Short stories for 6th graders

Cafe Society
1

Usually, I teach 7th graders. This year, at the last minute, I was told I would be teaching one section of 6th grade reading. Panic ensued. I got my first unit (Freak the Mighty) done, but it’s time for the next one, and I’m not ready. I want to do a short story unit, largely to teach the plot diagram structure, the different POV’s (first person, etc), and the use of irony.

Does anyone have any suggestions for good, relatively short stories for this age group? I feel like 6th graders are significantly different than 7th graders, so I have to adjust my assignments accordingly. The 7th graders read, for example, “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and the language pushes the envelope of their comprehension.

If any of you have kids in this age group and can recall a story your kid really liked, or ones you recall from when you were in school that you liked, please let me know. Remember that these have to be pretty short, like 10 pages or so.

Thanks in advance.

2

Check out O Henry – great for irony.

3

Here you go. There’;s some good O. Henry on here somewhere. Saki also is good for young readers.

4

My personal choice would be Examination Day by Henry Slesar (pdf warning). The kids are about the same age as the boy in the story, and it’s sure to creep more than a few out (in a good way).

This website has a wide range of short stories to choose from.

Happy hunting!

5

I always loved The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.

6

On second thought, Henry Sugar may be too long, although it’s my favorite one. However, the book also contains “The Boy Who Talked with Animals” which might be just about right.