Favorite 20th century short stories??

[Ali in OR]

I don't have too many novels lined up for dd's 8th grade history year. We're doing Human Odyssey volume 3 for history which goes from WWI to 2000 I believe. I've got several books for WWII and some Albert Marrin books plus a few others. Some will be assigned to her, some we'll read aloud together. Was thinking of filling in with some short stories, particularly if they help bring to life a particular era. Any favorites out there?

[Lori D.]

These past threads had some great ideas for short stories for a middle schooler -- however, not all are 20th century:
"Short stories for an 11yo girl?"
"Short stories every middle school student should read"
"Best short stories for middle grades"
"Favorite Short Storis for 6th-8th"
"Suggestions for Short Stories for Literary Analysis -- 7th/8th grade level?"
"Middle School Literature Using Short Stories?"

Some ideas for 20th century short stories that would likely fit for an 8th grader (I starred ones that particularly bring a time/culture to life):

1886 = How Much Land Does a Man Need? (Tolstoy) -- Russia
1898 = Bride Comes to Yellow Sky (Crane) -- US
1902 = The Monkey's Paw (Jacobs) -- UK
1902 = To Build a Fire (London) -- US
** 1905 = Gift of the Magi (Henry) -- US
1910 = The Ransom of Red Chief (Henry) -- US
1910 = The Blue Cross (Chesterton) -- UK; a Father Brown mystery
** 1914 = The Open Window (Saki) --
** 1924 = The Most Dangerous Game (Connell) -- US
1926 = The Rocking-Horse Winner (Lawrence) -- UK
1930s/40s/50s = an Agatha Christie short mystery story
1939 = The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (Thurber) -- US
1941 = Evil Under the Sun  (Christie) -- UK; a Hercule Poirot mystery
** 1942 = The Catbird Seat (Thurber) -- US
1948 = The Lottery (Jackson) -- US
1950 = There Will Come Soft Rains (Bradbury) -- US, apocalyptic future setting
1950 = The Veldt (Bradbury) -- US, sci-fi future setting
1952 = Sound of Thunder (Bradbury) -- US, sci-fi future setting
1954 = All Summer in a Day (Bradbury) -- US, sci-fi future setting
** 1958 = Thank You Ma'am (Hughes) -- US
1966 = Zlateh the Goat (Singer) -- Poland, setting is rural old-world peasant life
1980s = one of James Herriot's Dog Stories -- UK, set in the 1930s
** 1996 = The Moustache (Cormier) -- US

Edited February 27, 2020 by Lori D.

[Ali in OR]

Thanks! Great list. We've read some of these in the last few years, but many new ones to take a look at. I like the idea of reading Bradbury since we read F451 last year. I vividly remember reading To Build a Fire and The Lottery when I was about her age (maybe a year older since I was in high school). Gift of the Magi would be a good Christmastime read. I found 4 short story collections around the house that were my mom's (English major/teacher)--if I have time I'd love to read all of them! I'll take a look at the threads too--thanks again.

 

[HollyDay]

Dd read Bertie's War.  It is about a teenager growing up during the cold war. 

[crazyforlatin]

Wilson Hill Academy's writing class is assigning this book, https://www.amazon.com/Little-Worlds-Collection-Stories-Middle/dp/1877653527/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1471621282&sr=1-1&keywords=short+stories+for+middle+school

 

DD says the majority of stories in there are creepy, but she's not an 8th grader and probably sees stories like The Lottery from a different point of view. Now that was my favorite short story as an 8th grader.

[Ali in OR]

Wilson Hill Academy's writing class is assigning this book, https://www.amazon.com/Little-Worlds-Collection-Stories-Middle/dp/1877653527/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1471621282&sr=1-1&keywords=short+stories+for+middle+school

 

DD says the majority of stories in there are creepy, but she's not an 8th grader and probably sees stories like The Lottery from a different point of view. Now that was my favorite short story as an 8th grader.

 

Thanks--just ordered a used copy from Amazon! I probably have a lot of the stories elsewhere, but I think it will be nice to have a collection where all of the stories are appropriate age-wise.