The Best Short Stories to Use With Middle Schoolers
Short stories are an incredibly powerful tool to get students reading, thinking critically, and talking with their peers about stories. In the world of distance learning, they can also be a wonderful means of providing students with engaging texts, even if there’s no access to physical library shelves.
Please note that the short stories listed below are categorized by how I could see these stories used in the classroom. Additionally, next to each title, I included a grade level range that will give you an idea of the mature content or reading level of each story.
I am confident you will find success with these titles in your classroom:
Stories with lighthearted humor...
“How a Boy Can Become a Grease Fire” (from Look Both Ways) ~ Jason Reynolds (6-8)
“Charles” ~ Shirley Jackson (6-8)
“Seventy-Six Dollars and Forty-Nine Cents” (from Flying Lessons and other stories) ~ Kwame Alexander (6-8)
Stories with mystery & Twist Endings…
“The Difficult Path” (from Flying Lessons and other stories) ~ Grace Lin (6-8)
“Two Were Left” ~ Hugh B. Cave (6-8)
“The Treasure of Lemon Brown” ~ Walter Dean Myers (6-8)
“Thank You Ma’am” ~ Langston Hughs (6-8)
“The Getaway” ~ John Savage (6-8)
“The Dinner Party” ~ Mona Gardner (7-8)
“The Cage” ~ Martin Raim (6-8)
“Cemetery Path” ~ Leonard Q. Ross (6-8)
“The Landlady” ~ Roald Dahl (7-8)
“The Lottery” ~ Shirley Jackson (7-8)
“The Necklace” ~ Guy de Maupassant (7-8)
“After Twenty Years” ~ O. Henry (6-8)
“The Story of an Hour” ~ Kate Chopin (7-8)
Stories with engaging middle school experiences...
“Fish Cheeks” ~ Amy Tan (6-8)
“The Low Cuts Strike Again” (from Look Both Ways) ~ Jason Reynolds (6-8)
“Call of Duty” (from Look Both Ways) ~ Jason Reynolds (7-8)
“Sol Painting, Inc.” (from Flying Lessons and other stories) ~ Meg Medina (6-8)
“The Beans and Rice Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn” (from Flying Lessons and other stories) ~ Kelly J. Baptist (7-8)
“Main Street” (from Flying Lessons and other stories) ~ Jacqueline Woodson (6-8)
“Flying Lessons” (from Flying Lessons and other stories) ~ Soman Chainani (7-8)
“Sometimes a Dream Needs a Push” ~ Walter Dean Myers (6-8)
I think you and your students will enjoy these short stories. They have diverse authors, feature diverse characters, are of varying lengths, were written in different time periods, and showcase a variety of writing styles. Hopefully, you will find a short story that fits your needs.
Happy Reading & Teaching!
♥ Kara & Riley
