Finding short stories that genuinely engage teenagers can be challenging. Some young adult readers prefer modern voices and teenage protagonists, while others are drawn to classic stories that explore danger, morality, and difficult choices.
The short stories listed below are well suited to teenagers and young adults, whether because they feature young protagonists, address themes relevant to adolescence, or simply tell gripping stories that resonate with younger readers. The list includes both classic and contemporary works, with notes and previews where available to help you decide what to read next.
Short Stories for Teenagers
“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce
A civilian is about to be executed on a railroad bridge during the Civil War. As he waits for the signal, his thoughts race toward escape and home. The story explores time, perception, and the mind’s desperate need for hope.
“The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant
Mathilde Loisel longs for a more glamorous life than she can afford. When she borrows a necklace for a fancy party, one small decision leads to years of consequences. This is a classic story about pride, appearances, and regret. (Read “The Necklace”)
“The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe
Prince Prospero and his nobles have retreated to an abbey. The doors are sealed. Outside, a plague is killing everyone. Death is painful and swift. The Prince decides to throw a party to pass the time. (Read “The Masque of the Red Death”)
“Clean Sweep Ignatius” by Jeffrey Archer
When Ignatius Agarbi is appointed Nigeria’s Minister of Finance no one notices. No previous minister had lasted long or accomplished much. Ignatius vows to root out corruption, even among the highest levels of authority. After catching several offenders, General Otobi gives Ignatius a special assignment. (Summary of “Clean Sweep Ignatius”)
(Read “Clean Sweep Ignatius” (Page 9)
“Heartburn” by E. M. Lacey
Nine-year-old Anala has broken her grandmother’s rules: don’t answer the door; don’t even look out the peephole. The popular girl, Summer, started talking to her, which led to her breaking the household rules and ending up in the back of a van. She doesn’t know why they want her. She’s not pretty like Summer. She has features she doesn’t like.
“Heartburn” can be read in the preview of Girls of Might and Magic: An Anthology by Diverse Books.
“The Birds of Azalea Street” by Nova Ren Suma
The police questioned three teenage girls about the murder. No one is connecting it to the birds. The girls had been wary of Leonard for some time. The adults just thought he was a nice guy. The girls saw a car pull into his driveway in the middle of the night. He had a female guest, which was unusual for him.
“Button, Button” by Richard Matheson
A hand addressed package is left at the door of Arthur and Norma Lewis. Inside is a contraption with a button on it, and a note saying that Mr. Steward will call on them at 8 PM. He arrives at the appointed time and makes them a startling proposition.
“The Last Leaf” by O. Henry
An apartment building in Greenwich Village is popular with artists. One of the tenants, Joanna, gets pneumonia. The doctor doesn’t like her chances. She can see a vine from her deathbed window. She says she’s going to die when the vine loses its last leaf.
“The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury
In a fully automated house, two children spend all their time in a virtual nursery that creates realistic environments. When their parents consider shutting it down, the children react in disturbing ways. The story raises questions about technology, parenting, and control.
“Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl
Mrs. Maloney has everything ready for her husband. She always looks forward to his coming home from work at about 5 PM. Today, he acts a bit differently. He tells her to sit down. He has important news. (Read “Lamb to the Slaughter”)
“Seventh Day of the Seventh Moon” by Ken Liu
Yuan tells her younger sister, Se, a bedtime story. Se wants to hear about the Qixi Festival because it’s tonight. In the story a young woman and young man fall in love, get married and have two sons. When the story ends, Yuan leaves the apartment to go meet Jing. It’s her last night in China.
“How to Transform an Everyday, Ordinary Hoop Court Into a Place of Higher Learning and You at the Podium” by Matt De La Pena
It’s summer and school is over. You did well even though all you really care about is basketball. All your free time is spent practicing. You want to be even better next year, in high school. You overhear people talking about a high-level game that’s played in Balboa Park.
The beginning of this story can be read in the preview of the anthology Flying Lessons & Other Stories.
“Grace” by Darcie Little Badger
The narrator recounts an incident from eighth grade. It started her first day in a new school. She stood out as being different, being of Lipan Apache descent. She joined the chess club and ended up playing with Brandon. It became a regular thing.
“No Soy Loco” by Maria Acevedo
Victor is meeting with Dr. Kleinman, a psychiatrist. Victor started hearing voices after getting hit in the head during baseball practice. He hears a discussion in a language he doesn’t know.
“The Last Day” by Ellen Oh
Kenji has breakfast with his mother and five-year-old sister but there isn’t much food. From the hallway they can hear the voice of Mrs. Ueda, chairwoman of the Women’s Brigade. She claims children to fight for the Emperor. Kenji’s last brother was taken a year ago. They’re relieved she’s come for one of the neighbors. Kenji leaves for a job with his friend Akira, who has a knack for finding supplies.
“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
A small village gathers for its annual lottery on a sunny summer morning. The ritual seems ordinary—until its true purpose is revealed. This story challenges blind tradition and conformity.
