60 Best Short Stories for High School Students

The short story can do so much in so little time. Although short stories for high school students are appealing due to their brevity, this doesn’t minimize their lasting impact. Like the novel, short stories can leave readers undeniably moved, if not more moved, in powerful, unexpected ways. This form of storytelling has influenced the wider culture in film, television, theater, and other arts through its structure and use of literary devices.

Recommended below is a combination of classic and contemporary short stories that are great for high schoolers. Check out our 60 best short stories for high school students that will be hard to forget:

60 Best Short Stories for High School Students

1) “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury

“Do the scientists really know? Will it happen today, will it?”

Ray Bradbury’s “All Summer in a Day” is, you guessed it, a science fiction short story. It was first published in March 1954 for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. Heartbreaking and set in Venus, this makes for one of the best short stories for high schoolers to study character behavior.

2) “Recitatif” by Toni Morrison

“People want to put their arms around you when you tell them you were in a shelter, but it really wasn’t bad.”

3) “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe

“True! — nervous — very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad?”

Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” is a classic murder mystery that tries to convince the reader of the narrator’s sanity.

60 Best Short Stories for High School Students (Continued)

4) “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway

“The American and the girl with him sat at a table in the shade, outside the building. It was very hot and the express from Barcelona would come in forty minutes.”

5) “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” by Ursula K. LeGuin

“With a clamor of bells that set the swallows soaring, the Festival of Summer came to the city Omelas, bright-towered by the sea.”

Ursula K. LeGuin’s legendary short story was originally published in 1973 and centers on the misery of a single child.

6) “Mrs. Sen’s” by Jhumpa Lahiri

“At home, you know, we have a driver.”

“You mean a chauffeur?”

60 Best Short Stories for High School Students (Continued)

7) “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan

“America was where all my mother’s hopes lay.”

Perhaps you’ve heard of Amy Tan’s book “The Joy Luck Club.” Published in 1989, “Two Kinds” is a great short story for high schoolers. It focuses on a mother-daughter relationship, set in San Francisco’s Chinatown.

8) “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates

“Her name was Connie. She was fifteen and she had a quick, nervous giggling habit of craning her neck to glance into mirrors or checking other people’s faces to make sure her own was all right.”

9) “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin

“Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death.”

Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” was written on April 19, 1894 and published in Vogue as “The Dream of an Hour.”

Read College Transitions’ summary and analysis of the short story here.

60 Best Short Stories for High School Students (Continued)

10) “My Flamboyant Grandson” by George Saunders

“I had brought my grandson to New York to see a show.”

11) “The Schoolmistress” by Anton Chekhov – Best Short Stories for High School Students

“She felt as though she had been living in that part of the country for ages and ages, for a hundred years, and it seemed to her that she knew every stone, every tree on the road from the town to her school.”

Anton Chekhov’s “The Schoolmistress” was published on December 21, 1987. This classic makes for a great short story for high schoolers through its use of symbolism.

12) “A Small, Good Thing” by Raymond Carver

“While he was bent over the counter with the pencil in his hand, she studied his coarse features and wondered if he’d ever done anything else with his life besides be a baker.”

60 Best Short Stories for High School Students (Continued)

13) “Standard Loneliness Package” by Charles Yu

“Pain is an illusion, I know, and so is time, I know, I know. I know. The shift manager never stops reminding us. Doesn’t help, actually. Doesn’t help when you are on your third broken leg of the day.”

Charles Yu’s “Standard Loneliness Package” is a science fiction story first published in 2010 that asks what we should do with our emotions. High schoolers might find this to be familiar terrain.

14) “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant

“She was one of those pretty and charming girls born, as if by an error of fate, into a family of clerks.”

15) “To Build a Fire” by Jack London

“Day had broken cold and grey, exceedingly cold and grey, when the man turned aside from the main Yukon trail and climbed the high earth- bank, where a dim and little-travelled trail led eastward through the fat spruce timberland.”

Published in 1902, Jack London’s “To Build a Fire” is the perfect, timeless short story for any adventure-hungry high schooler.

60 Best Short Stories for High School Students (Continued)

16) “Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka

“One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin.”

It stands as one of the most famous first lines in literature. Franz Kafka’s “Metamorphosis,” published in 1915, is an unforgettable classic short story for high school students.

17) “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury

“But nothing’s too good for our children,’ George had said.”

18) “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne

“Depending upon one another’s hearts, ye had still hoped that virtue were not all a dream. Now are ye undeceived. Evil is the nature of mankind.”

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” was published in 1835 and reveals the tragedy of blindly following tradition.

60 Best Short Stories for High School Students (Continued)

19) “A Contract Overseas” by Mia Alvar

“After a flood, eggshells and beer-can tabs and bottle shards clung to the Creek’s banks, as if even trash hoped to escape.”

20) “The Monkey’s Paw” by W. W. Jacobs

“‘Never mind, dear,’ said his wife soothingly; ‘perhaps you’ll win the next one.’”

