Not every reader or student is interested in reading full-length novels, and short stories offer the perfect alternative, with shorter reads that pack a punch in fewer pages. Just as picture books are certainly not easier to write just because they are shorter (a caution to those wannabe writers who are convinced anyone can toss off a picture book!), short stories are definitely not lesser works of story-telling. In fact, I defy anyone to write a short story, with adequate character development and plotting to sustain the attention and interest of readers of youngCanLit. It can be a daunting challenge that not everyone can meet. Thankfully, these 53 books of short stories and excerpts from novels demonstrate the strength of this type of writing in Canada, though I would like to see more published. And I believe that these books, for all reading levels though many are for young adults, are valuable tools for teaching everything from history to writing to humour or just allowing readers to see themselves in their reading.
Check the recommended ages for which these short stories collections have been published, and I trust that all young readers and teachers will find something here to satiate their reading appetites.
by Kathy Stinson
Second Story Press
150 pp.
Ages 12-15
2006
Fourteen stories about the joys and anxieties of sexual anticipation.
Edited by Lisa Heggum
Orca Book Publishers
240 pp.
Ages 14+
2006
Stories by Gil Adamson, Diana Aspin, Gary Barwin, Martha Brooks, Ivan E. Coyote, Brian Doyle, Anne Fleming, Lee Henderson, James Henegan, Sheila Heti, Susan Kernohan, Carrie Mac, Derek McCormack, Janet McNaughton, Joe Ollmann, Michel Rabagliati, Stuart Ross, Arthur Slade, Susannah M. Smith, Ania Szado, Madeleine Thien and Tim Wynne-Jones
by Irene Morck
Illustrated by Muriel Wood
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
80 pp.
Ages 8-11
2001
Six stories emphasize Danish-Canadian pioneer traditions
by Sarah Ellis
Simon & Schuster
144 pp.
Ages 11-15
1997
Twelve stories involving the supernatural.
Edited by Edo van Belkom
Tundra Books
184 pp.
Ages 11+
2000
Fifteen scary stories by authors including Robert J. Sawyer, Monica Hughes, Tim Wynne-Jones, Ed Greenwood, Nancy Kilpatrick, Joe R. Lansdale, Ed Gorman, Steve Rasnic Tem and Richard Laymon.
Edited by Allister Thompson
Fierce Ink Press
205 pp.
Ages 13+
2014
Ten stories by Chris Benjamin, Ben Boudreau, Gerard Collins, Alison DeLory, Jamie Fitzpatrick, Patti Larsen, Cale Liom, Chad Pelley, Lee D. Thompson and Jo Treggiari tell of becoming fierce so as to release them from the holds of fears, bullies, confusion, family, drugs, and even country.
Reviewed here
Edited by Ann Walsh
Ronsdale Press
227 pp.
Ages 12+
2001
Fourteen fictional historical vignettes by Ann Walsh, Barbara Haworth-Attard, Beverley Brenna, Constance Horne, Margaret Thompson, Anne Metikosh, Carolyn Pogue, Margaret Florczak, Jean Rae Baxter, Catherine Goodwin, Victoria Miles, Susan Lee, Laura Morgan and Cathy Beveridge.
by R.P. MacIntyre
Thistledown Press
160 pp.
Ages 12-15
1994
Ten short stories dealing with youth and their problems and concerns.
Edited by Peter Carver
Thistledown Press
240 pp.
Ages 12-15
1992
Nineteen stories selected from a national writing contest.
by Tim Wynne-Jones
Puffin
160 pp.
Ages 8-12
1997
Seven stories about change.
Edited by Tim Wynne-Jones
Penguin Canada
320 pp.
Ages 9-14
2001
Twenty stories and excerpts from novels by authors including Sarah Ellis, Martha Brooks, Tim Wynne-Jones, Monica Hughes, Brian Doyle, Ken Roberts, Richard Scrimger, Jordan Wheeler, John Cuthand and William Bell.
Edited by Sandra Bogart Johnston
Scholastic Canada
241 pp.
Ages 9-14
2009
Eleven stories of historical short fiction that revisit characters from the Dear Canada books including those of Carol Matas, Maxine Trottier, Julie Lawson, Sarah Ellis, Perry Nodelman, Jean Little, Karleen Bradford and Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch.
by Sharon Stewart
Red Deer Press
240 pp.
Ages 12+
2002
Dark stories to scare and terrify.
Edited by Deb Loughead and Jocelyn Shipley
Sumach Press
192 pp.
