Small stories to read

18 Great Short Stories You Can Read Free Online

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(Editor’s note: this post was updated in August, 2021, with current links to all stories.) When I have no idea what to read, I find a bunch of free short stories online, save them onto the Pocket app, and read them as if I’ve compiled my own short story collection. Like a music playlist I create to match a mood, I create short story playlists to break a book slump, or to sample a bunch of different authors’ writing.

As to where to find great stories, The New Yorker stories are generally best, but require a subscription if you read too many in a month. I also like Narrative Magazine , which will ask you for an email, but their stories are free too. Tor of course has some great free stuff, and you can find most of the classics through Gutenberg. The stories on this list that are not from any of these publications, I found through simple Google searches. If I’m interested in an author, but don’t necessarily want to read a whole book, I look to see if they have any short fiction available that I can read first.

From this list, my favorites are Zadie Smith and Italo Calvino’s stories. I’d never read Zadie Smith, but after loving “The Embassy of Cambodia” I started On Beauty (a 500 page book) and I absolutely love it. Both stories satisfied a reading itch I needed scratched.

Here are a few of my favorite free short stories you can read online right now.

“

The world is a library that contains all the books that have ever been written, but most of them are indecipherable. Many people venture to the library to find the meaning of life. It reminded me of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld library.

“Perhaps my old age and fearfulness deceive me, but I suspect that the human species—the unique species—is about to be extinguished, but the Library will endure: illuminated, solitary, infinite, perfectly motionless, equipped with precious volumes, useless, incorruptible, secret. ”

“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson

This used to be my favorite short story, and I might only think that because I read it when I was a freshman in high school and I remember being shocked by the ending. It’s always stayed with me.

“A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor

Another story with an ending that you won’t forget anytime soon. O’Connor was a master. If you’ve never read any of her work I would start here.

“In the Penal Colony” by Franz Kafka

It’s a chilling story. A man known as the Traveller is visiting a foreign penal colony where he is shown a special machine used to execute prisoners. The machine inscribes the prisoner’s crime onto their body until they die (kind of sounds familiar if you’ve read the fifth Harry Potter book). It takes twelve hours of torture before the prisoner dies. I told you it was chilling!

“The Devil in America” by Kai Ashante Wilson (Tor)

Kai Ashante Wilson has quite a talent. This ties present day police brutality towards African Americans to post-emancipation America and a family of freed slaves that are living with the Devil that followed them from Africa.

“The City Born Great” by N.K. Jemisin (Tor)

Cities, once they are old enough, must be born. New York City is ready to be born, and must be led into the world by a reluctant midwife.

“Spider the Artist” by Nnedi Okorafor (Lightspeed Magazine)

Okorafor is a wonderful storyteller, and if you’ve never read her books, this would be a great place to start. And if you like this short story, Binti: The Complete Trilogy was released in February!

“Exhalation” by Ted Chiang (Lightspeed Magazine)

Oh, you’ve never read Ted Chiang? Well, you must go out now and read this story and then read Stories of Your Life and Others and his new collection Exhalation: Stories, which comes out in May. I was shocked by how good and complex his writing was. I had no idea that the movie The Arrival was based on one of his short stories.

“The Daughters of the Moon” by Italo Calvino (The New Yorker)

I don’t know. It’s either Zadie Smith’s “The Embassy of Cambodia” or this story that is my favorite on the list… I can’t decide. I think it’s this story. A story about the people of Earth deciding to throw away the Moon. It’s a story of consumerism. Luckily, I own “The Complete Cosmicomics“, so I can continue reading Calvino’s magnificent short story collection.

“The Embassy of Cambodia” by Zadie Smith (The New Yorker)

After you read “The Devil in America” read this story and see if you can find the parallels. This was my first time reading Zadie Smith because I’d always heard mixed reviews, but if her longer fiction is anything like this short story, I’m in love. If you need help figuring out where to start with Zadie Smith’s books, check out our Reading Pathway guide to Zadie Smith.

“Sweetness” by Toni MOrrison (The New Yorker)

A prelude to Morrison’s book God Help the Child, this is the story of Bride’s mother, and her rationale for raising her daughter in a loveless home.

“Girls, At Play” by Celeste Ng (Bellevue Literary Review)

“This is how we play the game: pink means kissing; red means tongue. Green means up your shirt; blue means down his pants. Purple means in your mouth. Black means all the way.”

