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Best Shorts: Favorite Stories for Sharing
Newbery Medal–winning author Avi has selected short stories from the past and present in this entertaining collection for young readers. And whether you begin by reading alone or reading aloud, these stories are some of the very best to share.
Featuring loyal pets, rogue waves, ghosts who use cell phones, and young people caught up in events beyond their control, these stories are written by some of the most entertaining and esteemed authors of children’s literature. They will have you savoring a quiet moment by yourself, talking during dinnertime with your family, and laughing in class with your friends.
Though it may take only a few minutes to read, a terrific short story can take you on a long journey. Are you ready for the trip?
Featuring loyal pets, rogue waves, ghosts who use cell phones, and young people caught up in events beyond their control, these stories are written by some of the most entertaining and esteemed authors of children’s literature. They will have you savoring a quiet moment by yourself, talking during dinnertime with your family, and laughing in class with your friends.
Though it may take only a few minutes to read, a terrific short story can take you on a long journey. Are you ready for the trip?
342 pages, Hardcover
First published September 25, 2006
3 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
About the author
Avi
328Ìýbooks1,680ÌýfollowersAvi is a pen name for Edward Irving Wortis, but he says, "The fact is, Avi is the only name I use." Born in 1937, Avi has created many fictional favorites such as
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle,
Nothing but the Truth,
and the Crispin series. His work is popular among readers young and old.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
June 24, 2016
Read from this collection, and from least to most liked:
Night of the Pomegranate, Tim Wynne-Jones
The Librarian and the Robbers by Margaret Mahy
Jimmy Takes Vanishing Lessons by Walter R. Brooks
I got the book for the latter two and read the Wynne-Jones because he's someone I've been meaning to try for most of my life; he was always on the shelf next to my beloved Diana Wynne Jones, but each time I read the blurbs of his books I lost interest. This story was fine but did nothing for me.
I did not try the other stories, although there were several that I had read prior, including
Megan W. Turner's "Baby in the Night Deposit", Rip Van Winkle, and Lady or the Tiger.
Night of the Pomegranate, Tim Wynne-Jones
The Librarian and the Robbers by Margaret Mahy
Jimmy Takes Vanishing Lessons by Walter R. Brooks
I got the book for the latter two and read the Wynne-Jones because he's someone I've been meaning to try for most of my life; he was always on the shelf next to my beloved Diana Wynne Jones, but each time I read the blurbs of his books I lost interest. This story was fine but did nothing for me.
I did not try the other stories, although there were several that I had read prior, including
Megan W. Turner's "Baby in the Night Deposit", Rip Van Winkle, and Lady or the Tiger.
March 11, 2017
Age range - 6th through 10th grade (+). Kudos to Avi - and 5 stars - for the range of stories collected here.
My thoughts:
"Rogue Wave" - Theodore Taylor (1996) I know nothing about waves - rogue or otherwise - and don’t want to learn. I do know that I feared for Scoot and her older brother Sully as they try to survive the catastrophic wave that capsizes their boat. 5 stars
“The Caller� - Robert D. San Souci (2003) Scary. Deceased Aunt Margaret wants her ring back. 5 stars
"Scout’s Honor� - Avi (1996) Humorous. Three Brooklyn boys plan an overnight in the “country� in order to move up a rank in Scouts. The country happens to be a park on the other side of the George Washington Bridge (New Jersey) and to describe the boys as unprepared to camp is woefully inadequate. The short story has the ring of exaggerated truth to it. Somewhat of a surprise ending as the boys learn that being “tough� sometimes means knowing when to call it quits. 5 stars
“Dog of Pompeii� - Louis Untermeyer (1960) Sad. I’m not quite sure I’m thumbs up on the ending. I don’t believe loyal dog Bimbo would leave his blind boy Tito to run into burning Pompeii to fetch bread. Yes, he leads Tito out of the city but amidst chaos and eruption and fire, he would have stayed close. Still, unique setting with a hint of ancient history, so 3 stars.
