-solving with wit.
Each story comes from a great literary master. (Nothing scary in this one.)
The longest and best known of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries.
These three recordings tell stories of men and women who overcame profound challenges with vision, determination and passion.
True stories of Americans who made lasting contributions to music, science, literature and politics.
Balanced, intelligent, and moving stories about the human qualities of these leaders. (One separate track on Abraham Lincoln is Jim’s recital, in character, of the Gettysburg Address.)
The women featured in this recording changed the course of history.
An engaging introduction to the U.S. dream of a continent-spanning U.S.A., with dialogue from the journals of Lewis and Clark and real Oregon Trail travelers.
Retellings of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “The Taming of the Shrew” that include many lines from the original plays as an introduction to Shakespeare’s language.
Plenty of swordplay and humor as well as the immortal romance.
A skillful mix of the historical Julius Caesar and the Caesar of Shakespeare’s play.
Combines adventure and romance with traditional Celtic music.
The first half of this recording is a retelling of the greatest Egyptian myths; the second is the true story of scientists finding a real mummy’s tomb.
An exploration of the royal courts of Ancient Egypt.
Thrilling episodes from the history and culture of ancient Greece, including the Olympics, the 300 Spartans, and the wisdom of Socrates

9 and Up

The longest and best known of the Sherlock Holmes Mysteries. More intense than the Sherlock Holmes for Children or Mystery! Mystery! recordings.
A wonderful retelling of a classic that students will encounter again in high school—along with much more information about the French Revolution.

Jim’s Recordings of Other Books

Jim reads the Newbery Award-winning historical novel unabridged, and provides distinct “voices” to 58 diverse characters.
This classic swashbuckler, set in medieval England during the reign of Henry IV, is a wonderful addition to the study of the Middle Ages.

Jim’s Poetry Recordings

The first part of Jim’s poetry collection, A Cornucopia of Best-Loved Poems.
The second part of Jim’s poetry collection, A Cornucopia of Best-Loved Poems.