The first four sentences of this short story sent chills down my spine. A superbly told story of the extremes of girlhood and adolescence; the pressures girls face as they get older.

“On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning” by Haruki Murakami (Genius)

Love at first sight, if you believe love is predestined rather than a choice. Fated love, to me, no matter how hard my heart becomes, still seems ridiculously romantic. I haven’t read Murakami in a long time but now I’m itching to pick up one of his books (I really want to read 1Q84, but it’s soooo long!).

“Chechnya” by Anthony Marra (Narrative Magazine)

This was Anthony Marra’s first published short story, and works as an outline for his novel A Constellation of Vital Phenomenon. It’s the kind of story you read while holding your breath.

“The Fruit of My Woman” by Han Kang (Granta)

This story was written in 1997 before the publication of The Vegetarian. The two stories share many of the same themes, and it’s evident that this story served as a blueprint for the later book. In “The Fruit of My Woman” the wife is slowly turning into a tree (something that also comes up in The Vegetarian). The allusions to Daphne turning herself into a laurel tree to escape the advances of Apollo are hard to miss, but there’s no clear indication that Daphne was an actual influence on either story. Han Kang can do no wrong in my eyes.

“A Lady’s Maid” by Sarah Gailey (Barnes & Noble)

I love Sarah Gailey. This is a great introduction if you’re unfamiliar with her work. It’s Victorian London with androids—so much to love!

“A Bruise the Size and Shape of a Door Handle” by Daisy Johnson (American Short Fiction)

A hot and bothered story about a house falling in love with the girl who lives in the attic. I loved everything about this story. This is included in Johnson’s short story collection, Fen, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. Also, the writing style reminded me of Samantha Hunt.

“Hollow” by Breece D’J Pancake (The Atlantic)

Breece D’J Pancake died when he was 26. He was from West Virginia, and I would label his writing “grit-lit”. This story was almost too gritty for me. He’s the kind of writer that other writers love. His short story collection has a blurb from Joyce Carol Oates.

Want more short stories? Check out our post on the 100 best short story collections!

21 Very Short and Addicting Stories You Can Read Online | by Em

It can be extremely hard to find time to read these days. With our lives cluttered with work, school, life, and new amazing episodes of Game of Thrones and all of these new movies…..who has time to read? I have a stack of books waiting for me in my “to be read” pile.

Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely love reading. I’m the one that often tries to convince friends to read. I tell them all of the amazing benefits of reading. For example, did you know that reading makes you more empathetic? It can even decrease the likelihood of Alzheimer’s disease. I’ve been an avid reader since I was a little kid and can say that reading made a big impact on my life.

We just live in a world with so many distractions and obligations. And that’s why I like very short stories. Stories that are so short that you can finish them in a single sitting, short enough to finish while you’re waiting in line at the grocery store.

I was always hesitant to try short stories because I like character development and story depth. I’ve found, however, that great short stories can be extremely addictive and fun. There are a number of stories where I’ve fallen in love with the characters (more than I care to admit) despite the short length. I’ve even shed a tear or 2 (or 100).

Here are some of the very best short stories. Many are very addictive. Many are very short. And all of them you can enjoy on your mobile device online. In addition to these recommendations, for really great short stories, I’d also recommend checking out Commaful.

I ended up drenched in tears after reading this. Make you sure you have a tissue box handy. This one sucks you in and really hits you in the gut. Such a cute and well-written story that will get your emotions in a bunch. Hold on for the next 5 minutes of great storytelling.

I read a lot of thrillers so it’s really difficult to catch me off-guard. Somehow this one caught me with a plot twist. I thought I knew what was going on and BAM I was discombobulated and surprised with that masterpiece of an ending. Seriously amazing.

A super cute romance story that is simply a lot of fun to read. Reading this will leave you warm and fuzzy inside. Such great imagery and cute storytelling.

I generally do not like 4th wall stories. Most are gimmicky and fake. Many don’t use the form factor well and the story would be better off being told as a normal story. This story, however, is a very well done example of breaking the 4th wall. If you let your imagination flow while reading this, you’ll feel raw emotions start to form. It’s a quick read and you’ll really feel it!

The fact that this story is a true story (from what it seems) makes it that much more powerful. It’s an empowering story and a story that ends with a heartwarming ending. It makes you want to believe in love.

So cute. The first thing I thought of was the opening scene from the movie Up. While not even slightly similar, this old couple is so cute and this story is fantastic.

Do you like scary stories or creepypastas? If so, then this one is for you! This story is fantastic at getting those goosebumps up and keeping you from sleeping.

