Short Story by Ron Carlson. A young man who grew up in a family of 'geniuses' experiences a sudden sense of relief and freedom after discovering he is “ordinary”. He gets a low-level job, buys a car, drinks beer and starts to enjoy life for the first time.
Grade 3-4 Story by Oscar Wilde. A giant finds that his beautiful garden has become a playground for children. He drives them away and builds a wall around it. His castle becomes a cold, miserable place. Redemption comes in the form of a small child the giant comes to love.
Short Story by Rudyard Kipling. The narrator and three chance acquaintances discuss the mysterious events surrounding an affair between a New Zealand hotel keeper renowned for her kindness to needy sailors and a mentally unstable naval officer who thinks he sees her “ghost” at a travelling circus.
Grade 5-6 Story by Elizabeth Ellis. A twelve-year-old girl is unhappy about her complexion and tries freckle cream with disastrous results. Instead of hiding the freckles, she got more and they became darker. Her grandfather uses a flower to teach the girl that she had the wrong idea about beauty.
Short Story by Anton Chekhov. A young woman in her first job as a governess returns from a walk to find the woman of the house searching her room for a missing brooch. She is so offended and incensed that, despite entreaties by the woman’s husband, she decides to leave.