“LAFFF� - Lensey Namioka (1993) Fun. Time travel to win a writing contest. 3 stars
“Rip Van Winkle� - Washington Irving (1819) Classic. Leap in reading level needed for this one. A smattering of knowledge of the time period surrounding the Revolutionary War won’t hurt. And the vocabulary - let’s just say the SAT will be your friend later. 5 stars for oh so many reasons.
“Nuts� - Natalie Babbitt (1974) Fable. The Devil hides a pearl in a walnut hoping to trick a greedy human into opening all his walnuts for him while searching for more pearls. Instead the Devil's tricked. Moral: “We are not all of us greedy.� 2 stars
“Flight of the Swan� - Marian Flandrick Bray (1981) Antonio wins a horse race riding thoroughbred Black Swan. 4 stars
"Ho-ichi the Earless� - Rafe Martin (1996) Japanese mythology - who knew? 3 stars because I like the exposure to Japanese mythology.
“The Lady Who Put Salt in Her Coffee� - Lucretia P. Hale (1867) Humor. Oh my, what to do when you accidentally pour salt into your cup of coffee? Obviously, call a chemist and then a herb woman. Of course the actual what-to-do remains out of mind till the end of the story. 2 stars
“The Town Cats� - Lloyd Alexander (1977) Humor. Cats and humans trade places in a small town to trick a government official. Obvious suspension of believe required. 2 stars
“Zlateh the Goat - Isaac Bashevis Sinter (1984) Touching. Because I cared about Aaron and his goat Zlateh surviving the blizzard ... 5 stars
“To Starch a Spook� - Andrew Benedict (1965) - Creative and fun. Sue and her friend Bill rid a “castle� of its collection of ghosts. 4 stars
“The Night of the Pomegranate� Tim Wynne-Jones (1995) - “Harriet’s solar system was a mess� because Harriet spends her time outside observing Mars. Luckily she has a teacher who recognizes that Harriet’s woebegone solar system project is of less import than the fact that Harriet can share her love for the red planet (plus myriad facts) with her classmates. 4 stars
“The Librarian and the Robbers� - Margaret Many (1978) Cute with the underlying message that education can change a man for the better. 3 stars
“The Woman in the Snow� - Patricia McKissack (1992) Ghost story. A look at racism, touching on history (Rosa Parks). A racist bus driver refuses to transport a desperate young black mother and baby to the hospital for lack of fare. Twenty-five years later another bus driver takes the matter in hand, helping the young mother - now a ghost. 5 stars
“The Binnacle Boy� - Paul Fleischman (1982) Twist to the ending that I never saw coming. Good stuff. 5 stars
“The Baby in the Night Deposit Box� - Megan Whalen Turner (2003) Good till the end, then jumped the shark with vampires, trolls, etc. 2 stars
“The Circuit� - Francisco Jiménez (1997) Boy’s life on the migrant farm worker’s circuit. 4 stars
“The Widow Carey’s Chickens� - Gerald Hausman (2003) Only one person survives the shipwreck off the island of Bryher. Widow Carey, whose husband and baby perish in the storm, remains on the island her entire life doing good and becomes - along with her “chickens" (petrels) - part of the isle’s mythology. 2 stars
“The Special Powers of Blossom Culp� - Richard Peck (2004) Blossom’s special power - resilience. 2 stars
“A White Heron� - Sarah Orne Jewett (1886) A short story analyzed ad infinitum online. Note: sometimes a gun is just a gun. 2 stars
“Jimmy Takes Vanishing Lessons� - Walter R. Brooks (1950) Humor. Jimmy outwits a ghost. 3 stars
“The Lady or the Tiger?� - Frank Stockton (1882) Classic. So which is it? 5 stars
My thoughts:
"Rogue Wave" - Theodore Taylor (1996) I know nothing about waves - rogue or otherwise - and don’t want to learn. I do know that I feared for Scoot and her older brother Sully as they try to survive the catastrophic wave that capsizes their boat. 5 stars
“The Caller� - Robert D. San Souci (2003) Scary. Deceased Aunt Margaret wants her ring back. 5 stars
"Scout’s Honor� - Avi (1996) Humorous. Three Brooklyn boys plan an overnight in the “country� in order to move up a rank in Scouts. The country happens to be a park on the other side of the George Washington Bridge (New Jersey) and to describe the boys as unprepared to camp is woefully inadequate. The short story has the ring of exaggerated truth to it. Somewhat of a surprise ending as the boys learn that being “tough� sometimes means knowing when to call it quits. 5 stars
“Dog of Pompeii� - Louis Untermeyer (1960) Sad. I’m not quite sure I’m thumbs up on the ending. I don’t believe loyal dog Bimbo would leave his blind boy Tito to run into burning Pompeii to fetch bread. Yes, he leads Tito out of the city but amidst chaos and eruption and fire, he would have stayed close. Still, unique setting with a hint of ancient history, so 3 stars.