A bit of a poem from the legendary Roald Dahl. If you like any of Dahl’s stuff, you’ll love this poem story. This short story is a classic and you won’t want to miss it.

Another scary and creepy one with a nice twist. Can’t get enough of those creepypasta stories!

Such a good twist at the end. This very short scary story has a nice, casual build up, feels like any typical story and accelerates real fast with a nice end.

This short story wouldn’t be classified as “very short” per se but it’s still a short story and a great read. This is truly a classic by James Joyce.

Really cannot say no to a good monster story. Here is a great creepypasta monster short story that will get your goosebumps popping.

Another very short and cutesy story with great imagery around romantic themes. A nice read that will get you smiling no doubt.

A beautiful short story featuring 2 lovers. A good romance if you’re looking for one.

An innocent enough start….with a bone-chilling ending. Didn’t see that one coming.

If you’re reading this, you probably know who Hemingway is. If not, get out there and read some Hemingway. The guy is a legend and this story is a classic. This story has so many layers to peel back and so much rich material to analyze. It can be a bit of a hard read, but it’s well worth the time to understand this piece of art.

This is a bit of a vignette. This story is very short and can get you blushing.

Another old classic that is a very juicy read taking place around the Christmas holidays. Great story that will get you thinking hard about family, love, and more.

Another short love story that is fun and lighthearted. This one touches on the idea of fate and places into the cutesy love realm as well.

A creepy horror story that starts with a Skype call. How many can you relate with this creepy story?

You’ve probably seen the Slenderman movie. Or seen Slenderman content. This is the Slenderman creepypasta story that you’ll love. It’s very short, very scary, and very….Slendermany. No that’s probably not a word. But it’s the Slenderman.

Which very short story did you like the most? Which one did you find most addictive? Comment below! Did you cry during any of them as I did? Any make you laugh out loud? I’m a very expressive reader!

For more short stories, you can check out Commaful.

Short stories for children - read online with pictures.

A famous story about two friends and a kitten whose hat fell off a chest of drawers. The boys at first thought that the hat had come to life and were very frightened. But soon the secret of the hat was discovered... The story The living hat read The hat lay on...

Dragunsky's funny and instructive story about how Denis imagined himself as an adult. The boy dreamed about how he would scold his father, mother and grandmother for misbehavior: being late, walking without a hat, talking at dinner, etc. This ...

A funny story about a boy who didn't want to eat semolina. Mom promised to take him to the Kremlin if he ate all the porridge. Deniska adds sugar, salt, water and even horseradish to the porridge to make it more…

Dragunsky's story about three guys who didn't pronounce the letter Sh. It all started when a truck with a Christmas tree drove into the courtyard of the house. Alyonka says: “Look, there are detectives hanging on the Christmas tree.” This is where it started…

An instructive story about shame, about not taking other people's things, about the fact that a misdemeanor will be punished. Read the story about Lela and Minka, who ate sweets from the New Year tree and opened gifts . .. Christmas tree read ...

A story about a boy and a girl who read the fairy tale Three Little Pigs and decided to build a house out of blankets and chairs. And suddenly it seemed to the boy that a gray wolf grabbed him by the leg… Entertainer's story read We and…

An instructive story about the blacksmith's son Vasya. The boy was very fond of riding a cart drawn by his father's horse. The blacksmith did not approve of this. Once Vasya took a cart and went to the forest. A branch got into the wheel and started whipping the boy…

A story about the boy Bobka, who had wonderful khaki pants. Climbing over the fence, the boy tore his pants, and his mother got angry and did not sew them up. Bobka decided to put the patch himself... The story Patch to read U...

Once Deniska and Mishka played hockey and were late for the lessons. They came up with a good reason, but never agreed. As a result, the deceit came out. A fire in an outhouse or a feat in the ice read We…

Pyotr Terentyev, preparing to go to war, received from his son a beetle, which he found in the garden, as a gift. Peter put him in a box, fed him and let him fly. The beetle went through the whole war with the soldier. Adventures of a rhinoceros beetle…

This story is about a four-year-old boy, Petya. Mom took great care of him, fed him with a spoon and dressed him. One morning, mother put Petya on his feet from the bed, and he fell. Mom was terribly scared and even called ...

A funny story about how two friends dreamed of driving a car. Once a car drove into the yard and the boys began to find out what brand it was. And then Mishka sat on the bumper and offered to ride it... Story...

