Short Stories for Middle School V - Paperback

by Clara M. Everhart (Author)

Twelve Classic Tales, Twelve New Perspectives

What if the story didn't end where the page did? What if a minor character had something to say, or an unseen witness had been watching all along?

Short Stories for Middle School V pairs twelve beloved, public-domain short stories, from Kipling's "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" to Wilde's "The Nightingale and the Rose," with original companion "side stories" that step just outside the frame of each classic. These aren't retellings. They're new narratives told from a bystander, a witness, or a character who never speaks in the source text, expanding each story's world while staying true to its tone and spirit.

Featured classics include:

• Rudyard Kipling's Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
• Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart
• Saki's The Interlopers
• O. Henry's The Ransom of Red Chief
• O. Henry's The Last Leaf
• Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Adventure of the Speckled Band
• Oscar Wilde's The Selfish Giant
• Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince
• Ambrose Bierce's An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
• Nathaniel Hawthorne's Dr. Heidegger's Experiment
• Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
• Oscar Wilde's The Nightingale and the Rose

Every section comes fully equipped for the classroom, with:

• Teaching Notes covering key themes, literary techniques, and historical context
• Leveled Discussion Questions, moving from comprehension to critical synthesis
• Classroom Activities for pre-reading, during-reading, post-reading, and assessment

Built on the belief that middle schoolers are capable of engaging with ambiguity and moral complexity, this collection doesn't hand students a single "right" interpretation. Instead, it opens the door to discussion and helps them build the analytical skills to walk through it themselves.

Whether you're a classroom teacher planning a unit, a homeschool educator building a curriculum, or a literature circle looking for fresh angles on old favorites, Short Stories for Middle School V offers twelve ready-to-teach packages that make classic literature feel newly alive.