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Top 12 short story collections for kids

Short stories are good for a child with a short attention span and for a family that wants a book to share in pieces. The collections include classics by Kipling and Wilde and newer anthologies. Many are made up of independent chapters.

Titles were chosen from award winners, ALSC notable lists and long-running library favorites, then each title and author was checked against Open Library in Oct 2026. Checked 2026-10-25. Nobody paid to be here. The buy links are plain search links, not affiliate links, so Peabody earns nothing from them.

  1. The Stories Julian Tells

    Ann Cameron · Ages 6-9

    Julian and his brother have funny adventures, with a fig tree and a pudding. Short and warm.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  2. Sideways Stories from Wayside School

    Louis Sachar · Ages 7-10

    Thirty absurd stories about a school built sideways.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  3. Frog and Toad All Year

    Arnold Lobel · Ages 4-7

    Short stories of two friends through the seasons.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  4. Fables

    Arnold Lobel · Ages 5-9

    Twenty original fables with animals. Caldecott Medal.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  5. Just So Stories

    Rudyard Kipling · Ages 5-9

    Tales of how the leopard got his spots and how the camel got its hump.

    Watch for: Colonial attitudes in some tales.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  6. The Jungle Book

    Rudyard Kipling · Ages 7-12

    Mowgli grows up among wolves. A short story cycle.

    Watch for: Colonial attitudes.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  7. The Happy Prince and Other Tales

    Oscar Wilde · Ages 7-12

    Wilde's fairy tales, including The Selfish Giant.

    Watch for: Several end sadly.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  8. The Tales of Beedle the Bard

    J. K. Rowling · Ages 8-12

    Five wizarding fairy tales with notes by Dumbledore.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  9. Tales from Moominvalley

    Tove Jansson · Ages 7-12

    Stories set in the world of the Moomins. Thoughtful and gently strange.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  10. Guys Read: Funny Business

    Jon Scieszka · Ages 8-12

    Short humor stories by Eoin Colfer, Kate DiCamillo and others.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  11. Flying Lessons & Other Stories

    Ellen Oh · Ages 10-14

    Ten stories from different writers, published by We Need Diverse Books.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  12. Free to Be... You and Me

    Marlo Thomas · Ages 4-10

    A 1970s collection of stories and poems about choosing who you are.

    Watch for: Some content reflects its period.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

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