I fell in love with short stories during my MFA program. Writing short fiction requires a love for the tight formula and the big surprise at the end. I especially think short stories are great ways for kids to connect to reading. Without the intimidating length of a novel, kids can feel like they’ve accomplished something significant by reading a short story (and they have!). For those kids and more, I’m recommending 10 awesome middle grade short story anthologies for children. (And if you’re looking for YA short story collections, be sure to check out my list of the 10 best short story anthologies for young adults.)
Been There, Done That: Writing Stories from Real Life – edited by Mike Winchell
Age range: 10 years and up
As a kid, I wanted nothing more than to be a writer one day, but there was a mystery that surrounded that career: how did authors come up with their ideas? In Been There, Done That, you’ll find answers to those questions and more. This unique short story collection for kids invites writers to draw on their personal history and fictionalize it into a bite-sized tale. I love how this anthology of short stories for middle grade readers is diverse; Grace Lin and Julia Alvarez are just two authors who contributed to the book. If you love this collection, check out the sequel: Been There, Done That: School Dazed.
How to read it: Purchase Been There, Done That on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
Code 7: Cracking the Code for an Epic Life by Bryan R. Johnson
Age range: 8 – 10 years or 6 – 8 years for bedtime stories with adults
Children are right on the cusp of awareness of the greater, often unjust world. But many kids are no stranger to facing inequality and discrimination. How do we help kids feel more empowered? How can children spark a dawning awareness of our part in the world to help others? If you’re struggling with these conversations, take a look at Bryan R. Johnson’s Code 7. In his short stories collected in this short but powerful anthology, Johnson zeroes in on the struggles and successes of seven elementary school kids. These inspirational stories are sure to spark confidence in any child. (And if you’re curious about having those talks with your kids, pick up Good Talk by Mira Jacob, a graphic memoir for adults.)
How to read it: Purchase Code 7 on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
Fairy Tale Comics – edited by Chris Duffy
Age range: 6 – 12 years
If your kid loves illustration, art, and comics, add Fairy Tale Comics to your TBR. This book (which I also profiled in my list of 15 great graphic novels for kids) contains fairy tales reimagined as short story comics by some of the best cartoonists working today: Emily Carroll, Jillian Tamaki, and Craig Thompson are just a few of the artists who bring stuffy old fairy tales to life.
How to read it: Purchase Fairy Tale Comics on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods by Hal Johnson
Age range: 8 – 12 years
Kids who are intrigued by Bigfoot, Nessie, and other famous legendary creatures, add Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods to your to-be-read list. Here you’ll find short stories about creatures from North American folklore and urban legends. In this anthology, Hal Johnson adapts a 1910 book about cryptozoology of North America by William Thomas Cox for modern readers. Illustrations by Tom Mead and glow in the dark ink make this book engaging and entertaining.
How to read it: Purchase Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
Flying Lessons – edited by Ellen Oh
Age range: 8 – 12 years
We read Flying Lessons last semester, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. This short story anthology edited by Ellen Oh was created in partnership with We Need Diverse Books, the advocacy group that focuses on increasing diversity in children’s literature. Flying Lessons features stories by diverse authors exploring minority and marginalized identities. Some of my favorite authors, like Jacqueline Woodson and Kwame Alexander, contribute to this children’s short story collection you won’t want to miss.
How to read it: Purchase Flying Lessons on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
Funny Girl – edited by Betsy Bird
Age range: 8 – 12 years
Tickle your funny bone with this anthology that collects hilarious short stories by 30 female writers. Editor Betsy Bird includes stories by authors both up and coming (Raina Telgemeier) and established (Rita Williams-Garcia). Young readers can expect big laughs with these silly stories that promotes women in the male-dominated comedy world.
How to read it: Purchase Funny Girl on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
Guys Read: Other Worlds – edited by Jon Scieszka
Age range: 8 – 12 years
I’m a big fan of Jon Scieszka. I used two of his picture books (The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales and The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs) in my critical thesis. One of the things I admire about Sciezka, who served as US National Ambassador for Children’s Literature, is his commitment to getting boys to love reading with Guys Read. Sciezska has compiled a bunch of books in his Guys Read short story anthology series. Really, all of them are fabulous, but for this post I’m highlighting Guys Read: Other Worlds. This book is themed with science fiction and features a power house of male writers (and a few female authors, too) like Rick Riordan, Neal Shusterman, and Kenneth Oppel. Guys Read: Other Worlds is an essential short story collection for kids you’ll want on your shelf.
How to read it: Purchase Guys Read: Other Worlds on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
The Hero Next Door – edited by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
Age range: 8 – 12 years
The Hero Next Door is another great short story collection from We Need Diverse Books. This time, the theme is everyday bravery. The stories in this collection show how heroes live among us—and the ways we can become heroes ourselves. Edited by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, The Hero Next Door highlights many #ownvoices diverse writers, such as Cynthia Leitich Smith and William Alexander (two of our amazing faculty members at VCFA!) and R.J. Palacio of Wonder fame.
How to read it: Purchase The Hero Next Door on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds
Age range: 10 – 14 years
It’s fair to say I have a huge crush on Jason Reynolds, who is quickly becoming a leader in children’s lit. From middle grade to YA, Reynolds is conjuring a range of work that gets kids reading. A recent profile in The New York Times looks at this phenomenal writer. Look Both Ways is a collection of interrelated short stories (sometimes called a short story cycle). In ten stories set on ten blocks, Reynolds weaves together different kid characters. You won’t want to miss this book, which was named a National Book Award finalist.
How to read it: Purchase Look Both Ways on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
A World Full of Spooky Stories by Angela McAllister
Age range: 5 – 8 years
Angela McAllister has written more than a few short story collections for children. She has one for stories from Shakespeare, another that focuses on animal stories, and a book that features 52 short stories to read—one each week—about kids around the world. But here I’m choosing to highlight A World Full of Spooky Stories because who doesn’t love to be scared? McAllister takes a global view of creepy tale, reimagining terrifying Baba Yaga from Russian folklore, the Snake Prince from India, and the Blind Man and the Demons from Korea. Not just for Halloween, there are plenty of scary stories to last throughout the year.
How to read it: Purchase A World Full of Spooky Stories on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
The World’s Worst Teachers by David Walliams
Age range: 7 – 12 years
I’m so glad I stumbled upon David Walliams’s books one day while visiting Joseph Fox Bookstore in Philadelphia. This British author is not as well known over here on the other side of the pond, and I can’t wait until people finally find out about his humorous, whimsical children’s literature. I read his novel The Midnight Gang this past winter and tore through it. I’m very excited, then, to learn that he has a new anthology of short stories out: The World’s Worst Teachers. Walliams often gets compared to Roald Dahl (my favorite children’s writer when I was growing up), and I’m happy to say it’s accurate praise. In The World’s Worst Teachers Walliams shows off that influence well in tales of sinister adults (sound like Matilda?). These comedic stories come to live in Quentin Blake-inspired color illustrations by Tony Ross. If you’re looking for a good middle grade short story collection to give as a gift, pick up The World’s Worst Teachers.