Ages 12+
2012
Fifteen stories of girls navigating puberty and adolescence by Kellee Ngan, Wendy A. Lewis, Claire Tacon, Ann Sutherland, Lisabeth Jackson, Jennifer Filipowicz, Karen Krossing, Robin Stevenson, Marce Merrell, Amanda Hartley, Ev Bishop, Patricia McCowan, Anne Ptasznik, Anna Warje and Valerie Hunter.
Edited by Peter Carver
Red Deer Press
223 pp.
Ages 14+
2000
Stories by Bonnie Blake, Rick Book, Martha Brooks, Anne Carter, Gillian Chan, Brian Doyle, Sarah Ellis, Bernice Friesen, Linda Holeman, Jillian Horton, Sheley A. Leedahl, Alsion Lohans, R.P. McIntyre, Kevin Major, Kathy Stinson, Budge Wilson and Tim Wynne-Jones.
by L. M. Montgomery
Wilder Publications
350 pp.
Ages 8-12
2010
Stories from The Chronicles of Avonlea and The Further Chronicles of Avonlea, all based in the town of Avonlea on Prince Edward Island.
by Budge Wilson
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
160 pp.
Ages 13-17
2003
Nine short stories about the trials and tribulations of life.
Edited by Ann Walsh
Ronsdale Press
184 pp.
Ages 12+
2005
Twelve stories about young people’s experience of loss and grief with contributions by Sarah Ellis, Lee Maracle, Alison Lohans, Diana Aspin, Carolyn Pogue, Gina Rozon, Jessie Mae Keller, Libby Kennedy, Donna R. Gamache, Patricia McCowan, Betty Jane Hegerat and Carrie Mac.
by Paul Yee
Illustrated by Harvey Chan
Groundwood
104 pp.
Ages 11+
2003
Ten ghost stories of Chinese immigrants struggling to make new lives in North America.
by R.P. MacIntyre
Thistledown Press
187 pp.
Ages 14+
2006
Fourteen short stories about adolescence.
Edited by Marthe Jocelyn
Tundra Books
191 pp.
Ages 11-15
2007
Fourteen stories by Martha Slaughter, Curtis Parkinson, Susan Juby, Alan Cumyn, Susan Adach, Ted Staunton, Richard Scrimger, Gillian Chan, Bill Habeeb, Nancy Hartry, Bill Richardson, Tim Wynne-Jones, Marthe Jocelyn and Sarah Ellis.
by Budge Wilson
Penguin Canada
195 pp.
Ages 13-17
2002
Twelve stories about families and dealing with family issues.
by W. D. Valgardson
Groundwood Books
132 pp.
Ages 8-12
1997
Eight short stories involve children coming to terms with a variety of problems.
Edited by Sarah Ellis
Puffin
360 pp.
Ages 9-14
2002
Twenty stories and excerpts from novels by a variety of Canadian authors including Cora Taylor, Jan Hudson, Kit Pearson, Deborah Ellis, Joan Bodger, Jean Little, Teresa Toten, Joan Clark and Linda Holeman.
by Gillian Chan
Kids Can Press
118 pp.
Ages 12-15
1996
Stories about high school.
by Vivek Shraya
Illustrated by Juliana Neufeld
Arsenal Pulp Press
110 pp.
Ages 14-17
2014
Twenty-one stories about sexuality, gender, racial politics, religion, and belonging.
by Gillian Chan
Kids Can Press
119 pp.
Ages 12-15
1994
More stories about high school.
Edited by R. David Stephens
Tradewind Books
134 pp.
Ages 14-17
2009
Stories of Asian Canadian writers Annie Zhu, Kwai-Yun Li, Marty Chan, Evelyn Lau, Kellee Ngan, Tony Wong, Fiona Tinwei Lam, Paul Yee, Hanako Masutani, Kagan Goh, Taien Ng-Chan, Linda Mah and Kentaro Ide.
by Teddy Jam
Illustrated by Ange Zhang
Groundwood Books
64 pp.
Ages 8-13
2008
Four illustrated stories of Canada in the past century.
by Alison Lohans
Thistledown Press
208 pp.
Ages 14+
1993
Eleven short stories that deal with young people’s emotions.
by Leslie McFarlane
Edited by Brian McFarlane
Key Porter Books
138 pp.
Ages 10-12
2005
Four hockey stories from 1930s Canadian towns.
by Tim Wynne-Jones
Groundwood books/Douglas and McIntyre Ltd.
208 pp.
Ages 10-14
1999
Seven stories perfect for middle grades.
by Deborah Ellis
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
169 pp.
Ages 12-17
2008
Ten stories dealing with drugs and addictions.
by Deborah L. Delaronde
Pemmican Publications
106 pp.