“Cookie Cutter Superhero” by Tansy Rayner Roberts
Joey has a newfound celebrity status at school. She’s reminded of her first day when everyone was interested in her left arm. It’s her last day for at least six months. She’ll be going to live at Sky Tower with the team. Her friends speculate about who she’ll become and who she’ll be replacing. There’s a lot of uncertainty and excitement about Joey’s new path.
This story can be read in the preview of Kaleidoscope: Diverse YA Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories.
“The Long Road” by Heidi Heilig
A family rides camels through a desert in China. They’re headed for Persia. The daughter has bad fate and her secret is out. It brings shame on her and her family. She wears many amulets to help her. There’s a treatment in Persia. Her parents sold everything to make this journey.
“Nemesis” by Kirsten Miller
The narrator is investigating a new client, Clea. She watches as Clea exits her school and heads for the bus stop. She rushes and looks fearful. A group of girls spot Clea and follow her. The narrator takes some pictures. Clea gets on the bus but the driver waits for the others. The narrator gets on as well. She runs a website called NEMESIS, which exposes bullies. She intends to gather the evidence she needs.
“One Small Step” by Aime Kaufman
The narrator, Zaida, is a seventeen-year-old girl living on Mars. As the first human born there, she’s a celebrity back on Earth. She has billions of followers who look forward to her updates. Her parents want her to go to Harvard. She’s not sure what she wants to do. When Zaida goes out on inspection duty with her best friend, Keiko, there’s an accident.
“Sleepstalk” by Courtney Summers
The narrator goes to Jed Miller’s and stares up at his window. She’s supposed to stay away from him. Jed opens the front door and looks right at her. She’s curious how he’ll react to her. He walks down his front path to the street and goes right by her without any acknowledgement. He’s sleepwalking. She follows him. She thinks about their history and her accident.
This story and the next one can be read in the preview of Defy the Dark.
“Nature” by Aprilynne Pike
The narrator is getting a physical. She lives in New Horizon, the longest lasting community since the Great Collapse. Her hip measurement is going to lower her final score. She had her heart set on being a Nurture but her growth spurt at sixteen put her score in the range of a Nature. This changes her life path considerably. Nurtures, Natures and Laborers all have different roles. She adjusts to this development.
“Alex in Afghanistan” by Anthony Horowitz
Alex Rider, a fourteen-year-old, is sitting at a fire with five men. They’re in Afghanistan at the Herat Mountains. They’re eating and resting after traveling by horseback from the border. The men—Afghan nomads—have been paid to take him to Falcon’s Edge. There’s a facility deep in the mountains that could be producing uranium, which will then be sold to terrorists. Why Alex has been chosen for this mission, he doesn’t know.
“The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell
Rainsford is on a ship headed for the Amazon. He’s a big-game hunter. While on the afterdeck smoking his pipe, he hears the sound of gunshots in the distance. When he investigates, an accident puts him in a dangerous situation.
This is one of the classic adventure stories for young adults. If it’s new to you, enjoy! If you’ve read it before it might be worth revisiting. (Read “The Most Dangerous Game”)
“The Escape” by J. B. Stamper
Boris is being led down a long hallway to the solitary confinement cell. He was caught in an escape attempt. He’s terrified of his punishment and begs to be spared. He promises he’ll never do anything wrong again. (Read “The Escape”)
“Sandkings” by George R. R. Martin
Simon Kress lives alone outside the city. He likes unusual and exotic pets. After his last trip his animals died. He finds a new shop, Wo and Shade Importers, where he is shown sandkings, an insect-sized life-form with a hivemind that fights wars with other colonies.
This story is novelette length, but it didn’t feel like it to me. (Read “Sandkings”)
“The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury
Leonard Mead takes long evening walks. He never meets up with anyone. Everyone stays inside watching T. V. He walks noiselessly so as not to draw any attention. On this particular walk, a voice calls out to him.
“Never Have I Ever” by Karen M. McManus
Grace is at Katie’s party after curfew, but it’s ok because her parents are away. They start playing Never Have I Ever, and Grace gets teased a bit for not having any fun because she hasn’t done any of the things that come up. The group gets a surprise when they hear the voice of Caleb Manning, who’s known for getting into trouble. Grace invited him.
“Severe Weather Warning” by Emily Wibberly and Austin Seigemund-Broka
Prosper, seventeen, is about to drive her sixteen-year-old sister, Patience, to the airport. Patience has landed a summer internship in New York. It’s time to go, but she’s upstairs with her boyfriend, who stopped in to say goodbye. Although a year younger, Patience always seems to be ahead of her sister. To make matters worse, a personal complication arises as well as a tornado warning.
These short stories offer a wide range of tones and genres, from suspense and science fiction to realistic and emotional coming-of-age narratives. Whether you’re looking for a classroom read, an introduction to classic literature, or something contemporary and relatable, there’s plenty here for teenage and young adult readers to explore. See also: