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Let’s fly! ✨ The Reading Bug Podcast is a collection of original audio stories for kids, featuring immersive adventures, cozy bedtime stories, bite-sized story snacks, and curious science questions. Brought to life with original music and vivid storytelling, every episode is designed to help kids fall in love with stories, music, and learning.
Perfect for car rides, quiet time, and bedtime! 🚗 📚
What listeners can explore:
Reading Bug Adventures: Cinematic, two-part story journeys filled with music and listener participation.
Lauren’s Little Bedtime Stories: Calming tales and gentle songs perfect for winding down.
Story Snacks with The Book Worm: Short, immersive stories designed for quick listening and big imaginations.
Fact Fly’s One Big Question: Fun, kid-friendly science discoveries answering curious “why?” questions.
Every episode is proudly created, written, and produced by The Reading Bug, an award-winning, family-owned, independent children’s bookstore.
This Halloween, the spirits are flying — and they have wings! When the Reading Bug discovers a lone monarch butterfly egg left behind in her garden, it’s time to follow the Great Monarch Migration south to Mexico — arriving just in time for Día de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead!
Along the way, we meet Mari, who is longing to say goodbye to her beloved Tito, who recently passed away. In Mexico, the millions of monarchs who arrive each November are said to be the souls of loved ones returning to visit. This year, we’ll see for ourselves if it’s true.
With sugar skulls, skeleton parades, and marigold-covered cemeteries, we’ll discover that this holiday isn’t scary at all — it’s one of the most joyful celebrations in the world.
Explore the Magic! Check out the books featured in this adventure at: www.thereadingbug.com/adventures
Winnie is a small witch with a too-big hat and a cat named Smudge who has strong opinions. She has been practicing her scary face since August — wide eyes, hands up like claws, a very loud BOO — and Halloween night has finally arrived. But, nobody is scared! Everybody smiles. Smudge, as only a cat can, delivers the verdict: not scary. Wonderful. And on Halloween night, it turns out, wonderful is better.
Every Lauren’s Little Bedtime Story includes:Calming Relaxation: Gentle breathing exercises to help your body relax.Original Bedtime Lullaby: Wind-down time as Lauren sings you to sleep.A Full Original Bedtime Story: A whimsical story read aloud by Lauren.
Trick or treat, Reader — it’s time to do the Mummy Wrap! Hop into the Reading Bug’s magic book bag for a spooky trip back 3,000 years to ancient Egypt — land of pharaohs, pyramids, and a very chatty Scarab beetle with a bone to pick.
But before we can explore the wonders of the Nile or King Tut’s legendary tomb, we’ll have to solve the Sphinx’s riddle — or face the Pharaoh’s curse and be trapped in ancient Egypt forever! And with tomb raiders closing in on King Tut’s treasure, our only hope is to wrap ourselves head-to-toe in linen and give those bandits the fright of their lives.
It’s ancient history’s spookiest adventure — and we’re going to have to get a little creepy to save the day!
Explore the Magic! Check out the books featured in this adventure at: www.thereadingbug.com/adventures
Dorktales Storytime EP98: That’s A Wrap! | Spooky Halloween Stories for Kids
Jonathan and Redge adventure into The Tomes, the vast desert of Once Upon a Time, when they stumble into a mysterious tomb, and find themselves on a ghoulish (and very goofy) game show. The two must solve haunting riddles, guess what’s missing in an ancient witch’s potion, and test their courage in the chilling, thrilling Malevolent Maze of the Mummy! Can they work together to tackle all the terrifying twists and turns or will they be lost in The Tomes desert forever?
Welcome to Dorktales Storytime, an award-winning stories for kids podcast for families who love big adventures. Hit the storytelling trail with Jonathan Cormur and Mr. Reginald T. Hedgehog through the magical world of Once Upon a Time, where every fairy tale, fable, myth and hidden heroes of history story is packed with humor, heart, plot twists and turns, and lessons learned.
Why do leaves turn red and orange and gold every fall — and where do those colors actually come from? Join Lauren and the Fact Fly (frozen in front of a glowing maple tree, convinced everything he learned about plants needs rearranging) as they investigate the hidden science of autumn color. It turns out the yellows and oranges were there all summer long, hiding behind the green — and fall doesn’t add color to a leaf. It reveals the colors that were already there.
Perfect for nature lovers, fall enthusiasts, anyone who has ever wondered why some years are more colorful than others,
On a warm Tuesday morning, a tortoise named Humphrey decides to cross the road. That’s the whole plan. He sets off at nine o’clock with the calm certainty of someone who has been taking his time for a very long time and finds it suits him perfectly. Along the way, a rabbit tells him he’s slow, two squirrels debate whether to help, a crow offers directions that don’t apply, a horse leans over a fence and says absolutely nothing — which turns out to be the most useful thing anyone does — and a very enthusiastic golden dog named Biscuit helps in the most spectacular and least effective way possible. By evening, Humphrey reaches the other side, settles under a shady bush, and is asked what was worth all that effort. His answer is just three words. They’re enough.
Every Lauren’s Little Bedtime Story includes:Calming Relaxation: Gentle breathing exercises to help your body relax.Original Bedtime Lullaby: Wind-down time as Lauren sings you to sleep.A Full Original Bedtime Story: A whimsical story read aloud by Lauren.
Full Story. Hark, Reader! Hop into the Reading Bug's magic book bag for a legendary trip back in time to the magical kingdom of Camelot — home of King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, and the Knights of the Round Table!
But the road to Camelot is no easy quest. Dangerous trolls and serpents lurk around every corner — and once we arrive, something feels strange. Could the kingdom be... cursed?
King Arthur and Queen Guinevere need help, and they're looking to us. Freshly knighted and ready for adventure, we must rise to the challenge and break Camelot's curse before it's too late!
Explore the Magic! Check out the books featured in this adventure at: www.thereadingbug.com/adventures/royal
Clementine and Blythe are mouse cousins who could not live more differently. Blythe has a cozy home in the roots of an old oak tree, a well-stocked pantry, and a meadow she considers the finest view available to any mouse anywhere. Clementine has a fashionable city apartment, access to extraordinary crumbs, and strong opinions about both. When the cousins visit each other's worlds, the results are educational: Clementine tries gamely to appreciate the quiet of the meadow and nearly jumps out of her scarf every time an owl calls. Blythe makes it to the city, is genuinely dazzled — and then has to hide behind the refrigerator before the cat even arrives. This story is over two thousand years old. It holds up.
Every Lauren's Little Bedtime Story includes:Calming Relaxation: Gentle breathing exercises to help your body relax.Original Bedtime Lullaby: Wind-down time as Lauren sings you to sleep.A Full Original Bedtime Story: A whimsical story read aloud by Lauren.
Part 3 of 3. Hark, Reader! Hop into the Reading Bug's magic book bag for a legendary trip back in time to the magical kingdom of Camelot — home of King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, and the Knights of the Round Table!
But the road to Camelot is no easy quest. Dangerous trolls and serpents lurk around every corner — and once we arrive, something feels strange. Could the kingdom be... cursed?
King Arthur and Queen Guinevere need help, and they're looking to us. Freshly knighted and ready for adventure, we must rise to the challenge and break Camelot's curse before it's too late!
Explore the Magic! Check out the books featured in this adventure at: www.thereadingbug.com/adventures/royal
Gerald the frog has formed a committee. Someone, he feels, should really be in charge of when it rains — and that someone is going to be him. The Official Rainstorm Committee convenes on a flat rock beside the pond with five members: Gerald, who has a gavel and an agenda; Dorothy the duck, who votes in favor of rain on every single item regardless of what the item is; Winston the cat, who votes against rain on every single item regardless of what the item is; Edgar the worm, who brought a crumb to share and agrees with whoever spoke last; and Old Margaret the turtle, who arrived with a notepad, a pen, and the quiet certainty that this is the Mushroom Foraging Society. The committee debates, deadlocks, and adjourns — and then it rains anyway, exactly when it was going to.
Every Lauren's Little Bedtime Story includes:Calming Relaxation: Gentle breathing exercises to help your body relax.Original Bedtime Lullaby: Wind-down time as Lauren sings you to sleep.A Full Original Bedtime Story: A whimsical story read aloud by Lauren.
