Short Stories or Plays for Late Elementary?

[wendyroo]

I'm working on assigned reading lists for next year.  For my 4th grader I already have ideas for novels, poetry, non-fiction and a speech.  I would like to include a couple short stories (or maybe a compilation?) and perhaps a play as an introduction to reading drama.

 

He easily reads at a high school level, so that is not an issue, but he is a sensitive, anxious soul (with ASD), so content needs to be pretty firmly elementary level, avoiding intense conflict/suspense/scariness/etc.

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks,

Wendy

[wendyroo]

Bump?

Anyone?

[Hobbes]

Pygmalion is high school reading level and has no disturbing content. Could make for interesting conversation, though there's a lot about class, etc, that would probably be missed at younger ages.

 

ETA: and then you'd have the fun of watching My Fair Lady and comparing. My 3rd and 4th graders love My Fair Lady.

Edited March 23, 2018 by indigoellen@gmail.com

[arliemaria]

Washington Irving-Rip Van Winkle

O Henry-Gift of the Magi

[Lori D.]

For short stories....
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Mosdos Reading Program
The program uses well-known children's and young adult works, as well as some works written for the program, and also includes gentle guidance into digging deeper into how the literature is working. So while your DS would be reading works more at grade level than at his advanced reading level, he would be *working with* the literature, and when you first start doing that, it's advisable to use easier-to-read works, so the student can focus on depth rather than comprehension of content. Also, you could try working up a grade level, so use the 5th or 6th grade book. Just a thought. 🙂

For example:
5th grade book (Coral level) has: 26 short stories; 39 poems; 9 non-fiction essays; 2 plays; 1 novel
6th grade book (Pearl level) has: 36 short stories; 46 poems; 15 non-fiction selections; 3 plays

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These are anthologies recommended by WTMer Farrar for 5th/6th graders -- you'll have to preview to see if they are a fit for your DS:
- Best Shorts (edited by Avi)
- Shelf Life (edited by Gary Paulsen) -- contemporary authors
- Guys Read series (edited by Jon Scieszka)
- "Nuts" from The Devil's Storybook (by Natalie Babbitt)

And two more short story anthology ideas:
- Great Horse Stories (compiled by James Daley)
- James Herriot's Treasury for Children

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Most short stories have a twist, or an edge to them, and when that edge is suspense or horror or revealing something hard or harsh about the reality of the world, it might be the very thing that makes many short stories NOT a good fit for a young and sensitive reader, but who is advanced in reading level. Most students don't start reading classic short stories until middle school, but if your DS can handle the higher reading level, some of these might work:

- The Open Window (Saki) -- irony; twist ending; humorous
- A Story Without An End (Twain) -- Twain showing how hard it is to write the ending of a creatively set-up story; humorous
- The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (Thurber) -- humorous
- The Ransom of Red Chief (Henry) -- humorous
- Wooster and Jeeves (PG Wodehouse) -- light and humorous
- The Red-Headed League, The Blue Carbuncle, The Speckled Band, A Scandal in Bohemia (Doyle) -- Sherlock Holmes mysteries (note: some Sherlock Holmes stories are more creepy or intense than others -- I listed ones that are much lighter or less suspenseful)
- Rikki Tikki Tavi (Kipling) -- plot line; an epic in miniature
- The Lady or the Tiger (Stockton) -- the famous first "cliffhanger/you decide" story ending

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More ideas for middle school ages in these past threads, although there are definitely some titles in the suggestions that would NOT be a good fit for a sensitve 4th grader:

"Short stories for an 11yo girl"
"Short stories every middle school student should read"
"Best short stories for middle grades"
"Favorite Short Stories for 6th-8th"
"Suggestions for Short Stories for Literary Analysis -- 7th/8th grade level?"
"Middle School Literature Using Short Stories?"

For example: "All Summer in a Day"** is listed multiple times in these threads. It is very *readable* for a 4th grader -- but the cruelty of bullying in it might be too much for a sensitive 4th grader. And "The Monkey's Paw" is in the suggestions in these threads -- it is frequently alluded to and full of atmosphere and suspense, but may be too much of a horror story for sensitive readers. Edgar Allen Poe short stories are also suggested in these threads, but also probably way to horrific and intense for a sensitive younger reader.

(** = The story is set on Venus where it rains 24/7 and the sun only comes out for 2 hours once very 10 years. In the classroom, the one little girl from Earth tells the other children (all born on Venus) about the sun, and in jealousy, they lock her in a closet and forget to let her out until they come back inside after the 2 hours of sun is over. She has missed her opportunity to experience the sun, so very important to her, due to bullying, and the children realize what a horrific thing they have done. It's a great story to discuss with students along about 6th-8th grade, but potentially a devastating story for a sensitive younger child. YMMV 🙂 )

Edited July 22, 2020 by Lori D.

[PeterPan]

Clyde Bulla has a charming series of summaries of Gilbert & Sullivan plays. You could read the short version and then watch the musical. Fun. 

 

Ditto for Shakespeare. Bulla, Lamb, picture books, lots of short versions available and then watch the Ambrose versions on video.

 

Fiery has a short story version of popular operas, same deal, where you can read the story and then watch the operas. Bright/gifted kids often LOVE opera.

 

My ds has enjoyed the Gilbert & Sullivan (light opera) stuff we've gone to, and he's about the same age as your ds.

[wendyroo]

Thank you, all.

 

This has given me a lot of good ideas to work with.