Dragunsky's humorous story about two friends, Denisk and Pavel, who met on the last day of summer. The boys ate watermelon and talked about how they spent their holidays. And then Pavel began to brag that he had been studying English all summer. Deniska…

A story about Mishenka, to whom his mother promised a lollipop for his good behavior. While mom was not at home, the boy climbed into the sideboard, found a lollipop in the sugar bowl and began to suck it. After eating all the candy, he decided to put the sugar bowl on ...

A story about two brothers who came to Moscow with their mother to visit their aunt. When the adults left home, the boys also decided to see the city and ride the subway. Yes, but the brothers are underground...

A story about Lyola and Minka, who were visited by their grandmother. Grandma brought cakes. But Lele wanted something else and she asked her grandmother about it. The grandmother was angry with the girl, depriving her of a gift - new coins. They are all…

“Four Wishes” tells about the delights of all seasons. The boy Mitya did not want winter to end, then he really liked spring, then summer ... And all because every season is beautiful in its own way! Four desires to read Mitya ...

A short story about how dad taught Mitya to be neat. The boy quickly planed the stick and it turned out not very smoothly. Papa said that the knife was in a hurry and he had to be taught patience. A hurried knife read Mitya planed his stick, planed it. ..

A story about a boy, Alik, who was very afraid of policemen. Once Alik got lost, a policeman approached him, but the boy started to run. Then he was caught, but he still did not want to talk to the law enforcement officer ... The story of the Policeman read More ...

A story about a girl Tanya, who herself grew currants from cuttings. To do this, she had to work hard: pull out the mugs, dig up the sod, plant cuttings and take care of them. But the work was not in vain. Already next year…

This section of our site contains short stories by Russian writers for children of all ages.
Small works are more easily perceived by young readers. The child can listen to short stories to the end with pleasure. A little later, he himself will begin to read these small masterpieces of literature. nine0043 Parents often do not have enough time to read long books. For example, before going to bed or on the road. In these cases, our selection of short stories will be very useful to you.
In addition, short stories will help the child learn to retell texts:
— Before reading the story, explain to the child the meaning of all incomprehensible words and situations;
- After reading a short story, ask questions to find out the degree of understanding of the text. If the child is not ready to retell the text in full, then you can start with a partial retelling. For example, you tell the text, and the child completes individual words or sentences. nine0043 - Then ask them to retell the text on their own. If difficulties arise, then your tips and leading questions will help to master the retelling!
- You can tell the text in turn. So you teach your child not only to talk, but also to listen carefully.

• Petson and Findus. Petson on a hike

  Nurdqvist S.

  Once Petson was looking for a bag of floats, and his kitten Findus, as always, helped him. There were no floats anywhere, and Petson decided to look in the attic. They climbed there with Findus, began to open all the boxes and boxes, found an old tent and decided...

• Tree House

  Pitzorno B.

  A magical and very funny story about two girlfriends - Aglaya and Bianca, who built a tree house for themselves, which has everything you need: sleeping places, a living room, a kitchen and even a bathroom. Table of contents: Chapter 1. A tree is not like everyone else ...

• City mouse and field mouse

  Brett D.

  A fairy tale about how two mouse families exchanged homes: city mice moved into a mink, and field mice began to live in a city apartment. What came of it, you will find out by reading the fairy tale. "City Mouse and Field Mouse" read Somehow ...

• The War of the Planets

  Jaronimas Laucius

  A fairy tale about the war between the Blue and Green planets. In the end, of course, friendship won out. Read "War of the Planets" Far, far away, beyond the seven constellations, at the very edge of the Milky Way, two planets calmly revolved around their Sun - Green and Blue. Although the paths…

• Geruso wants to become a man

  Mateos P.

  The story of a little peddler from Geruso's grocery store, life for the first time confronts the need for a moral choice. With the help of his peers and adult friends who did not leave him in difficult times, Geruso comes to the realization that the main moral values ​​in ...

• Geese in the polynya

  Astafiev V.P.

  A story about how a goose and her goslings got into a polynya on the Yenisei. The hero of the story and his friends saved the geese from death, they risked themselves. "Geese in the polynya" read Freezing on the Yenisei comes gradually. First…

• The smell of hay

  Astafiev V.P.

  Two boys, cousins, are eager to help their grandfather and uncle bring hay from distant mowing. However, they are not taken with them, the road is hard, the work is difficult. But in the evening, when the hay is already in the yard, the guys are willing and ...