Part 2 of 3. Hark, Reader! Hop into the Reading Bug's magic book bag for a legendary trip back in time to the magical kingdom of Camelot — home of King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, and the Knights of the Round Table!
But the road to Camelot is no easy quest. Dangerous trolls and serpents lurk around every corner — and once we arrive, something feels strange. Could the kingdom be... cursed?
King Arthur and Queen Guinevere need help, and they're looking to us. Freshly knighted and ready for adventure, we must rise to the challenge and break Camelot's curse before it's too late!
Explore the Magic! Check out the books featured in this adventure at: www.thereadingbug.com/adventures/royal
Part 1 of 3. Hark, Reader! Hop into the Reading Bug's magic book bag for a legendary trip back in time to the magical kingdom of Camelot — home of King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, and the Knights of the Round Table!
But the road to Camelot is no easy quest. Dangerous trolls and serpents lurk around every corner — and once we arrive, something feels strange. Could the kingdom be... cursed?
King Arthur and Queen Guinevere need help, and they're looking to us. Freshly knighted and ready for adventure, we must rise to the challenge and break Camelot's curse before it's too late!
Explore the Magic! Check out the books featured in this adventure at: www.thereadingbug.com/adventures/royal
Ahoy, Reader! Hop into the Reading Bug's magic book bag and set sail with Lauren and the Reading Bug to meet some of the nastiest, rowdiest, smelliest, song-and-dance-iest pirates to ever sail the seven seas!
But there's trouble on the high seas — a young girl has been captured by the fearsome Captain Blackbeard and his motley crew, and she needs our help.
To get everyone to safety, we'll need to be brave, cunning, and ready for action. Can we outsmart Blackbeard before it's too late?
Explore the Magic! Check out the books featured in this adventure at: www.thereadingbug.com/adventures/pirate
Why does your brain run its most powerful, most emotional, most gloriously illogical show every single night — while your body lies completely still? Join Lauren and the Fact Fly (the proud keeper of forty-seven dream field reports, convinced he's been visiting an alternate dimension) as they investigate the mysterious science of dreams. From a real university sleep lab where scientists watch brainwaves spike the moment a dream begins, to a microscopic zoom inside the sleeping brain, this episode reveals why dreams feel so real, why their logic makes perfect sense until you wake up, and why scientists are still genuinely debating what dreams are even for.
You'll discover why the emotion center of your brain blazes at full power during REM sleep while the logic center goes nearly dark, how the hippocampus remixes your memories into wild new stories with no one to say "wait, this doesn't make sense," and why a chemical called norepinephrine switching off is the reason your dreams fade within five minutes of waking. Then the Fact Fly explores the three competing theories scientists have been arguing about for decades — the Rehearsal Room, the Memory Remix, and the Static Channel — and finds out that the real answer might be all three at once. Plus: why that falling-and-jolting sensation as you drift off is an ancient tree-sleeping safety reflex, what dream priming can do for nightmares, and why the platypus — of all creatures — has the most dramatic dream life of any animal on Earth.
Perfect for curious dreamers, anyone who's ever woken up desperately trying to hold onto a fading story, and anyone who needs to know what an octopus is doing when it flickers through colors in the deep ocean — while fast asleep.
Part 2 of 2. Ahoy, Reader! Hop into the Reading Bug's magic book bag and set sail with Lauren and the Reading Bug to meet some of the nastiest, rowdiest, smelliest, song-and-dance-iest pirates to ever sail the seven seas!
But there's trouble on the high seas — a young girl has been captured by the fearsome Captain Blackbeard and his motley crew, and she needs our help.
To get everyone to safety, we'll need to be brave, cunning, and ready for action. Can we outsmart Blackbeard before it's too late?
