Sparkle Stories, a company that creates original audio stories for children, was created in 2010 and now has more than 900 stories available. The stories are appropriate for ages 3 to 9. Sparkle Stories offers a free 10 day trial, and then the cost is $15 per month for access to all of the stories. The stories are organized by age of the child or by topic—car rides, meet our characters, and adventures.

Sparkle Stories is suitable for all children within the appropriate age range, whether they are homeschooled or not. A subscription to Sparkle Stories would likely keep children entertained on car rides, while running errands, or while younger children are napping. In our home, we have quiet time for 30 to 45 minutes a day. This time used to be challenging for my youngest who is just learning to read. However, now that we have Sparkle Stories, she can’t wait for quiet time and happily listens to a story every day. Sparkle Stories, depending on the age level of the story, run about 25 to 45 minutes per episode. Most episodes contain one to three stories. Also included are poems and games that children can play. My children have listened to a story and immediately afterward started playing the game that was described in Sparkle Stories.

I love that Sparkle Stories spark my children’s creativity and imagination. I love that after listening during quiet time, my daughter can’t wait to tell me what the story was about. My daughter likes Sparkle Stories because she says each story is exciting and magical. She said, “The stories are just amazing!” I don’t think there is any higher endorsement coming from a six year old.

The only complaint I have about Sparkle Stories is that currently there is no way to keep track of the stories that you’ve already listened to. In the beginning of the subscription, this isn’t a problem, but after a few weeks of listening, keeping track of what your child has heard is a bit challenging. However, I contacted Sparkle Stories via Facebook. They were very responsive and within 24 hours let me know that they are working on development of a feature that will allow users to mark the stories they’ve already listened to.

If you’d like your children to listen to wholesome, exciting stories that spark their imagination and creativity, consider purchasing Sparkle Stories. We’re very happy with our subscription and highly recommend Sparkle Stories.

-Product review by Melissa Batai, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, September, 2016