21) “Powder” by Tobias Wolff

“Just before Christmas my father took me skiing at Mount Baker. He’d had to fight for the privilege of my company, because my mother was still angry with him for sneaking me into a nightclub during his last visit, to see Thelonious Monk.”

Tobias Wolff’s “Powder” will resonate with high schoolers contemplating father-son relationships.

60 Best Short Stories for High School Students (Continued)

22) “Synchronicity” by John Keeble

“When I came into the kitchen, Ward was using a knife to help his wife, Irene, peel the skin from two buffalo tongues.”

23) “Thank You, Ma’am” by Langston Hughes

“She was a large woman with a large purse that had everything in it but hammer and nails.”

Published in 1958, “Thank You, Ma’am” by Langston Hughes imparts timeless, lifelong lessons.

24) “You, Disappearing” by Alexandra Kleeman

“The apocalypse was quiet. It had a way about it, a certain charm. It could be called graceful. It was taking a long time.”

60 Best Short Stories for High School Students (Continued)

25) “The Ice Palace” by F. Scott Fitzgerald

“The sunlight dripped over the house like golden paint over an art jar, and the freckling shadows here and there only intensified the rigor of the bath of light.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Ice Palace” makes for one of the best short stories for high schoolers in its depiction of love. And all the tension that comes with it.

26) “The Storm” by Kate Chopin – Best Short Stories for High School Students

“‘Mama’ll be ‘fraid, yes,’ he suggested with blinking eyes.”

Kate Chopin’s “The Storm” was published in 1898 and uses the storm as symbolic imagery of social norms and desires.

27) “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce

A man stood upon a railroad bridge in northern Alabama, looking down into the swift water twenty feet below. The man’s hands were behind his back, the wrists bound with a cord.

Written by Civil War veteran Ambrose Bierce, this makes for a completely surprising short story for high school students.

60 Best Short Stories for High School Students (Continued)

28) “The Hawk” by Jules Chung

“You are thirteen so, of course, I am convinced I still have some say over you.”

29) “The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne

“A rumor of some unaccountable phenomenon had preceded Mr. Hooper into the meeting-house, and set all the congregation astir.”

“The Minister’s Black Veil” was first published in 1836 and centers on themes of repressed guilt.

30) “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell

“Off there to the right—somewhere—is a large island,” said Whitney.” It’s rather a mystery—”

60 Best Short Stories for High School Students (Continued)

31) “Desiree’s Baby” by Kate Chopin

“As the day was pleasant, Madame Valmondé drove over to L’Abri to see Désirée and the baby.”

Kate Chopin joins the list for best short stories for high school students again with “Desiree’s Baby.” The story is set before the Civil War and examines issues around race and discrimination.

32) “The Open Boat” by Stephen Crane

“None of them knew the color of the sky.”

Stephen Crane’s “The Open Boat” was first published in 1897. This story was based on Crane’s own experience being shipwrecked off the coast of Florida while traveling to Cuba.

33) “The Fly” by Katherine Mansfield

“‘Y’are very snug in here,’ piped old Mr. Woodifield, and he peered out of the great, green leather armchair by his friend the boss’s desk as a baby peers out of its pram.”

Katherine Mansfield’s “The Fly” is a recommended short story for high schoolers because of how it deals with grief, death and survival.

60 Best Short Stories for High School Students (Continued)

34) “The Hanging Stranger” by Philip K. Dick

“Five o’clock Ed Loyce washed up, tossed on his hat and coat, got his car out and headed across town toward his TV sales store. He was tired.”

35) “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid

“Wash the white clothes on Monday and put them on the stone heap; wash the color clothes on Tuesday and put them on the clothesline to dry…”

Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” is written like a to-do list, but it devastates the reader with its heartbreaking wisdom.

36) “What the Dead Man Said” by Chinelo Onwualu

“I suppose you could say that it started with the storm.”

60 Best Short Stories for High School Students (Continued)

37) “Sticks” by George Saunders

“The first time I brought a date over she said: what’s with your dad and that pole? and I sat there blinking.”

This short story by George Saunders is not just about a pole and a dad. “Sticks” is a great short story for high schoolers and brings into mind what family unity means.

38) “A Ride Out of Phrao” by Dina Nayeri

“In her last week in America, Shirin sells or gives away all her possessions, returning to the same small parcel she carried when she first arrived—a purse full of dried fruit and extra underwear. She feels thirty again.”

39) “Birthday Party” by Katharine Brush

“There was nothing conspicuous about them, nothing particularly noticeable, until the end of their meal, when it suddenly became obvious that this was an Occasion—in fact, the husband’s birthday, and the wife had planned a little surprise for him.”

Katharine Brush’s heartbreaking “Birthday Party” was published in 1946 and implores the reader to examine what really is happening to the characters.