Explore the Magic! Check out the books featured in this adventure at: www.thereadingbug.com/adventures/pirate
Remi runs the finest — and only — delivery service in the village of Bramblewood. She has a leather satchel, a very organized notebook, and a perfect record. By late afternoon on a Thursday in October, she has one package left: a small brown parcel addressed to old Mrs. Thistle-Finch at the top of Wren Hill. The only problem is that somewhere between the post office and the bottom of the hill, the package has started making a sound. A faint, steady, impossible-to-explain ticking. A beaver named Mr. Holt has a theory. A crow named Vex has several, each more alarming than the last, and he follows Remi up the hill uninvited to share all of them. Nobody is right. When Mrs. Thistle-Finch finally opens the package in her warm stone cottage at the top of the hill, the ticking stops — and something much better takes its place.
Every Lauren's Little Bedtime Story includes:Calming Relaxation: Gentle breathing exercises to help your body relax.Original Bedtime Lullaby: Wind-down time as Lauren sings you to sleep.A Full Original Bedtime Story: A whimsical story read aloud by Lauren.
Part 1 of 2. Ahoy, Reader! Hop into the Reading Bug's magic book bag and set sail with Lauren and the Reading Bug to meet some of the nastiest, rowdiest, smelliest, song-and-dance-iest pirates to ever sail the seven seas!
But there's trouble on the high seas — a young girl has been captured by the fearsome Captain Blackbeard and his motley crew, and she needs our help.
To get everyone to safety, we'll need to be brave, cunning, and ready for action. Can we outsmart Blackbeard before it's too late?
Explore the Magic! Check out the books featured in this adventure at: www.thereadingbug.com/adventures/pirate
Book Worm's Story Snacks | One Small Worm, One Giant Universe What's it really like to float two hundred and fifty miles above the Earth?
Join Book Worm on this out-of-this-world Story Snack and step aboard the International Space Station — the most extraordinary thing human beings have ever built — where everything floats, sixteen sunrises happen every single day, and six astronauts are living and working right now, as you listen, above your head.
Meet Vera, an astronomer who has spent fifty years looking up at the ISS through her telescope — and has never once been inside it. Discover why orbiting Earth is really just falling sideways very fast, learn what the thin blue line hugging our planet actually is, and suit up for a spacewalk where the only thing between you and the silence of space is a helmet, a backpack full of oxygen, and a tether you really don't want to let go of.
Together, you'll discover that seeing our whole planet at once — small, bright, and fragile in all that black — changes the way you look at everything.
Savannah Sprinkles is a light brown puppy with four white paws and a very important list of things to do tonight — and going to sleep is not on it. There's a suspicious smell in the backyard that needs investigating, a food bowl whose status cannot be assumed, a three-week-old mystery behind the couch, and a refrigerator making a sound that frankly nobody has explained yet. The old golden dog Rosie is already asleep in her armchair on Chestnut Street and is of almost no help whatsoever. Savannah works her way through the list with great dedication — and discovers, one by one, that the backyard smell is gone, behind the couch is just a dust bunny, and the refrigerator is simply keeping things cold. Eventually, on her way to investigate the hallway, she stops just for a moment to smell her favorite blanket. Just to check it's still there. The bed turns out to be extremely difficult to leave.
Every Lauren's Little Bedtime Story includes:Calming Relaxation: Gentle breathing exercises to help your body relax.Original Bedtime Lullaby: Wind-down time as Lauren sings you to sleep.A Full Original Bedtime Story: A whimsical story read aloud by Lauren.
When the other garden bugs tease the Reading Bug for being different, she does what she always does — reads more books! And this time, they inspire the most fantastical adventure yet. Join Lauren, the Reading Bug and the Spelling Bee on a journey over the rainbow to the Land of the Unicorns!
Only, things may not be all rainbows and unicorns. On the other side of the rainbow is a grey kingdom ruled by a cold and powerful queen who hates everything unique.
With the help of Yeti, a shy young unicorn in hiding, we must find the courage to stand up to the queen, rescue our friend, and remind every unicorn in the land that what makes them different makes them magical.
Explore the Magic! Check out the books featured in this adventure at: www.thereadingbug.com/adventures/unicorn
How do we make sound when we talk — and why does your voice sound so different when you hear it on a recording? Join Lauren and the Fact Fly as they investigate the surprisingly amazing science behind the most incredible instrument ever made: you. From the tiny vibrating vocal folds inside your larynx to the air from your lungs that turns those “little strings” into sound, this episode reveals how your body transforms a simple buzz into words, songs, whispers, shouts, and your one-of-a-kind voice.
