Best Shorts: Favorite Short Stories for Sharing by . Avi (Selected by), Chris Raschka (Illustrator), Carolyn Shute (With), Katherine Paterson (Afterword), Carolyn Shute (Contribution by)

From the Publisher

Newbery Medal–winning author Avi has selected short stories from the past and present in this entertaining collection for young readers. And whether you begin by reading alone or reading aloud, these stories are some of the very best to share.

Featuring loyal pets, rogue waves, ghosts who use cell phones, and young people caught up in events beyond their control, these stories are written by some of the most entertaining and esteemed authors of children’s literature. They will have you savoring a quiet moment by yourself, talking during dinnertime with your family, and laughing in class with your friends.

Though it may take only a few minutes to read, a terrific short story can take you on a long journey. Are you ready for the trip?

Children's Literature

Avi has assembled a delicatessen of literary briefs, covering a wide range of traditions: fantasy, comedy, drama, mystery, and cautionary tale. The earliest was written 200 years ago ("Rip Van Winkle"), the most recent published within the last several years. Many are suitable for reading to younger children and all offer something to children of all ages. There is a mix of stories about girls, stories about boys, and stories about adults and old people. Some of the authors are well known, others are not. The quality that unites all of the stories is that each is well worth the time spent reading or listening to it. As in all good writing, these stories encourage the reader to look for more short stories to share and to build his/her own list of "best" short stories. This book would be an excellent addition to a school library's selection of short story collections and/or an English class's study of the short story form.

VOYA

This collection of short stories begs to be read aloud. Avi and Shute choose short stories from award-winning contemporary and classic authors. Mysteries, animal stories, thrillers, and even fairy tales are represented here. The Caller by Robert D. Sans Souci features a young girl whose cell phone is stolen and used by her dead aunt for revenge. Isaac Bashevis Singer's Zlateh the Goat tells of a young boy whose life is saved by the goat his family is selling. The Baby in the Bank Deposit Box by Megan Whalen Turner is a fairy tale about a magical child who is raised by a bank when she shows up as a "deposit.o Although a few tales are a bit dull, most are very entertaining and would keep even a reluctant reader's interest until the end. The book finishes with an afterword by Katherine Paterson and entries on the collection's contributors. Short story collections are always a difficult sell, and this one will seem no more appealing at first glance. If read aloud and shared, however, these stories will captivate a class and perhaps convince them to seek out other stories by the authors. This collection is recommended for middle and elementary school libraries and is particularly suited for teachers looking for read-aloud material.

School Library Journal

Gr 5 Up-Unlike most collections, there is no integrating theme in the 24 short stories included here-just fine writing, cultural diversity, and timeless creativity. With such strong writers as Richard Peck, Natalie Babbitt, Lloyd Alexander, and Rafe Martin, one would expect nothing less. Strategic placement of genres sustains reader interest. Animals as heroes, time machines as homework helpers, along with Washington Irving's timeless classic "Rip Van Winkle" and Frank Stockton's highly provocative "The Lady or the Tiger?" offer many powerful, instantly engaging choices, especially appealing to reluctant readers. Scatterings of the supernatural appear throughout, such as in Patricia McKissack's "The Woman in White," in which a desperate ghost propels readers into the injustices of the pre-Civil Rights era. Others are sure to elicit a shiver, like Robert San Souci's "The Caller." Brief biographical sketches of the contributors are included. Katherine Paterson offers a persuasive afterword in favor of sharing, discussing, and reading these selections aloud as well as exhorting the dire need for more quality writing in short fiction.-D. Maria LaRocco, Cuyahoga Public Library, Strongsville, OH Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

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