Short stories are excellent alternatives to chapter books for engaging reluctant readers, especially middle school students with short attention spans. These 52 short stories for middle schoolers include favorites from well-known authors like Ray Bradbury, Edgar Allen Poe, and Jack London, as well as contemporary writers like Celest Ng and Cherie Dimaline. Many feature African-American and Asian-American characters and narrators. All are available online to read for free.
1. Plate of Peas by Rick Beyer
Learn more: I'm That Teacher
2. Valediction by Sherman Alexie
Learn more: The Rumpus
3. Eleven by Sandra Cisneros
Learn more: Columbia Public Schools
4. Lenses by Leah Silverman
Learn more: Mrs. Girard
5. How To Be Chinese by Celeste Ng
Learn more: Gulf Coast Mag
6. Names/Nombres by Julia Alvarez
Learn more: Mr. Regalbuto
7. Boot Camp by Deborah Ellis
Learn more: Values We Live By
8. Rules of the Game by Amy Tan
Learn more: jg019.k12.sd.us
9. Click Clack the Rattlebag by Neil Gaiman
Learn more: Mr. Rickman's Blog
10. The Scholarship Jacket by Marta Salinas
Learn more: Washington Township
11. The Medicine Bag by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve
Learn more: Boces
12. We Have Always Lived On Mars by Cecil Castellucci
Learn more: Tor.com
13. Stop the Sun by Gary Paulsen
Learn more: Mrs. Karin
14. The Treasure of Lemon Brown by Walter Dean Myers
Learn more: Southwest Licking Schools
15. The Ransom of Red Chief by O. Henry
Learn more: Divine Wisdom Catholic Academy
16. Born Worker by Gary Soto
Learn more: Chino Valley Unified School District
17. The Fun They Had by Isaac Asimov
Learn more: web1.nbed.nb.ca
18. Geraldine Moore The Poet by Toni Cade Bambara
Learn more: Mrs. Winter 8th Grade English
19. Miss Awful by Arthur Cavanaugh
Learn more: Cazzettodotcom
20. To Build a Fire by Jack London
Learn more: American English
21. An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce
Learn more: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
22. The Moustache by Robert Cormier
Learn more here
23. The Black Cat by Edgar Allen Poe
Learn more: Learning English
24. A Visit of Charity by Eudora Welty
Learn more: Westada
25. The Treasure in the Forest by H. G. Wells
Learn more: Elfshorts
26. War Years by Viet Thanh Nguyen
Learn more: Blogs @ Baruch
27. The Friday Everything Changed by Ann Hart
Learn more: Moodyap
28. The Wish by Roald Dahl
Learn more: mrsmccschooldays
29. The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell
Learn more: Duke of Definition
30. The Veldt by Ray Bradbury
Learn more: Ufsc.br
31. Thank You Ma’am by Langston Hughes
Learn more: chino.k12.ca.us
32. Gabriel-Ernest by Saki
Learn more: eflreading.pbworks.com
33. After 'While by Cherie Dimaline
Learn more: Cbc.ca
34. Heads of The Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spires
Learn more: pioneer.netserv.chula.ac.th
35. Fish Cheeks by Amy Tan
Learn more: ncps-k12.org
36. Amigo Brothers by Piri Thomas
Learn more: madison-schools.com
37. So What Are You Anyway by Lawrence Hill
Learn more: edge-integrity.weebly.com
38. Lob's Girl by Joan Aiken
Learn more: btboces.org
39. On The Bridge by Todd Strasser
Learn more: burkestein.weebly.com
40. The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe
Learn more: americanenglish.state.gov
41. The Difficult Path by Grace Lin
Learn more: Book Rags
42. A Mountain Legend by Jordan Wheeler
Learn more: mrsauchinlecksenglishtreasuretrove.weebly.com
43. Sol Painting by Meg Medina
Learn more: rivertonmiddleschool.com
44. Seventh Grade by Gary Soto
Learn more: cforks.org
45. Scout's Honor by Avi
Learn more: hannawi.weebly.com
46. Lose Now, Pay Later by Carol Farley
Learn more: cbsd.org
47. The All-American Slurp by Lensey Namioka
Learn more: hansonlibrary.org
48. Of Roses and Kings by Melissa Marr
Learn more: tor.com
49. Sound of Thunder by Ray Bradbury
Learn more: astro.sunysb.edu
50. The Night the Ghost Got In by James Thurber
Learn more: englishiva1011.pbworks.com
51. The Sniper by Liam O'Flaherty
Learn more: web.usd475.org
52. The Test by Theodore Thomas
Learn more: auburn.wednet.edu
10 Inspiring Chapter Books for 4th Grade Readers