“LAFFF� - Lensey Namioka (1993) Fun. Time travel to win a writing contest. 3 stars
“Rip Van Winkle� - Washington Irving (1819) Classic. Leap in reading level needed for this one. A smattering of knowledge of the time period surrounding the Revolutionary War won’t hurt. And the vocabulary - let’s just say the SAT will be your friend later. 5 stars for oh so many reasons.
“Nuts� - Natalie Babbitt (1974) Fable. The Devil hides a pearl in a walnut hoping to trick a greedy human into opening all his walnuts for him while searching for more pearls. Instead the Devil's tricked. Moral: “We are not all of us greedy.� 2 stars
“Flight of the Swan� - Marian Flandrick Bray (1981) Antonio wins a horse race riding thoroughbred Black Swan. 4 stars
"Ho-ichi the Earless� - Rafe Martin (1996) Japanese mythology - who knew? 3 stars because I like the exposure to Japanese mythology.
“The Lady Who Put Salt in Her Coffee� - Lucretia P. Hale (1867) Humor. Oh my, what to do when you accidentally pour salt into your cup of coffee? Obviously, call a chemist and then a herb woman. Of course the actual what-to-do remains out of mind till the end of the story. 2 stars
“The Town Cats� - Lloyd Alexander (1977) Humor. Cats and humans trade places in a small town to trick a government official. Obvious suspension of believe required. 2 stars
“Zlateh the Goat - Isaac Bashevis Sinter (1984) Touching. Because I cared about Aaron and his goat Zlateh surviving the blizzard ... 5 stars
“To Starch a Spook� - Andrew Benedict (1965) - Creative and fun. Sue and her friend Bill rid a “castle� of its collection of ghosts. 4 stars
“The Night of the Pomegranate� Tim Wynne-Jones (1995) - “Harriet’s solar system was a mess� because Harriet spends her time outside observing Mars. Luckily she has a teacher who recognizes that Harriet’s woebegone solar system project is of less import than the fact that Harriet can share her love for the red planet (plus myriad facts) with her classmates. 4 stars
“The Librarian and the Robbers� - Margaret Many (1978) Cute with the underlying message that education can change a man for the better. 3 stars
“The Woman in the Snow� - Patricia McKissack (1992) Ghost story. A look at racism, touching on history (Rosa Parks). A racist bus driver refuses to transport a desperate young black mother and baby to the hospital for lack of fare. Twenty-five years later another bus driver takes the matter in hand, helping the young mother - now a ghost. 5 stars
“The Binnacle Boy� - Paul Fleischman (1982) Twist to the ending that I never saw coming. Good stuff. 5 stars
“The Baby in the Night Deposit Box� - Megan Whalen Turner (2003) Good till the end, then jumped the shark with vampires, trolls, etc. 2 stars
“The Circuit� - Francisco Jiménez (1997) Boy’s life on the migrant farm worker’s circuit. 4 stars
“The Widow Carey’s Chickens� - Gerald Hausman (2003) Only one person survives the shipwreck off the island of Bryher. Widow Carey, whose husband and baby perish in the storm, remains on the island her entire life doing good and becomes - along with her “chickens" (petrels) - part of the isle’s mythology. 2 stars
“The Special Powers of Blossom Culp� - Richard Peck (2004) Blossom’s special power - resilience. 2 stars
“A White Heron� - Sarah Orne Jewett (1886) A short story analyzed ad infinitum online. Note: sometimes a gun is just a gun. 2 stars
“Jimmy Takes Vanishing Lessons� - Walter R. Brooks (1950) Humor. Jimmy outwits a ghost. 3 stars
“The Lady or the Tiger?� - Frank Stockton (1882) Classic. So which is it? 5 stars
September 24, 2007
Teachers are always asking me for short stories--this anthology does a good job of gathering up a bunch of good-to-read-outloud stories by classic children's authors. Appropriate for 4-8th grade--which is nice.