Ages 8-10
2006
Six short stories with time travel or ghost elements to them.
Edited by Peter Carver
Thistledown Press
188 pp.
Ages 12-15
1995
Seventeen stories from the 1994 cross Canada Young Adult Short Story Competition.
Edited by Peter Carver
Thistledown Press
177 pp.
Ages 12+
1998
Thirteen humourous stories from Cheryl Archer, Karen Krossing, R.P. MacIntyre, Eric Nicol, Jacqueline Pearce, Diana C. Aspin, Sharon Stewart, Beverley Brenna, Shelley A. Leedahl, Barry Mathias, Janice Scott, Jennifer Taylor and Ed Yatscoff.
by Martha Brooks
Thistledown Press
110 pp.
Ages 12+
1988
Fourteen stories about teens.
by Jan Andrews
Illustrated by Francis Blake
Tundra Books
88 pp.
Ages 6-9
2010
Eight irreverent stories from around the world.
Edited by Sandra Bogart Johnston
Scholastic Canada
256 pp.
Ages 8-13
2006
Twelve stories of historical fiction from Dear Canada authors by Jean Little, Kit Pearson, Michelle Trottier, Gillian Chan, Sarah Ellis, Barbara Haworth-Attard, Julie Lawson, Karleen Bradford, Janet Lunn, Carol Matas and Sharon Stewart.
Edited by Marthe Jocelyn
Tundra
184 pp.
Ages 9-12
2005
Twelve stories by Susan Adach, Anne Carter, Gillian Chan, Nancy Hartry, Marthe Jocelyn, Julie Johnston, Dayal Kaur Khalsa, Loris Lesynski, Anne Gray Sarndal, Martha Slaughter, Teresa Toten and Elizabeth Winthrop
by Tim Wynne-Jones
Groundwood Books
136 pp.
Ages 10-13
2000
Nine stories full of humour, surprise, fear and wonder.
by Jan Andrews
Illustrated by Francis Blake
Tundra Books
80 pp.
Ages 6-9
2007
Fun stories based on tales from around the world.
by Karen Krossing
Second Story Press
184 pp.
Ages 12+
2003
Fourteen stories of limitations experienced by inner-city teens who live at 64 Wilnut Street. A teacher's guide is available http://karenkrossing.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/take-the-stairs-teachers-guide.pdf
Edited by R.P. MacIntyre
Thistledown Press
152 pp.
Ages 15 +
1996
Fourteen short stories present a character’s take on an unfamiliar or negative experience.
Edited by Sandra Bogart Johnston
Scholastic Canada
216 pp.
Ages 8-13
2015
Ten stories as epilogues to the Dear Canada books of Jean Little, Barbara Haworth- Attard, Sarah Ellis, Susan Aihoshi, Norah McClintock, Karleen Bradford, Janet McNaughton, Carol Matas and Ruby Slipperjack.
by Linda Holeman
Tundra Books
184 pp.
Ages 10+
2003
Stories about love and the various ways it can express itself.
by Martha Brooks
Scholastic
146 pp.
Ages 12+
1994
Eleven stories about teens facing adversity.
Edited by R.P. MacIntyre
Thistledown Press
160 pp.
Ages 15+
2001
Fourteen stories from Thistledown’s young adult short story competition.
by Jacqueline Pearce
Thistledown Press
208 pp.
Ages 13-16
2003
Twelve stories about teens and their relationships with others.
by Paul Yee
Tradewind Books
178 pp.
Ages 13+
2006
About the turbulent lives of Asian-Canadian youth.
Edited by Monica Hughes
Tundra Books
208 pp.
Ages 10+
1998
Stories that answer and ask, “What if?” by Alison Baird, Edo van Belkom, Lesley Choyce, Joan Clark, Charles de Lint, Sarah Ellis, Marcel Gagné, Priscilla Galloway, James Alan Gardner, Monica Hughes, Jason Kapalka, Eileen Kernaghan, Alice Major, Robert Priest, Jean-Louis Trudel and Tim Wynne-Jones.
by Jan Andrews
Illustrated by Dušan Petričić
Groundwood Books
72 pp.
Ages 7-10
2011
Three stories based on Ti-Jean, Quebec’s traditional folktale hero (or perhaps anti-hero would better describe him).
Edited by Debora Pearson
Groundwood Books
128 pp.
Ages 8-12
2002
Nine stories about books and libraries and reading by authors Sarah Ellis, Budge Wilson, Ken Roberts, Celia Barker Lottridge, Jean Little, Ken Setterington, Paul Yee, Marc Talbert and Tim Wynne-Jones.
A great list!
ReplyDelete