• Autumn sorrows and joys

  Astafiev V.P.

  Autumn is a hot time. It is necessary to collect and prepare the entire crop. A story about how a large amount of cabbage is salted for the winter in one of the Siberian villages. It is in some way a mystical and interesting ritual and process….

• Russian women

  Nekrasov N.A.

  Contents: I. Princess Trubetskaya Part One Part Two Princess M.N. Volkonskaya Chapter I Chapter II Chapter III Chapter IV Chapter V Chapter VI I. Princess ...

• Tam Glen

  Burns R.

  Ah, aunt, I ask for advice! With such a young man, I don’t have to be afraid of the fate of change. I’ll be glad of poverty, - If only I would be with me ...

• Lines about war and love give yours in that life-creating battle that we call love. I glorify the triumph of the world, Contentment and prosperity. It is more pleasant to create one Than to destroy a dozen! nine0003
• What's a girl to do

  Burns R.

  What's a girl to do? What shall I do, little girl? How shall I, little girl, live with my hubby? He is grouchy and sick, always dissatisfied. There is cold in his chest, ice in his hands. He grunts, ...

• 1 - Little Red Riding Hood

  Charles Perrault

  A short tale about a trusting girl and a cunning gray wolf. Disobeying her mother, the girl turns off the road and talks to a stranger - a gray wolf ... "Little Red Riding Hood" read Once upon a time there was a little girl. Her mother loved her without memory, and her grandmother ...

• 2 - Three little pigs

  Mikhalkov S.

  A fairy tale about three little pigs who built houses for themselves. One brother built a house out of straw, another out of twigs and twigs, and a third out of bricks. "Three Little Pigs" read Once upon a time there were three little pigs in the world. Three brothers. All…

• 3 - Kolobok

  Russian folk tale

  The tale about Kolobok is found in Russian and Ukrainian folklore, and also has analogues in the tales of many other peoples. Our site presents a version of a folk tale in the processing of A.N. Tolstoy. "Kolobok" read Once upon a time there was an old man with an old woman. Here ...

• 4 - The turnip

  Russian folk tale

  The turnip is a famous fairy tale for the little ones with a lot of repetitions. The child quickly remembers the sequence of presentation and a simple plot. "Turnip" read Grandfather planted a turnip and says: - Grow a turnip, sweet, sweet! Grow big, big! A turnip has grown, sweet and big, big….

• 5 - A wolf and seven kids

  Russian folk tale

  The tale tells about an evil wolf who changed his voice, made his way into the goat's house and ate little kids. But the mother goat will be able to save her children and get rid of the wolf. "The Wolf and the Seven Kids" read Once upon a time there was a goat with kids .... nine0003

• 6 - The Tale of Tsar Saltan

  Pushkin A.S.

  The tale of Tsar Saltan, of his son, the glorious and mighty hero Prince Gvidon Saltanovich, and of the beautiful Swan Princess was created on the basis of the folk tale "Wonderful Sons". Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin enriched the folk work with new plot twists,…

• 7 - The Bremen Town Musicians

  Entin Yu.S. and Livanov V.B.

  The story of the animals and the young Troubadour who went to the city of Bremen to become street musicians. In the city they stopped in front of the royal castle. The king and princess came out onto the balcony of the palace, the townspeople ran to the square and it began ...

• 8 - The Snow Queen

  Hans Christian Andersen

  The Snow Queen is one of Hans Christian Andersen's most famous fairy tales about love that can overcome any trial and melt even an icy heart! "The Snow Queen" read Table of Contents: The first story, which tells about the mirror ...

  A fairy tale about a girl Zhenya, who was presented with a magic seven-flower flower. It had seven petals and could grant any seven wishes. Zhenya spent the first six wishes, but did not receive any pleasure and only made her last wish ...

• 10 - Three Bears

  Russian folk tale

  Three Bears is a fairy tale about a girl who got lost in the forest and ended up in the bears' house. There she behaved very rudely: without permission she ate from every cup, sat on every chair, lay in every bed, . ..

• 11 - The Wizard of the Emerald City

  A.M.

  "The Wizard of the Emerald City" - a fairy tale story by Alexander Volkov written in 1939 based on the fairy tale "The Wise Man of Oz" by American writer Frank Baum with some changes. At 19In 1959, a new edition of the book was published, significantly revised ...