Confession: I read Baby in the Night Deposit Box to a group of 6th graders a few days ago, and I'm pretty sure a few of them fell asleep... so maybe it's a little less thrilling than I think.
Confession: I read Baby in the Night Deposit Box to a group of 6th graders a few days ago, and I'm pretty sure a few of them fell asleep... so maybe it's a little less thrilling than I think.
May 16, 2017
My son is 12 and loved almost every story in this collection. I did too. There were just a couple that were too edgy for us, especially at nighttime. Favorites included absurdity of The Baby in the Night Deposit Box, the silliness of The Librarian and the Bank Robbers, and the way poverty was dealt with in The Special Powers of Blossom Culp. So many good stories!
July 23, 2018
Wonderful collection of short stories. A large selection of stories.
February 19, 2021
This is a nice collection of children’s short stories, but not much “wow� to them.
November 4, 2012
Reviewed by Dianna Geers for TeensReadToo.com
In BEST SHORTS, you never know what surprise you're going to get next. Unlike many short story collections, which usually revolve around some thread of a theme, the stories Avi selected for this anthology come from all over the genre spectrum. The one thing they all have in common, however, is that they are all great little adventures you can experience without the big time commitment of an entire novel.
Readers can get freaked out by seeing what happens when Dad loses his cell phone at Auntie's funeral, travel along with some city-smart boys who try to camp out alone, and root for an entire bank who adopts a baby abandoned in the night-deposit box.
It's pretty slick how a well-written short story can suck you in; before you know it, you're reading a genre that you are sure you don't like. An interesting thing that happened to me as I read this compilation of stories is that I enjoyed stories in genres that I may never have picked up if they had been labeled. As I read these stories to my sixth-grade students, they wanted to get copies of their own. They, too, enjoyed the punch in these stories and the wide variety of styles and genres.
How can you go wrong with a book featuring stories from such authors as Richard Peck, Lloyd Alexander, Washington Irving, Theodore Taylor, and even Avi himself?
If you're looking for a sampler of authors or genres, or a few short stories to read between novels, or something to read without committing to an entire book, or you just feel like something a little different, then try BEST SHORTS on for size. It is one of those one-size-fits-all kind of collections.
In BEST SHORTS, you never know what surprise you're going to get next. Unlike many short story collections, which usually revolve around some thread of a theme, the stories Avi selected for this anthology come from all over the genre spectrum. The one thing they all have in common, however, is that they are all great little adventures you can experience without the big time commitment of an entire novel.
Readers can get freaked out by seeing what happens when Dad loses his cell phone at Auntie's funeral, travel along with some city-smart boys who try to camp out alone, and root for an entire bank who adopts a baby abandoned in the night-deposit box.
It's pretty slick how a well-written short story can suck you in; before you know it, you're reading a genre that you are sure you don't like. An interesting thing that happened to me as I read this compilation of stories is that I enjoyed stories in genres that I may never have picked up if they had been labeled. As I read these stories to my sixth-grade students, they wanted to get copies of their own. They, too, enjoyed the punch in these stories and the wide variety of styles and genres.
