10 Favorite Short Stories Found Online – Middle School

Teachers love using short stories for so many reasons, and short stories found online offer added convenience and motivation!  A great short story can get our students thinking and making connections. Short stories are perfect for teaching literary terms and vocabulary.  Plus, students enjoy discussion around the conflicts and themes in short stories. And because these gems can be taught in a few class periods, students gain some solid literary momentum when we add several to a unit.

I like starting the year with short stories to build my students’ appreciation for brief, attention-grabbing fiction. Students can toss around their ideas on characters’ decisions and infer and predict as the action rises. At the same time, I can acquaint them with pertinent literary terms. In fact, I find that I can really dig into many of the standards for literature, including new words, figurative language, development of theme, and more.

Short stories online – What are the benefits? 

Many teachers have lots of short stories to choose from, but there are also many who don’t! If your school is low on resources, your students can enjoy 10 amazing short stories for middle school by using the links below. Here are some other benefits of finding great short stories online:

• Students can read the stories from their laptops or other devices. Whether you have a 1:1 classroom or you’re able to use (or borrow) a cart of devices, students do enjoy reading from their screens.
• Reading is easy to assign for homework. Instead of having to take home a textbook, or you having to make copies, you can have students read at home on their devices. This arrangement also works well for students who have missed class.
• You can plan lessons in advance without an anthology. Teachers who are starting at a new school or grade level can access the stories and start planning lessons without wondering if the stories will be available in print for students.
• The stories are always at your fingertips. The stories are wherever you are, so you can refer to them whenever you need to.

Here are 10 best short stories found online – perfect for middle school:

1.  The Scholarship Jacket

Nearing graduation, an eighth-grade Hispanic student in a small Texas school is denied the scholarship jacket she has earned with top grades. This story addresses the topics of prejudice and unfairness in a school setting, integrity, and grandparenting. Read the story here:  The Scholarship Jacket

2.  The Medicine Bag

Martin feels embarrassed when his aging Sioux grandfather shows up at his family’s home unannounced. Exhausted and sickly, Grandpa has come to pass a Sioux tradition on to Martin, causing Martin fear. Instead, Martin learns startling things about his grandfather he never knew, causing him to change his outlook profoundly. Read the story here:  The Medicine Bag

3.  Thank You M’am

Langston Hughes’ classic story begins with Roger trying to snatch a purse from Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones. After shaking him up quite a bit, she takes Roger to her home, shares a meal with him, and talks about wanting things she couldn’t have when she was young. She gives him money to buy the shoes he wanted, and Roger leaves having learned a lesson about right and wrong. Read the story here:  Thank You Ma’am

Here’s a story brochure you might like for this one:  Thank You M’am Story Brochure

4.  The Treasure of Lemon Brown

When he leaves his house upset with his father, fourteen-year-old Greg finds a homeless man in an old tenement. Greg and the man, Lemon Brown, scare away some menacing thugs, and when Lemon Brown reveals a “treasure” he claims to have, Greg learns something about parents that causes him to have a change of heart towards his father. Read the story here:  The Treasure of Lemon Brown

5.  Stop the Sun

This story centers around thirteen-year-old Terry and his father, who is suffering with post-traumatic stress syndrome from the Vietnam War. His father has become totally withdrawn, and very often his “eyes go away.” After he has a breakdown in public, Terry attempts to talk to him, and is surprised when his dad suddenly opens up about the killings he witnessed and the guilt that haunts him. Read the story here:  Stop the Sun

6.  Born Worker

Jose comes from a poor family and has been a hard worker all his life. His cousin, Arnie, is just the opposite: wealthy, lazy, and deceptive. When Arnie proposes that he find jobs for them with Arnie taking a 50/50 cut, Jose knows he must keep his head and his values as he deals with Arnie’s dishonest nature.  Jose gains the understanding that there will always be people in the world like Arnie, but he will be like his father, a born worker. Read the story here:  Born Worker

7.   The Ransom of Red Chief

In this humorous O. Henry story, two drifters, Sam and Bill, plan to kidnap a boy in a small town and hold him for ransom money. Their plan backfires when the boy, Johnny Dorset, becomes a total behavior problem that both men can’t handle. The men try to just return him without being caught, but run into more problems when they implement their plan.  Find it here:   The Ransom of Red Chief 

Here’s a flip book you might like using with this story:   The Ransom of Red Chief FLIP BOOK – Standards-aligned

8.  All Summer in a Day

Margot is different because she is from Earth, unlike her schoolmates on Venus. They are jealous of her past experiences, especially her memories of the sun. After seven years of solid rain, when the sun is about to make a rare appearance on Venus, the students punish Margot with a cruel act of bullying.  Read the story here:  All Summer in a Day

Take a look at this fun story brochure: All Summer in a Day Foldable Story Brochure

9.  The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street

This one is a teleplay—an episode of Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone. Neighbors fear that aliens have landed when a bright flash appears in the sky and strange things begin to happen. Incited by a young boy’s stories, people accuse each other of being an alien sent in advance. Panic and a mob scene leave readers questioning who the real monsters are. Great for engaging students in a dramatic read-aloud! Find it here: The Monsters are Due on Maple Street

Here’s a resource you might like for this one: Monsters Are Due on Maple Street Literature Response Packet

10.  Seventh Grade

Victor begins his first day in seventh grade hoping to make Teresa his girlfriend. After a series of awkward run-ins with her, he attends his French class, where she is also enrolled. To impress Teresa, Victor pretends to know French but has to use gibberish when responding to his teacher’s questions. Mr. Bueller does not embarrass Victor, but instead his empathy leads to new understandings and confidence for Victor.  Read this short story online here:  Seventh Grade

Just looking over this list gets me excited about teaching short stories! And these are some of the very best middle school short stories found online. All are classroom-tested, written by acclaimed authors, and at your fingertips with a click.

Thanks for reading!  Click on the images to see my story resources.

 

 

 

 

Click to read about 40 Book Recommendations for Middle School Readers