Grandpa’s Magic Hat

Grandpa's Magic Hat: Short story by Marilyn HelmerIn this story by Marilyn Helmer for Cricket Magazine, two brothers set out to prove their grandfather was joking when he told them an old straw hat he never wears has the magical ability to bring things to life. They decide to test the hat by placing it on the head of scarecrow standing in a neighbor’s garden. As they are doing this, the neighbor’s dog barks and the boy’s flee, leaving the hat behind. Later that night, they are shocked when a stranger dressed exactly like the scarecrow joins a neighbourhood barn dance.

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Two Dollars

Two Dollars: Short story by Sharona VedolThe major themes of this Sharona Vedol story from Spider Magazine are compassion and generosity. Set during the Great Depression, a young girl accompanies her father to collect rent from families in their apartment blocks. She sees first-hand the hardship being experienced by tenants, and is impressed by the respect and understanding her father shows for each family. She is shocked when they come to a family who have no money left over for food, and worries her father will be angry about something she buys with the two dollars he gives her to buy them groceries.

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A Fish Named Dog

A Fish Named Dog: Short story by Christyne MorrellLike many children, the girl in this story by Christyne Morrell for Spider Magazine dreams of having a pet dog or cat. Unfortunately, this is not to be. Her parents give her a goldfish instead! To make sure her mother and father know what she really wanted, she names the fish “Dog.” This must have hurt the fish’s feelings because, much to the girl’s surprise, it begins to live up to its new name. By the end of the story the girl and fish are happy, her friends are amazed, and some readers may never want to eat fish again.

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Shells

Shells: Short story by Cynthia RylantIn Shells by Cynthia Rylant, a recently orphaned boy named Michael is having problems adjusting to living with his aunt Esther. She has never had children, and is very set in her ways. Michael feels alone in the world. He misses his parents, and goes to a new school where he has no friends. Desperate for company, Michael looks in a pet store for ‘some small living thing’ to brighten up his life. He finds just the right pet. When Aunt Esther shows an interest in it, both Michael and the pet start to come out of their shells.

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The Velveteen Rabbit

The Velveteen Rabbit: Short story by Margery WilliamsThe major theme of this touching children’s fantasy (aka How Toys Become Real) from Margery Williams is the transforming power of love. A cheaply made stuffed toy (Rabbit) is made to feel inferior by the more “advanced” toys in the nursery. A wise but badly worn old toy (Skin Horse) gives it some memorable advice: Real isn’t how you are made. It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child [someone] loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real. Other themes: being different, rejection, hope, loss, fulfillment.

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The Champion of Quiet

The Champion of Quiet: Short story by Tracy StewartThis story by Tracy Stewart for Highlights Magazine includes a number of important life lessons for young learners. The first is individual differences. Nobody is good at everything, but almost everybody is good at something. Importantly, you don’t have to be good at something to enjoy it. By joining in and trying your best, you can have just as much fun as those who are great at it. Maggie proved that she wasn’t just the Champion of Quiet. She became the Champion of Understanding and Kindness, and learned that this is the easiest way of all to make new friends.

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The Patient Cat

The Patient Cat: Short story by Laura E. RichardsThis short fable by Laura E. Richards teaches a lesson about patience. The cat showed patience in waiting for the bird to lay all of its eggs, and then waiting until the eggs had hatched. It also showed patience in not pouncing as soon as the chicks were born, but leaving them until they started to get fat. There was a point shortly after this where the cat should have enjoyed its meal. This leads to the moral of the story: being patient is a good thing, but it is equally important to know the right time to act.

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The Fun They Had

The Fun They Had: Short story by Isaac AsimovThis story by Isaac Asimov is set in the year 2155. A boy shows a friend something strange he found hidden away in his family attic. Neither of them has seen one before… it is a book! First, they discuss how wasteful paper books were compared to electronic books of their day. The book is about school, and they go on to compare home schooling of the future with “going to school” in the past. Themes include technological progress, human connection (computer-driven vs. classroom learning), paper-based vs. electronic reading, memories, longing for aspects of the past.

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