You’ll discover why high notes and low notes work like tightening and loosening guitar strings, how your tongue, lips, teeth, mouth, skull, and sinuses all help shape sound, and why singing is basically “the voice box turned up to 11.” Then the Fact Fly takes a wild tour through the animal kingdom to find out how birds harmonize with themselves, whales sing across oceans, elephants communicate through the ground, crickets play their wings like tiny fiddles, and bats use sound to “see” the world. Plus: the mystery of why your recorded voice sounds weird — the answer involves bone vibrations, air vibrations, and the fact that everyone else has been hearing your voice differently all along.
Perfect for singers, talkers, animal-sound lovers, curious kids, and anyone who has ever heard their own voice on a recording and said, “Wait… is THAT what I sound like?”
Deep in the forest, a tiny seed named Rue falls from her mother's branch and lands in the dark earth below — and immediately runs into a problem: she has no idea how to grow. She knows she's supposed to. She's watched her mother do it her whole life. But what if she grows the wrong direction? What if she gets it wrong? A well-meaning worm stops by, offers what limited advice a worm can reasonably offer, and suggests she talk to her mother. Then, traveling through the roots of the forest the way trees have always spoken to each other underground, her mother's voice arrives — and sings her a song. By the time the song is finished, something small and certain has shifted in the dark, and Rue finally understands that growing isn't something you figure out. It's something you simply begin.
Every Lauren's Little Bedtime Story includes:Calming Relaxation: Gentle breathing exercises to help your body relax.Original Bedtime Lullaby: Wind-down time as Lauren sings you to sleep.A Full Original Bedtime Story: A whimsical story read aloud by Lauren.
Part 2 of 2. When the other garden bugs tease the Reading Bug for being different, she does what she always does — reads more books! And this time, they inspire the most fantastical adventure yet. Join Lauren, the Reading Bug and the Spelling Bee on a journey over the rainbow to the Land of the Unicorns!
Only, things may not be all rainbows and unicorns. On the other side of the rainbow is a grey kingdom ruled by a cold and powerful queen who hates everything unique.
With the help of Yeti, a shy young unicorn in hiding, we must find the courage to stand up to the queen, rescue our friend, and remind every unicorn in the land that what makes them different makes them magical.
Explore the Magic! Check out the books featured in this adventure at: www.thereadingbug.com/adventures/unicorn
Every autumn, Hazel the bear goes back to her perfect winter sleeping spot — except this year, a very polite family of hedgehogs has moved in and is absolutely not leaving. What follows is a tour of the wrong places: a cave that echoes her own yawns back at her, a hollow log she keeps rolling out of, and a fox named Rupert who answers the door with the energy of someone not expecting company. With a skeptical squirrel named Dot keeping up a running commentary, Hazel searches the autumn woods for the one spot that feels like somewhere-safe — and finds that the right place to rest was never going to be fancy.
Every Lauren's Little Bedtime Story includes:Calming Relaxation: Gentle breathing exercises to help your body relax.Original Bedtime Lullaby: Wind-down time as Lauren sings you to sleep.A Full Original Bedtime Story: A whimsical story read aloud by Lauren.
Part 1 of 2. When the other garden bugs tease the Reading Bug for being different, she does what she always does — reads more books! And this time, they inspire the most fantastical adventure yet. Join Lauren, the Reading Bug and the Spelling Bee on a journey over the rainbow to the Land of the Unicorns!
Only, things may not be all rainbows and unicorns. On the other side of the rainbow is a grey kingdom ruled by a cold and powerful queen who hates everything unique.
With the help of Yeti, a shy young unicorn in hiding, we must find the courage to stand up to the queen, rescue our friend, and remind every unicorn in the land that what makes them different makes them magical.
Explore the Magic! Check out the books featured in this adventure at: www.thereadingbug.com/adventures/unicorn
Grab your helmet and knee pads—it's time to shred! Lauren, the Reading Bug, and the Fact Fly are heading to the most famous skatepark in the world: Venice Beach! But before they can drop in, they meet Livvy on the sand—a girl who has been bravely learning to skate with her older brother's help, only to have her confidence knocked right out from under her by a lost lucky necklace and a bully named Aden.
