7 Short Stories for Middle School ELA

Short stories are the real MVPs of an ELA classroom. They’re short enough to keep students engaged (and squeeze into a busy unit), but long enough to cover a few meaningful skills. Whether you want to hone in on a specific skill or get in one more story before the week is over, these short stories for middle school will do the trick.

“Thank You, Ma’am” by Langston Hughes

This middle school short story is about a boy named Roger who tried to steal a purse from a woman (little did he know – this lady could put up a fight). The story takes a turn when, instead of punishing the boy, the woman takes him in, cleans him up, and gives him food.

This short story is the perfect chance to talk about character traits, characterization, and literary devices. (I have all the resources and lesson plans to help you cover these standards in my “Thank You, Ma’am” resource). 

“All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury

Margot didn’t always live on Venus, a planet with constant rain and gloomy skies. She used to live on Earth, and she remembers the way the sun felt on her skin. For the first time in seven years, the sun is about to make an appearance on Venus, but Margot won’t get to enjoy it…

This middle school short story is great for exploring theme, setting, and literary devices. In my “All Summer in a Day” resource, I’ll give you the tools you need to host a Socratic seminar and dig deep into these standards. 

“Fish Cheeks” by Amy Tan

Behind closed doors, Amy isn’t ashamed of her Chinese-American family. But when her crush comes to visit, things change. This middle school short story is about mixed cultures and the desire to fit in (which I think every middle schooler can relate to).

With my ”Fish Cheeks” resource, you’ll cover conflict, plot, and literary devices. This is a quick read, only about a page long, but there is a lot of depth. I’ve had some really good classroom discussions over this one. It’s a must on any list of short stories for middle school.

“Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros

In just a few pages, Cisneros captures all the weird feelings of growing up. On Rachel’s eleventh birthday, her teacher forces her to wear a sweater that isn’t hers. And she can feel all the past versions of herself bubbling to the surface. This is a raw story about vulnerability and powerlessness. But it’s one of those short stories that middle school students don’t forget.

There’s a lot to unpack in this story, and the “Eleven” short story resource will help you out. You’ll dig into theme, symbolism, and tone. Students will analyze the character’s feelings, what the sweater stands for, and their connections with the text.

“The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry

There are lots of hard-hitting short stories for middle school. But “The Gift of the Magi” is more of a feel-good story. Della and Jim don’t have a lot of money. So, with Christmas around the corner, they decide to sell their most prized possessions to buy a gift for each other. The story takes a turn when the couple realizes they both sold their prized possession to buy gifts for each other – gifts they can’t use without the objects they sold.

Out of all the short stories for middle school, this is my favorite for talking about irony. In “The Gift of the Magi” resource, you’ll get five done-for-you lessons that cover irony, text comparisons, and inspiration from religious works. You’ll get all daily lesson plans, guided questions, interactive notebook pieces, and more.

“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson

Like I said, not every middle school short story is “feel good”! This story is about a small town that hosts an annual lottery to promote a good harvest. The story focuses on preparations for the harvest and students will start to sense that something is off about this lottery. Also, it’s not until the end that the truth is uncovered: the winners of the lottery are stoned to death.

Be prepared for some long classroom discussions about this story – in the best way possible. The ending is always a shock. I also like to spend time making text-to-text connections. Many movies and books have since taken inspiration from the plot of “The Lottery”.

“Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl

I first mentioned this one in my list of Halloween short stories for middle school. But you can read it any time of year. This story focuses on Mary Maloney, a pregnant, doting housewife. When her husband comes home from work and suggests they divorce, Mary completely loses it. She whacks her husband over the head with a frozen leg of lamb. She invites the police over to report the murder, but little do they know – Mary Maloney is hiding a big secret.

If your students need more practice with irony, this middle school short story will do the trick. The suspense of the story is driven by dramatic irony!
These are a few of my favorite short stories for middle school. If you need something quick to read or you want to focus on a specific skill, I highly recommend choosing a short story. They are quick, impactful, and cover a wide range of skills. Additionally, You can browse all my middle school short story resources here!