60 Best Short Stories for High School Students (Continued)

40) “The Janitor in Space” by Amber Sparks

“The janitor makes her way through the hallway with purpose, suctioning space dust and human debris from crevices of the space station.”

41) “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell

“‘He died of a rope around his neck,’ says she, and just went on pleatin’ at her apron.”

This is not a short story but a very short play. “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell is still a great short story-like read for high schoolers about the social oppression of women.

42) “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl

“She loved the shape of his mouth, and she especially liked the way he didn’t complain about being tired.”

60 Best Short Stories for High School Students (Continued)

43) “Two Friends” by Guy de Maupassant

“Besieged Paris was in the throes of famine. Even the sparrows on the roofs and the rats in the sewers were growing scarce. People were eating anything they could get.”

Guy de Maupassant’s “Two Friends” is an essential short story for high schoolers. The story is one of melancholy and dives into themes of loyalty during wartime.

44) “The Landlady” by Roald Dahl

“Normally you ring the bell and you have 120 at least a half-minute’s wait before the door opens. But this dame was a like a jack-in-the-box.”

45) “The Pie” by Gary Soto

“I knew enough about hell to stop me from stealing. I was holy in almost every bone.”

Gary Soto’s “The Pie” is an ideal short story for high schoolers as it delves into the guilt we carry throughout our lives.

60 Best Short Stories for High School Students (Continued)

46) “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry

“Della counted it three times. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.”

47) “He-y, Come On Ou-t!” by Shinichi Hoshi

“The typhoon had passed and the sky was a gorgeous blue. Even a certain village not far from the city had suffered damage.”

Shinichi Hoshi is a science fiction writer who wrote “He-y, Come On Ou-t!” in 1971. This short story illuminates the consequences of selfish behavior.

48) “Miriam” by Truman Capote

“Her interests were narrow, she had no friends to speak of, and she rarely journeyed farther than the corner grocery.”

60 Best Short Stories for High School Students (Continued)

49) “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros

“What they don’t understand about birthdays and what they never tell you is that when you’re eleven, you’re also ten, and nine, and eight, and seven, and six, and five, and four, and three, and two, and one.”

Published in 1991, Sandra Cisneros’ “Eleven” asks the reader to confront questions around transition and remembering the years we carry.

50) “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

“John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage.”

Read our blog entitled: The Yellow Wallpaper Summary and Analysis.

51) “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson

“The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green.”

A story that is brutal and questions tradition. Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” is one of the best short stories for high schoolers because of how it subverts expectations.

Read College Transitions’ Summary & Analysis of The Lottery.

52) “The Magic Barrel” by Bernard Malamud

“Since he had no present prospects of marriage, after two tormented days of turning it over in his mind, he called in Pinye Salzman, a marriage broker whose two-line advertisement he had read in the Forward.”

53) “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” by James Thurber

“Not so fast! You’re driving too fast!” said Mrs. Mitty. “What are you driving so fast for?”It’s one of the best short stories for high schoolers, and it’s the most famous of James Thurber’s stories. First published on March 18, 1939, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” is impossible to put down. It was even made into a film with Ben Stiller.

54) “Nightfall” by Isaac Asimov

“Aton 77, director of Saro University, 11 thrust out a belligerent lower lip and 12 glared at the young newspaperman in a 13 hot fury.”

55) “The Test” by Theodore Thomas

“Robert Proctor was a good driver for so young a person.”

Theodore Thomas’ “The Test” was first published in Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine in April 1962. High schoolers, and any reader, likely won’t see the ending coming.

56) “Tenth of December” by George Saunders

“The pale boy with unfortunate Prince Valiant bangs and cublike mannerisms hulked to the mudroom closet and requisitioned Dad’s white coat.”

57) “A Jury of Her Peers” by Susan Glaspell

“Martha!” now came her husband’s impatient voice. “Don’t keep folks waiting out here in the cold.”Susan Glaspell wrote “A Jury of Her Peers” in 1917. This short story was loosely based on the murder of John Hossack in 1900.

58) “Araby” by James Joyce

“North Richmond Street, being blind, was a quiet street except at the hour when the Christian Brothers’ School set the boys free.”James Joyce’s “Araby” is a short story that was published in his collection “Dubliners” in 1914. It’s one of the best short stories for high schoolers as it focuses on the struggles of growing up and the obsession of a crush.

59) “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut

“The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal.”

60) “Rules of the Game” by Amy Tan

“I was six when my mother taught me the art of invisible strength. It was a strategy for winning arguments, respect from others, and eventually, though neither of us knew it at the time, chess games.”Also published in Amy Tan’s “The Joy Luck Club,” this short story for high school students is about independence and growing up.

Best Short Stories for High School Students 

These stories pose questions that students will continue to ask themselves not just for their creative writing prompts but later in college and throughout their lives. As high schoolers read more short stories, they’ll also understand that the power of literature is not confined to the form of the novel.