From the history of "sidewalk surfing" in 1950s California to the difference between longboards, shortboards, and cruisers, there's a ton to discover on the way to the park. But the biggest lesson of the day? That when you fall, you haven't failed—and that sometimes the hardest part is simply showing up. Lace up your skate shoes and roll with us into Part 1 of this wheely exciting adventure!
Explore the Magic:
Check out the books featured in this adventure at: www.thereadingbug.com/adventures/skateboard
In this laugh-filled prehistoric bedtime adventure, meet Tiko, a brave, dog-sized Psittacosaurus who finds himself face-to-face with Thunderfeet, the grumpiest (and biggest!) T-Rex in the valley. Everyone believes Thunderfeet is a terrifying menace… until Tiko discovers the truth: the giant dinosaur isn’t mean — he’s just exhausted.
To save himself (and maybe the whole herd!), Tiko must use his quick thinking — and a very special dinosaur lullaby — to calm the sleepy giant before he becomes a midnight snack. Full of gentle suspense, silly surprises, and dino-sized heart, this bedtime story teaches bravery, empathy, and how even the biggest, loudest creatures sometimes just need a good night’s sleep.
Perfect for kids who love: 🦕 Dinosaurs 😂 Funny, not-too-scary adventure 💤 Soothing bedtime storytelling and music 🌙 Stories about bravery, kindness, and clever thinking
Part 2 of 2. Grab your helmet and knee pads—it's time to shred! Lauren, the Reading Bug, and the Fact Fly are heading to the most famous skatepark in the world: Venice Beach! But before they can drop in, they meet Livvy on the sand—a girl who has been bravely learning to skate with her older brother's help, only to have her confidence knocked right out from under her by a lost lucky necklace and a bully named Aden.
From the history of "sidewalk surfing" in 1950s California to the difference between longboards, shortboards, and cruisers, there's a ton to discover on the way to the park. But the biggest lesson of the day? That when you fall, you haven't failed—and that sometimes the hardest part is simply showing up. Lace up your skate shoes and roll with us into Part 1 of this wheely exciting adventure!
Explore the Magic:
Check out the books featured in this adventure at: www.thereadingbug.com/adventures/skateboard
Why does spicy food actually burn — and why does black pepper make you sneeze when you haven't even touched it? Join Lauren and the Fact Fly as they investigate the fiery science behind everyone's favorite fake emergency! From the TRPV1 receptor — your mouth's built-in biological fire alarm — to the committed molecular prank that capsaicin has been pulling on mammals for millions of years, this episode reveals that spicy food isn't burning you at all. It's just very convincingly lying to your brain.
You'll climb the Scoville Scale from diplomatic bell pepper to the terrifying Carolina Reaper, find out exactly why water makes spicy food worse (and milk makes it better), and discover the remarkably clever reason peppers evolved to be spicy in the first place — a millions-of-years-old plot twist involving birds, squirrels, and some very strategic seed distribution. Plus: why do some people actually enjoy the heat? The answer involves endorphins, context, and what the Fact Fly is now calling "collecting the prize for surviving a fake emergency."
Perfect for spice lovers, cautious eaters, and anyone who has ever reached for a glass of water and made everything significantly worse!
In the Meadow of Starfall, every unicorn's horn does something magical — sparks, light, warmth, blooming flowers. Every unicorn's except Opal's, whose horn plays music when she touches things. Just a few soft notes. Just a song. When the whole herd gathers for the Grand Gleaming, the annual celebration of horn magic, Opal's melody gets polite smiles and moves on. Her enthusiastic hedgehog friend Thorn keeps rolling into things and insisting she's wrong about herself. Then a baby bird falls from its nest and every dazzling horn in the meadow only frightens it further — and Opal discovers, in the quietest possible way, that making something feel safe is the most powerful magic there is.
Every Lauren's Little Bedtime Story includes: Calming Relaxation: Gentle breathing exercises to help your body relax. Original Bedtime Lullaby: Wind-down time as Lauren sings you to sleep. A Full Original Bedtime Story: A whimsical story read aloud by Lauren.