How can you go wrong with a book featuring stories from such authors as Richard Peck, Lloyd Alexander, Washington Irving, Theodore Taylor, and even Avi himself?
If you're looking for a sampler of authors or genres, or a few short stories to read between novels, or something to read without committing to an entire book, or you just feel like something a little different, then try BEST SHORTS on for size. It is one of those one-size-fits-all kind of collections.
January 27, 2015
I only read the story I checked out this book for. It was JIMMY TAKES VANISHING LESSONS by Walter R. Brooks, pp. 308-320. I read this book as a boy and wanted to find if it was still around. When I read it, it was one of the Scholastic books my brother had purchased at school. I read it on our trip to San Francisco.
It always fascinated me. It was about a boy that went to his aunt's home that she couldn't rent because it was haunted. He saw the ghost and it scared him (Jimmy). However, he got over it and went back and scared the ghost. The ghost was mortified and said he'd teach Jimmy to vanish if he'd not tell anyone he scared him. Jimmy took him up on it and eventually used his vanishing ability to get the ghost to live at another house so his aunt could rent it. In the end the aunt and Jimmy felt bad for the ghost because his new home was a lot colder than the other house so they both had the ghost come live with them.
It always fascinated me. It was about a boy that went to his aunt's home that she couldn't rent because it was haunted. He saw the ghost and it scared him (Jimmy). However, he got over it and went back and scared the ghost. The ghost was mortified and said he'd teach Jimmy to vanish if he'd not tell anyone he scared him. Jimmy took him up on it and eventually used his vanishing ability to get the ghost to live at another house so his aunt could rent it. In the end the aunt and Jimmy felt bad for the ghost because his new home was a lot colder than the other house so they both had the ghost come live with them.
February 6, 2014
It's been awhile since I've read a book of short stories. I picked up this one because I'm thinking of doing a summer reading club based on short stories, and I wanted some ideas. This is an interesting collection, with some stories based on historical events, a couple of ghost stories, and two old classics - "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Lady or the Tiger". Does it make me cynical when I say that the first time I read that story, I was in a real quandary as to which door the Princess chose for her lover, and this time I had no doubt as to which one it was?
My two favorites from this book were probably "The Binnacle Boy" by Paul Fleishcman, and "The Baby in the Night Deposit Box" by Megan Whalen Turner
My two favorites from this book were probably "The Binnacle Boy" by Paul Fleishcman, and "The Baby in the Night Deposit Box" by Megan Whalen Turner
September 15, 2009
Best shorts is just what it sounds like, a bunch of really good short stories by different authors. I really enjoyed the variety and quality of the stories. The authors ranged from fairly current to 1850's. It had a nice well rounded feeling.
When I was young I always thought that short stories were easier to write because they were shorter. Now that I'm gray haired and much wiser (wink, wink) I know that a good short story is harder to write. You have to grip the reader and still give them this sense of depth and development in around 7,000 words as opposed to say...400 pages. A challenge I think these authors have risen to.
August 27, 2012
I'm not generally a fan of short stories, but from time to time I can be persuaded.
In this case, it was the inclusion of "The Baby in the Night Deposit Box" by Megan Whalen Turner. I like both her short stories and novels, and this one did not disappoint.
I also enjoyed:
Scout's Honor by Avi
The Town Cats by Lloyd Alexander
To Starch a Spook by Andrew Benedict
The Librarian and the Robbers by Margaret Mahy
Jimmy Takes Vanishing Lessons by Walter R. Brooks
From which it can be concluded that if I am going to read short stories, I like humorous ones.
I was interested to read "Rip Van Winkle" by Washington Irving as I had never read the original version.
In this case, it was the inclusion of "The Baby in the Night Deposit Box" by Megan Whalen Turner. I like both her short stories and novels, and this one did not disappoint.
