Short For Teens

Out on the prairie, the Joseph family is all astir with concealing their Christmas gifts for one another. But will Santa come this year? After all, the crops had failed this summer and they were on short commons. When their town neighbors, the Ralstons ask to take refuge overnight at the Joseph's on Christmas Eve, they make a shakedown bed in front of the fire. But what will become of the big bundle of gifts they carried in with them?

Clorinda laments being poor around Christmastime to her Aunt Emmy. Emmy remarks that some of the best presents aren't bought and paid for and declines to explain, only asking Clorinda to think it out. When she does this, Clorinda determines to give a little bit of herself in priceless presents to her loved ones near and far.

In Matthew Insists on Puffed Sleeves, Anne Shirley's guardian Marilla keeps Anne dressed in plain, dark clothes unlike the other girls her age. Matthew Cuthbert, Anne's kindred spirit and sometime benefactor, struggles to figure out how to solve this problem. He overcomes his shyness to ensure that a wonderful, unexpected present is waiting for Anne on Christmas day.

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was an English romantic and gothic novelist who is most famous as the author of Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. She was married to the notable Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. She also wrote a number of shorter "tales of the unnatural", of which "The Mortal Immortal", a story of a man who will not die, is the most famous.

Via a series of letters between himself and a friend, a man falls in love with a woman he has never met - and receives a shocking surprise when he travels to meet her.

Mary E. Wilkins Freeman is known primarily as a "feminist" and "local color" writer, for such classic tales as "The Revolt of Mother". She wrote very entertaining stories that included clear depictions of the pressures that often silenced or devalued women and their concerns. This famous story gets that message across but not without a bit of humor.

Guy de Maupassant is considered one of the fathers of the modern short story. His narratives are characterized by an economy of style and the efficient way in which the various threads are neatly resolved. In "The False Jewels", a man who dotes on his wife is crushed by her unexpected death and then astounded by a revelation about her costume jewelry.

Wilkie Collins was the author of two of the greatest mysteries ever written, The Moonstone and The Woman in White. However, like Poe before him and Conan Doyle after, he shifted easily from rational domains to the "superrational". Like them, he often preferred to indulge his occult predilection, a lifelong interest. "The Dream Woman" is one his most anthologized stories of the supernatural.

Ida Mitchell, a third-year student at the Clifton Academy, is spending the holidays at her boarding-house, unable to go home because her siblings have the measles. Another Ida Mitchell, who is a second-year student at Clifton is also spending the holidays away from home. When a fruit cake intended for Ida is accidentally delivered to the other Ida, third-year Ida can't bring herself to break the truth to second-year Ida, for whom the cake has brightened an otherwise difficult time.

Prissy's Uncle Richard and her father haven't exchanged words in eight years since a property dispute created hard feelings. When Prissy overhears Uncle Richard saying he has to travel for work on New Years' day, she resolves to sneak into his house and cook him a proper holiday dinner. Uncle Richard returns early and catches Prissy in the act. Can Prissy's kind gesture be the beginning of a reconciliation between the brothers?

While out for a walk, two young men find themselves on Enderly Rd., known for its poor inhabitants and shabby dwellings. They meet a crying girl on her way home and stop her. Learning that the boys who promised to help decorate the schoolhouse for the examinations to be held on Christmas Eve were backing out, the two young men decide to help out the little girl.

Prepare to be entranced by "Paranormal POV presents: Aliens, Witches, & Ghosts, Oh My!"—an enchanting compilation of short stories that will transport you to the captivating crossroads of the supernatural and the unknown. Dive into a realm where the ordinary collides head-on with the extraordinary, and where the unexplained transforms into the thrillingly suspenseful action and adventure.

Seventeen-year-old Lydia Knight is about to start her senior year at Transylvanica High, one of several integrated pilot schools across the country where human and vampire students peacefully coexist. She is a bit leery about her cousin, Roland DuPree, 18, coming to live with her and her parents in Harbor Heights, Michigan, with his dark clothing and odd behavior. But since he is family, she has to tolerate him and even accept the fact that her best friend, Mandi, is attracted to her cousin.

Funny Business is based around the theme of - what else - humor, and if you’re familiar with Jon and Guys Read, you already know what you’re in store for: an hilarious story.

Funny Business is based around the theme of - what else - humor, and if you’re familiar with Jon and Guys Read, you already know what you’re in store for: an hilarious story.

Ruby James has finally made it. As an official Rater, she's reached upper class society and all that comes with it - a huge house in a guarded neighborhood, box seats, and an elite client list. She even has the perfect boyfriend to go with it, one she expects to marry as soon as her career settles. Then she uncovers a terrible secret. One her boss will do anything to protect.

The whole country thinks Meagan Masters is the luckiest teenager in the world - she's the President's daughter. But Meagan feels like she's given up her entire life for her dad's political ambitions…No more! Meagan throws the ultimate tantrum - with her boyfriend at her side, she takes over the White House, only to end up having to defend the People's House when it's invaded. Those terrorists send in their number one weapon: the President's double…and Meagan has him in her sights. Just one problem - he is the real President come to rescue Meagan, their relationship…and possibly the White House.

A comical collection of four classic tales written by America's favorite author. Read with rakish mastery by Carol Eason, the stories include "The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County", which concerns the controversial outcome of a frog jumping contest; "What Stumped the Blue Jay", regarding the plight of a particularly determined jay bird; "The Story of the Old Ram", where a group of miners gather to listen to a legendary tale; and "The Joke that Made Ed's Fortune", which concerns a devilish prank and its wry backfiring.

Richard just wanted a girlfriend - not the apocalypse. Richard Peak's senior year is looking painfully ordinary - fighting for position on the soccer team, his parents' constant arguing, a glaring lack of a girlfriend. He can't wait to graduate and join a soccer team overseas, preferably as far from home as possible. Then the president is assassinated and his life changes forever. As an alarming chain of nationwide terrorist attacks trigger a civil war, Richard finds himself on a dangerous journey for survival.

A toy giant and a clockwork unicorn star in this retelling of Aesop's fable "The Lion and the Mouse" in a steampunk fantasy setting.