"Jumping Monkey Hill," by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
A writer attends a conference in South Africa in this story from one of my favorite collections "The Thing Around Your Neck."
Read it here
"Stone Mattress," by Margaret Atwood
An aging beauty seeks revenge against an ex-lover.
Read it here
"The Space Traders," by Derrick Bell
Aliens arrive in America and want to take all black people back with them. Seriously timely.
Read it here
"The Story of an Hour," by Kate Chopin
A woman receives unexpected news in this thought provoking and ahead of its time short story.
Read it here
"The Most Dangerous Game," by Richard Connell
Action packed and great for teaching literary devices.
Read it here
"The Landlady," by Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl at his creepiest; a favorite with middle-school students.
Read it here
"Between the Pool and the Gardenias," by Edwidge Dandicat
Also read "Children of the Sea" from the author's classic collection Krik? Krak!
Read it here
"The Cheater's Guide to Love," by Junot Diaz
Read this if you've ever been cheated on and immediately feel better; it's like a magic pill!
Read it here
"The Lottery," by Shirley Jackson
A powerful reflection on society and human nature.
Read it here
"The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas," by Ursula LeGuin
A story without a plot whose theme will stay with you long after you have finished it.
Read it here
"Recitatif," by Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison never specifies the race of the main characters and our assumptions reveal our racial biases.
Read it here
"Everything That Rises Must Converge," by Flannery O'Connor
A great story for teaching irony. Classic.
Read it here
"Examination Day," by Henry Seslar
You know a short story is good when it is made into a Twilight Zone episode.
Read it here
"The Tell Tale Heart," by Edgar Allen Poe
One of my favorites from 9th grade.
Read it here
"Fish Cheeks," by Amy Tan
Tan writes about two of my favorite topics: identity and food.
Read it here
"The Man Who Was Almost a Man," by Richard Wright
A 6th grader introduced me to this story and I'm glad he did.
Read it here
"Harrison Bergeron," Kurt Vonnegut
A thought provoking read about a future in which everyone is equal.
Read it here
Happy Reading!