I also enjoyed:
Scout's Honor by Avi
The Town Cats by Lloyd Alexander
To Starch a Spook by Andrew Benedict
The Librarian and the Robbers by Margaret Mahy
Jimmy Takes Vanishing Lessons by Walter R. Brooks
From which it can be concluded that if I am going to read short stories, I like humorous ones.
I was interested to read "Rip Van Winkle" by Washington Irving as I had never read the original version.
March 25, 2009
Great short stories in here!! And not a boring loser one in the whole lot. This gave me some good ideas of authors to explore and was thoroughly delightful reading for the kids and me. The selection varies widely in length and subject matter, with a nice heavy dose of mild horror stories that appeal. My favorites were "Baby in the Night Deposit Box" by Megan Whalen Turner and "Jimmy Takes Vanishing Lessons" by Walter R. Brooks.
December 12, 2008
I was familiar with several of the classics from this collection - "The Dog of Pompeii" and "The Lady or the Tiger" were in an old literature book that I inherited from Aunt Lois (I think). The other stories were classics in the same vein: sweet, clever, and insightful. I don't recall any that were like OMG SO AMAZING, but there weren't really any stinkers, either. A good all-around collection.
June 27, 2009
This is a really great collection of short stories. Our girls aren't quite ready for most of the stories yet, but I read them a few. It's a wonderful group of authors and a very diverse bunch of tales. Some are more mature than I would advise for the Juvenile section (perhaps more for the Young Adult section), but overall they are great and I loved them.
November 8, 2010
I can honestly say that it was a really scary, and also interesting book filled with scary things in it. Each story was different and special in its own way. I honestly thought it was going to be a funny book with funny short stories because of its cover which I thought looked funny. I think I shouldn't judge a book from it's cover.
August 15, 2012
A collection of 24 stories by various authors, both old and new. Some are funny, some chilling, and all of them are beautifully written. Favorites include: The Caller by Robert D. San Souci, Ho-ichi the Earless by Rafe Martin, The Librarian and the Robbers by Margaret Mahy, and The Baby in the Night Deposit Box by Megan Whalen Turner.
March 2, 2015
Technically a collection of short stories, not a chapter book. This collection is so unique and varied. From writing style, to genre to character choice, each story offered something different. I really enjoyed almost every story. Do not read it all in one go though. It's great to pick up and come back to and it was also great to share and read out loud.
October 1, 2009
A decent mix of short stories for children, spanning most of the 20th century. A good choice for the bookshelf of any family, especially those interested in promoting literature over popular fiction.
May 2, 2011
I don't read a lot of short stories. Usually I like to get immersed in the book and the characters, which is more difficult in short stories. But this was quite fun to read. I enjoyed some of the stories better than others, but it was a great mix of different voices and genres. Delightful.
June 5, 2008
Even though I really don't like short stories, I read this one to look for read-alouds and found several possibilities. If you like short stories, you might really like it.
August 23, 2009
There are some fab shorts in this book, and all of them are great for long car trips!
July 12, 2011
"Some Where Good Some Were Not"
-Leah
-Leah
October 13, 2011
An excellent collection by some of my favorite writers and some new favorites that I'll be exploring further. Every story had a unique perspective. Definitely recommended for everyone!
June 25, 2013
Some of the stories in here would lend themselves to being read outloud by a volunteer parent to their child's older elementary class.
August 14, 2014
Some great ones to include in mini-lessons!
February 23, 2016
I have no idea why this book is out of print, but it is amazing. I got it from Greenwich Library.
January 30, 2017
I'm typically not a huge fan of short stories, but I liked many of these. Some seemed familiar so I wonder if I read them in school long ago- through some other collection.
April 25, 2017
What a pleasure to read a well-thought out collection of stories written by popular authors through out the last 100 years or so. Avi, Shute and Katherine Paterson hope that this eclectic collection will be enjoyed, read aloud, and shared with others. I hope for the same thing!
Read
April 23, 2018I admit, I didn’t read all of the short stories. But the ones I read (almost half) were really good. Definitely not for elementary school, in my opinion. Some were better than others, which is to be expected with a collection.
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