Young Teen Short Stories

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.

The story is a double play: is it the story of a woman going mad, or a woman possessed by something evil? We begin to suspect that the narrator’s apparently caring husband John may not be as caring as she thinks. Is he trying to control her? We know that Charlotte was much concerned with the emancipation of women and them achieving financial independence, so is the character of John an echo of this?

In A New Death: CJ's Story, you meet CJ, the 13-year-old nephew of the truck driver Josh from the novel A New Death. Find out what happens to Josh's family when the zombie apocalypse shambles into Savannah, Georgia! Will the young teenage CJ understand what is going on? Will he believe it? Will his family get out of the city alive, or will he fall to the zombie infection? This zombie apocalypse story is for anyone who is a fan of zombie games, movies, or graphic novels.

Originally published in The New Haven Review, this story features a young married couple who struggle through the rough landscape of Southern Illinois in the late 1950s. They argue over the purchase of a five-dollar-a-month Sears and Roebuck kitchen table, but it ends up saving lives.

Humans are mostly made of water. Tessa is mostly made of molten iron. The petite firefighter had always grown up fearful of her abilities, and went through life harboring this deep secret. Until her encounter with a strange man, Tessa wasn’t sure what kind of freak she was...Begrudgingly; she begins her quest for self discovery. Will Tessa ever know freedom, or will she know happiness instead, or are the two synonymous or inseparable?

From young author Coco Ma comes a dazzling tale of adventure, power, and betrayal, weaving together a stunning world of magic with a killer cast in an explosive, unforgettable collection.

Envie is a Cajun / French word that translates to want or desire in English. Pronounced ahn-vee, this retelling of the legend of the Miranda Guitar is tinged with envie. Miranda became famous even though very few people know her name. She is a Troubadour. Miranda plays the guitar and sings. She is happy her brother, Beau, does not mind the recognition that comes with being her conduit. Beau LaLonde is the first to understand there is more to the guitar than a box with six strings. He understands the LaLonde legacy will live on through the guitar.

It's the most wonderful time of year...or is it? Christmas Eve is a night of mystery and magic, but not always in ways we expect. Things lurk in the shadows, and they're not the least bit jolly or merry. Let's just say some presents are better left unopened. 'Tis the season to be screaming along with our 13 tales of holiday horrors. Ghosts. Monsters. Demons. And more! This Christmas, be careful what you wish for....

After pushing away the woman he loves, he tries desperately to forget the love he feels for her, but when Lisbeth is in danger, he can't stay away any longer. In order to save the woman he loves, can he hold true to his promise to stay by her side, despite his overwhelming feelings for her?

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.

It Knows When You Are Sleeping is a short horror story by Dylan Stone about an evil supernatural clown that appears in the dreams of people in a small English village where the bodies are piling up. This terrifying tale for teens, young adults, and adults takes around 20 minutes to listen to.

In the kingdom of Adania, everyone knows what Princess Alyrra did to earn the court's contempt, her mother's disdain, and her brother's hatred. She betrayed her own. Yet, the truth hides another story - one of honor and honesty, of a princess gambling her own life for another's. It's a tale of courage, consequences, and a choice that can never be undone.

Before their fight to save the realm from mad tyrants and toxic mist, Bleak, Henri and Swinton led separate lives. Delve into the secrets, the triumphs and tragedies of their earlier years, and the defining moments that made these much-loved characters who they are.

Jem Carstairs and Tessa Gray are finally united after waiting over a century to be together, but they become aware a dark threat is looming over a child of the Shadow Market: a lost Herondale, from a line of Herondales who have used the Market to hide from their fellow Nephilim. Now is the time for the lost Herondale to be discovered. Jem and Tessa have to find him before his enemies can.

"Where did she go? Behind those trees? Is she still hiding there, just as the river twists and turns, down below the grassy bank? I’m sure I saw her just a moment ago, skipping between the tree trunks." Lady Deablin Armstrang's only friend is a magical nymph that appears to her between tree trunks of Ettrick Forest. Is she real or just the play of her imagination? When an unexpected visitor arrives in the forest Deablin must decide whether duty or friendship will win her hand.

Love at First Book is a sweet, romantic YA short story in verse. From across the coffee shop Lorelei catches a stanza of heart-stopping description of a boy with a book in his back pocket. And that might have been her last line if he didn't leave it behind with a poem tucked between the pages. A poem about a candy-striper with bright hair and an angel's voice who reads to hospital patients like Lorelei does.

In an apartment building in the Lower East Side of New York City, success is reserved for the Puerto Rican locos who are willing to do anything to make a buck. Everyone else remains stagnant, not daring to dream on the boss’ turf. Shortly after her 17th birthday, Yasmin knows that rescuing three pit bulls from a nightmarish life will upset their poor excuse for an owner. However, the teen never imagines saving the dogs will land her on the bad side of the worst people.

Stranded amidst a primitive civilization, Riley must navigate the challenges of being an outsider with knowledge that can either uplift or destroy. As the lines between the past and future blur, Riley's odyssey becomes not just a quest to return home but a journey of the heart, where true belonging and purpose are discovered in the most unexpected places.

Eleven-year-old Lady Wynn Hoppringle longs to be free from rules and duty of her family home at Smailholm Tower. Whilst out exploring on the wild moors, she comes across a big secret of the smallest kind, hidden beneath the prickly brambles. What will she find? And will she keep it a secret?

Jenny is the smallest of all the small girls in the world. She is afraid of foxes, the rabbits, the birds, and even the mice that roam the forbidden moor where she lives. When one day she falls down a mouse hole, she must find a way to be brave. Will she escape? Or remain the most afraid miniature girl there ever was?