• 12 - Geese-swans

  Russian folk tale

  Geese-swans - a fairy tale about how a boy was carried away by geese-swans and his sister went to look for him. The stove, apple tree and river helped the girl save her brother. Read the fairy tale in the processing of A.N. Tolstoy. "Geese-swans" read There lived a man and a woman. At…

• 13 - Winnie the Pooh and all-all-all

  Alan Milne

  A cheerful and beloved fairy tale about Winnie the Pooh does not obey the laws of the fairy tale genre. The tale is devoid of negative characters, the struggle between good and evil forces. The main characters of the tale are the toys of the boy Christopher, with whom funny situations happen in a magical ...

• 14 - The Frog Princess

  Russian folk tale

  The Frog Princess is a Russian folk tale where the main character, Ivan Tsarevich, married a frog by the will of fate. Ivan had no idea that his wife was Vasilisa the Wise, turned by Koshchei into a frog. Ivan hurried, burned the frog's skin and had to ...

• 15 - The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish

  Pushkin A.S.

  The tale of a poor fisherman who caught a golden fish in his net. The old man took pity on the fish, released it into the sea. For this, the fish promised to fulfill his every desire. The old man didn’t ask for anything, but when he returned home, he told about…

• 16 - Masha and the Bear

  Russian folk tale

  Masha and the Bear is a fairy tale about a girl who got lost in the forest and ended up in a bear's hut. The bear did not let Mashenka go home, however, the girl came up with a way to return to her grandparents. “Masha and…

• 17 - The Fox and the Crane

  Russian folk tale

  The Fox and the Crane is a fairy tale about friendship between a cunning fox and a clever crane. The crane could not eat the semolina porridge, which the Fox smeared on a plate. He invited her to his place and treated her to a delicious okroshka, which he put ...

• 18 - Hen Ryaba

  Russian folk tale

  Hen Ryaba is the first fairy tale-parable that mothers read to their babies. Children quickly grasp a simple plot and remember it by heart. Hen Ryaba read Once upon a time there was a grandfather and a woman. And they had a Ryaba Hen. The hen laid an egg, yes…

• 19 - Thumbelina

  Hans Christian Andersen

  The fairy tale about Thumbelina is loved by children all over the world. A tiny girl born from a flower goes through many trials on the way to her happiness. Fate rewards Thumbelina for her kind heart. The swallow she rescued earlier endures...

• 20 - The Little Mermaid

  Hans Christian Andersen

  A touching tale of the Little Mermaid's strong love for the prince. The little mermaid is ready to give up everything that is dear to her for the sake of the human soul and the love of the prince ... The fairy tale formed the basis of the plots of many films, cartoons and musicals. The Little Mermaid read In the open…

• 21 - Puss in Boots

  Charles Perrault

  The tale of an unusual cat, which was inherited by the younger brother from the miller's father. The young man was not very happy at first with his share of the inheritance, but the cunning and intelligent cat made him the richest man and son-in-law of the king ... The cat in ...

• 22 - Sleeping Beauty

  Charles Perrault

  A fairy tale about a beautiful princess who was cursed by an offended fairy at a celebration in honor of her birth. The old fairy predicted the girl's death from a spindle prick, but the good fairy was able to commute the sentence. The girl did not die, but fell asleep on…

• 23 - Porridge from an ax

  Russian folk tale

  Porridge from an ax is a short fairy tale about a witty soldier. The greedy old woman did not want to feed the soldier, but he outwitted her and got porridge with butter ... Read porridge from an ax The old soldier went on a visit. Tired in…

• 24 - The Ugly Duckling

  Hans Christian Andersen

  A fairy tale about the miraculous transformation of an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan. The duckling was born unlike his brothers, the inhabitants of the poultry yard disliked him for his dissimilarity to the others. The duckling had to leave the house and go through many trials before he…

• 25 - Gena the crocodile and his friends

  Uspensky E. N.

  Tale about a lonely crocodile Gena. Coming home from work from the zoo, he was left alone and bored. Crocodile Gena decided to make friends with someone. He wrote an ad that he was looking for friends, hung them around the city and ...

• 26 - The Princess and the Pea

  Hans Christian Andersen

  A short story about how a prince wants to marry a real princess. One day, a girl knocked on the gate, who was soaked to the skin, but assured that she was a real princess. They let her in for the night, and the old queen arranged for her to be tested ......

• 27 - Sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka

  Russian folk tale

  Sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka is a fairy tale about how the younger brother disobeyed his sister, got drunk turning into a goat... Sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka read Once upon a time there was an old man and an old woman, they had...

