Permission is hereby granted to download and reproduce the attached short stories and ancillary materials for instructional / recreational use only. Sale of these materials is strictly prohibited.
"Enjoy! And don't forget to join my mailing list (bottom of page) to receive notification as more free stories are posted!"
(You'll need Acrobat Reader to download these stories. Don't worry, it's also FREE! Just click on the link below.)
This collection of short stories is offered free of charge to educators and lovers of reading around the world. Michelle's collection of high-interest low-level literature is sure to become a favorite in private and public classrooms alike. Why are they free? Because often the schools (and/or teachers) who need these materials most are the ones who can least afford resources. They're yours to use for your learning / teaching / reading pleasure.
In response to her students' lack of relativity to the characters in classic literature, Michelle started writing pieces for her high school students in an effort to bridge the gap between their diverse reading levels / backgrounds and traditional literary themes. These stories (written for who struggle with reading because of skill or interest) will appeal to even the most reluctant secondary reader. Michelle tactfully addresses topics that leave readers with a sense of what it means to engage with text and pull from various experiences to increase comprehension. Stories can be downloaded along with discussion questions for before reading and after reading (excellent writing prompts)! Add your graphic organizers and creative teaching ideas, and you'll have an engaging unit on your hands!
Johnny's father, Anthony, is ruining what's left of their impoverished family with his drunken rages and abuse. Against his mother's wishes, Johnny makes a choice to change things for himself and his hounger sisters, but will he turn out to be the person he loathes? This gripping story deals with the sensitive issues of family violence and drug abuse. Author purposefully chose to leave race out of the equation in order to show that families of all colors may be affected by bad choices.
Good Gangsters
The white kids at school are tired of being picked on because of their skin color. They unite for "protection" but end up imitating their adversaries.
Zero
Angelica (a first-time freshman) meets David (a lifetime freshman) on the first day of school. They devise a plan to help David pass English I this time around, but David's involvement in a gang ends more than their friendship.
Runaway Mother (2-Part Story) Intended for Senior High School Students
Part I - Guadalupe returns to school after giving birth to Little Robert. She thought that her social life would simply pick up where it left off, but she was wrong. Nothing is what it used to be. Faced with the challenges of parenthood, Guadalupe decides to leave it all behind. (This particular story stayed on the top ten of Time/Warner's e-stories web community or 14 days.)
Part II - On the run, Guadalupe meets a mysterious man who turns out to be a ruthless drug dealer. She must decide whether to stay and make "quick money" or leave - if she can.
Marissa's Dilemma (2-part story)
Marissa Rodriguez is an eleven-year old genius. Now that her academic success has landed her in high school, how will she deal with the social pressures of this new teenage world? This is a lighter story, appropriate for grades 5-12.
When Donna can't live with her mother's strict new rules, she goes to live with her grandmother and becomes the hostess of the neighborhood skip parties. But the parties will come to a tragic end on her 16th birthday. High school students only.
Michelle Stimpson
Author, Public Teacher
Everything to Live For
Michelle is doing her best to lay low in her new school. But her friendship with a popular cheerleader's boyfriend threatens her anonymity, Michelle is forced to reveal a secret about her past that might ruin what's left of her life. This story deals with HIV/AIDS and how a young girl discovers that life is worth living despite the odds stacked against you. High school students.
Jamie's Bad-Good Day (Story Only)
Jamie Conner, a sixth grader who has fallen out of love with school, gets unexpected encouragement in the form of a mysterious note sent home to his parents. If he can just get out of the school building without being caught, he might get the chance to out-smart his older sister. Upper elementary/middle school students will enjoy this one.
Kasey and Lydia have been friends since elementary school, but their friendship is tested when a one handsome but shady guy turns them against each other. Can Jessica forgive in time to save her best friend's life? Senior high school students - deals with an attempted date rape.
After a night of drinking with friends, Mika, a senior, faces the consequences as she finds out that she is pregnant by Raphael. His reaction leads Mika to believe that the best thing to do is terminate the pregnancy. Days later, Raphael apologizes, telling Mika that he’s ready to be a father. But is it too late?
Senior high school students - deals with alcohol, pregnancy, and abortion.
Michael barely graduated from high school and asks himself the big question, "Now what?"
As his friends go off to pursue their dreams, Michael is left behind, still working at the same job he had in high school. Meanwhile, he meets Sarah. They have a baby and move in together. The pressures and uncertainties of the 'real world' finally lead Michael to make some definite decisions about his future. This is a very short story, may be used as a springboard to discuss goals, plans, etc. with upper middle/high school students.
In response to the emails I receive from teachers all across the country who have used these stories and want more writing for their reluctant readers, I have added this section to point you in the direction of more diverse reading selections. This is by no means a drop in the bucket when it comes to literature that your kids might like, but I just thought I'd share some of the selections that I've used in classrooms and workshops with teachers. I'm sure you can find them all on amazon.com. Please excuse my rather informal annotations and lack of apparent order, as I'm simply copying from an email that I sent to a teacher just last week. As with all literature, pleas preview the books and short stories before sharing them with your class. Only you know what is entirely appropriate for your students. Enjoy!
Guys Write for Guys Read (edited by Jon Scieszka) - a collection of short stories written by boys' favorite male authors. And the really neat thing about this is that the contributors wrote a short story and then referenced other books that the boys might like if they happen to like a particular style of writing.