• 28 - Bean seed

  Russian folk tale

  The cockerel and the bean seed is a Russian folk tale about a rooster who was always in a hurry when pecking at the seeds. The hen warned him all the time and asked him to peck more slowly. One day he choked on a bean seed and fell down. But the chicken…

• 29 - Fear has big eyes

  Russian folk tale

  Fear has big eyes — a short fairy tale about the fact that from fear you can see what was not really… (from M.M. Serova’s collection) fear eyes are great to read Once upon a time there was an old grandmother, a granddaughter-laughter, a hen-klokhtushka and a mouse-leaf. Each…

• 30 - Teremok

  Russian folk audio fairy tale

  Teremok is a short fairy tale for kids about a house that sheltered many animals. However, the tower could not accommodate a huge bear and broke.

• 31 - Sivka Burka

  Russian folk tale

  Sivka-Burka is a fairy tale about the adventures of Ivan the Fool and his gallant horse. Sivka Burka read The old man had three sons: two smart ones, and the third Ivanushka the Fool; day and night the fool is lying on the stove. The old man sowed wheat, and it grew ...

• 32 - Twelve months

  Samuil Marshak

  Do you know how many months there are in a year? - Twelve. And what are their names? — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December. As soon as one month ends, another immediately begins. And…

• 33 - Baba Yaga

  Russian folk tale

  A fairy tale about a girl who was able to get out of the clutches of Baba Yaga, thanks to the advice of her own aunt and a kind cat… Baba Yaga read Once upon a time there was a husband and wife, and they had a daughter. The wife fell ill and died. Grieved, grieved ...

• 34 - The tale of the priest and his worker Balda

  Pushkin A.S.

  The tale of the stingy priest and resourceful worker Balda. Somehow Balda was hired for the service for three clicks on the forehead of the priest. When the time of reckoning was approaching, the priest decided to give Balda an impossible task in order to get rid of him. But Balda…

• 35 - Little Humpbacked Horse

  Ershov P.

  There was an old man in a village who had three sons. They grew wheat and sold it in the market. But then someone got into the habit of trampling wheat in the field at night ... Table of contents: Part one. The fairy tale begins...

• 36 - Alice in Wonderland

  Carroll L.

  A fascinating story about a girl Alice who met a talking White Rabbit and ended up in amazing worlds where she met very unusual characters ... Chapter 1. Down the rabbit hole Alice got bored of sitting with her sister idle on the shore…

• 37 - The Little Prince

  Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

  A fairy tale about how a pilot, who remained a child at heart, met the Little Prince in the desert, who arrived from another planet. Table of contents: Dedication Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter…

12 contemporary stories that will keep teenagers entertained - Orthodox magazine "Foma"

Approximate reading time: 6 min.

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At school, children study the literature of past centuries, but they have the most vague ideas about modern Russian (as well as foreign) prose. Meanwhile, there are many modern stories that are not just accessible, but quite interesting to a teenager. But not only that: if children read them and discuss them with their parents, such reading can greatly bring different generations closer together. Recommendations for such family reading are given by Rimma Isakovna Zandman, Honored Teacher of Russia, teacher of Russian language and literature at Moscow Gymnasium No. 1512.

At my gymnasium, in addition to Russian language and literature lessons, I run a literary studio where teenagers come from the age of 13-14. In these classes, the children and I read and discuss the latest Russian prose. It is a misconception that it is not available to teenagers, that they are only attracted to fantasy and horror films. No, they read with keen interest those stories by contemporary Russian-speaking writers that I recommend to them, and discuss them vigorously. And our studio is open, and parents often come to classes, and participate in the discussion along with the children. nine0003

So, I noticed a long time ago that such joint reading and discussion not only develops children, but also improves their relationship with their parents (as well as with grandparents), helps different generations in the family to better understand each other.

And, of course, such joint reading and discussion can take place not only in the format of a school literary studio, but simply at home. The initiative, of course, here should come from the parents.

However, the question immediately arises: what exactly to read with children? In my opinion, it is short stories that are best suited for this, and not novels and novels. This is a reading that does not strain, but is very meaningful, deep, and in the family can be discussed in detail. It is important that these are stories from today, from life that children understand. nine0003

But where exactly do you get them, such stories? I have long taught my children to use the largest online resource that publishes high-quality modern prose and poetry - the Magazine Room (magazines.russ.ru). In addition, a lot of good stories can be found on the long list of the Yuri Kazakov Literary Prize (it is also published in the Journal Hall).