So B. It by Sarah Weeks- This is a a novella about a 13-year-old girl (Heidi) who is being raised by her mentally retarded mother and her neighbor (Bernadette) who suffers from agoraphobia. Anyway, Heidi's mother has 23 words in her vocabulary. Heidi and Bernadette have figured out all except one of those words ("soof"). The book centers on Heidi's quest to find out what this word means to her mother. That quest holds to key to Heidi's identity. This is also a very good Friday night read.
145th Street Short Stories by Walter Dean Myers - A collection of 10 short stories about the lives of New York inner-city kids. Actually, anything by Walter Dean Myers is pretty good for at-risk populations. Realistic situations with life lessons. The story that sticks out to me is one called "Monkey Man" about a smart kid who hangs out in trees reading books (hence monkey man). He tries to do the right thing but a bad thing happens. Walter Dean Myers also wrote the book Monster. Kids and teachers alike have enjoyed this book.
"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury - I'm not really into science fiction, but I do love Ray Bradbury's science fiction short stories. I was able to find films for two of his short stories through interlibrary loan so we were able to compare and contrast.
Woman Hollering Creek by Sandra Cisneros - Short stories and vignettes. My favorite is "Eleven" - about a little girl who has her 11th birthday ruined by her teacher and a classmate. If you haven't read Sandra Cisneros' work, you're missing out!
Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey. I'm a closet Captain Underpants fan. Intermediate/Middle school kids with fun personalities who "get" jokes that sometimes fly over other students' heads really like Captain Underpants.
Shelf Life edited by Gary Paulsen (author of Hatchet) - A collection of 10 short stories. Some are funny, some are more serious. My favorite is the first one (In the Hat) by Ellen Conrad. A boy gets tricked into submitting a fake book report. He thinks it's going to be an "A" but something else happens. Surprise ending! Great for cataloging and students need to really listen to understand what happens in the story.
You Hear Me? Poems and Writings by Teenage Boys and Things I Have to Tell You: Poems and Writings by Teenage Girls, both edited by Betsy Franco. I haven't read the one from the girls yet, but the boys had some interesting things to say. Some of the content in this book is (in my opinion) not entirely appropriate for classroom discussion or teacher-assigned reading.
Baseball in April by Gary Soto - Collection of 10 short stories about life for a Latino in central California. I like most of Gary Soto's work because he keeps it real.
Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes - this one is organized in a very interesting manner. The students (fictional) in this book each tell a short story and then you read a poem that the student submitted to the teacher. It's very interesting because it's like you get to see the kid behind the poem that each one wrote. I could see taking just a few of these at a time and using them in class. Kids would love it!
The Circuit: Short Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child by Francisco Jimenez. Some of these were pretty funny because they're told through the eyes of a child. I learned a lot about life as a migrant child by reading these stories.
The First Part Last by Angela Johnson - The story of a single teenage father who is raising his newborn daughter. Well, actually, it's the story of his life before the baby and his life after becoming a father. Interesting organizational pattern. Angela Johnson writes lots of young adult fiction, by the way.
Who Am I Without Him?: Short Stories about Girls and the Boys in Their Lives by Sharon G. Flake. Haven't read this one yet but it's next on my list. It's a collection of 10 short stories (grades 7+) about the complexities and pressures of young girls and their relationships with boys. Sharon Flake also writes lots of young adult literature featuring African American girls. My favorite of hers is The Skin I'm In.
Kira-Kira (Newberry Medal) by Cynthia Kadohata - Though this book deals with a very serious situation within an Asian immigrant family, I found it to be completely hilarious at some points. I see how this one won the Newberry Medal. I have only shared it with adults, however, and I haven't quite heard anything from kids on this one. It's very new, so I wouldn't be surprised if it quickly became a favorite of kids from all different backgrounds!
The Giver by Lois Lowry - A classic futuristic piece with lots of social implications. My kids always liked this book because it starts pretty quickly and holds their attention throughout. I've read it twice for my own pleasure!
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan (Author of I Know What You Did Last Summer) - my juniors and senior liked this book because it, too, is pretty fast-paced and they can jump in pretty early. It's the story of kids who plan to kind of scare their teacher but the whole prank turns serious because they didn't know that the teacher needed medication desperately. This was made into a Lifetime movie.
For Your Own Professional Growth:
Reading Don't Fix No Chevys:Literacy in the Lives of Young Men by Michael Smith and Jeffrey Wilhelm
I Read It But I Don't Get It:Comprehension Strategies for Adolescent Readers by Cris Tovani
When Kids Can't Read: What Teachers Can Do: A Guide for Teachers 6-12 by Kylene Beers
It's Never Too Late: Leading Adolescents to Lifelong Literacy by Janet Allen
I'm sure that I'll think of more books to add as soon as I save this webpage. And I'll no doubt hit the stores for the holidays, so check back when you get the chance and see what I've added. Again, to all the teachers who visit this site, thanks for all you do to help children!
Jacob Caldon had a bright future ahead of him. His grades weren't too bad, he was being scouted by colleges, and he couldn't wait for the day that he could buy his hard-working mother her dream house. Stephanie is your typical over-achiever who has little patience for jocks and the popular crowd. When Jacob's path colides with Stephanie's at Northway High School, both of their lives change forever. Stephanie is made into the school villain, and Jacob will be lucky if he stays out of prison!
Upper middle or high school students - deals with assault (inappropriate touching), peer pressure, and legal definition of minors/adults. This sparked an interesting debate - many of my students were prompted to look up the Genarlow Wilson case and research state laws on minor/juvenile relationships.