It is clear that the selection of such stories for reading and discussion with teenagers requires a lot of work. I constantly monitor periodicals, go to bookstores and study the contents of the shelves with modern prose. But I am a teacher, this is my job, but for parents, especially those far from philology, it will be more difficult. Therefore, I took the liberty of recommending to the readers of "Thomas" several stories from those that we, together with our children and parents, discussed in the classes of the literary studio. All of these stories are available online for free. nine0003

This is a sad story that quite clearly poses the problem of the relationship between the child and the family. A story about how tragically parents can not understand their children and how children lose confidence in their relatives. Of course, now this topic is being developed very actively in the literature for middle and older adolescents.

Suitable for teenagers from 14 years old.

2

A story on the same topic - the relationship between parents and children, but here the situation is opposite. A very difficult child - and the patience and love of parents ... Such stories must be discussed after reading together, to analyze the situations described there. But to show the artistic features of the text is the job of the teacher.

Suitable for teenagers from 12 years old.

3

This story is fantastic, or rather, even fabulous - there the teenage hero has the opportunity to change something in his past, but any such change changes his present. Is it worth it? A question that is very useful to discuss with children. After all, behind the fantastic entourage here is a very real problem - responsibility for any choice, awareness of its consequences.

Suitable for teenagers from 12 years old.

4

This is a terribly funny story. We were drinking Jay Seven juice and suddenly an orange subject appeared from the bag. They ask him - who are you? He replies that since it is made of liquid, it means gin. Why not from a bottle? But because, he answers, you can’t get enough bottles for us genies. And this genie Seva, according to all fairy-tale canons, must fulfill the desires of the heroine-girl. The encounter with this new formation genie is very funny, and the girl in it turns out to be kinder and better than the genie. When she has only one wish left, she asks: let there be peace in the whole world for at least five minutes ..

Suitable for children over 10 years old.

By the way, I draw your attention to the magazine "October", which periodically publishes children's issues - entirely consisting of works addressed to the young reader. And there, too, you can look for stories to read together with children.

There are stories that are better given to high school students (although in some cases they are quite accessible to children from 14 years old). For example, these:

5

A sad story about old people, about their perception of life. There is also a sharp social line - the plot is built on how a certain rogue antiquarian deceives an elderly woman. It seems that, from a rational point of view, nothing of the kind happened, but the heroine of the story could not survive what happened. “She was tormented by her conscience, she felt like a traitor - in relation to Alyosha, to the happy years lived together, to jointly acquired things that did not represent antique value, but were so dear to both of them.” Thanks to such stories, teenagers will be much better able to understand the inner world of their grandparents. nine0003

Suitable for teenagers from 14 years old.

6

This very lyrical, poignant, soul-stirring story has a very important theme - coming to faith. If you read it together with children, it will contribute to the spiritual rapprochement of older and younger.

Suitable for teenagers from 16 years old.

7

The story of how an old man's wife died and he lost the meaning of life - and this is a reason to talk about how love gives meaning to life. Here you can talk about how fragile human life is. The story ends with the fact that the old man, after crying over his wife's grave, steps over the low fence without opening the gate, and suddenly thinks: Lord, what is human life? So you stepped over - and you are in the world of the living, stepped back - and you are already in some other world.

Suitable for teenagers over 16 years old.

8

This is a story that children from the 10th and 11th grades and parents will read with pleasure. A story about how a work appeared, in which, by some indirect signs, a person recognizes the fate of his grandfather. And since the grandfather looks very unpresentable in the work, his grandson calls the author, the showdown begins ... And here the correlation of creativity and life is very interesting, the desire to preserve the reputation of the family is important here. This is very important for discussion at home. And in some cases, you can read it with 13-14-year-old teenagers. nine0003

Suitable for teenagers from 16 years old.

9

How wonderfully the literary tradition can be traced here! How interesting it is to show what life is in general! And how unexpectedly it is shown here that any house in which there is love and kindness can become a kind of Noah's ark. Moreover, all this is not torn off the ground; the intersecting spaces of human life are depicted there very interestingly - from the market to the monastery. And the hotel - with the meaning that here, on earth, we are only guests. In general, there are a lot of semantic layers in this story. nine0003

Suitable for teenagers from 16 years old.

10

This is about the vicissitudes of human destiny, about responsibility for every step of one's life, about the consequences of lies, about courage, about resisting aggressive fanaticism.

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