Inspired by reading challenges offered by many public libraries but limited to people in those specific communities, GSHE is hosting a 2023 Reading Challenge for NH’s homeschool community!
It is just for fun, to help young readers explore new authors, subjects, and genres. Our monthly challenges are very broad so families may choose whatever book they wish and feel is appropriate for their children. 
We announce each challenge in our monthly newsletters – they usually go out around the 13th or so. This is where you will first see our monthly reading challenge, as a bonus to our subscribers. Sign up for our newsletter at our website; there is a box in the right-hand column that says “join today” and pop-up boxes to register. If you have any difficulty, email us at info@GraniteStateHomeEducators.org and we will register you.
Participants are not required to write book reports, give oral presentations, or complete formal projects, and families are free to incorporate our reading challenge into their child’s learning as they see fit. We have a simple 2023 GSHE Reading Challenge log that families may print out to keep track of their child’s participation, if they wish. It can be part of your child’s homeschool portfolio!
PARTICIPATION RULES
Parents/guardians may send GSHE one submission per month per child – include the child’s name and age along with what book he/she read. Email us at info@GraniteStateHomeEducators.org with “Reading Challenge” in the subject line so we can more easily keep track of everything. Submissions are due before the next month’s challenge is announced.
Each month’s participation is another chance to win! For example, if your child reads something each month, that give him/her multiple opportunities to win one of our prizes. If a child participates in six of the monthly challenges, that is six chances to win.
For kids that are not reading independently, audio books and books you read together are perfectly fine. All reading abilities are welcome to participate.
At the end of the year, we will award $25 Amazon gift cards to FOUR lucky winners!
Let’s get started!!
For September, read a collection of short stories!
For this month’s challenge, read a few short stories of any sort. They can be by the same author or different people, have a common theme or be a random selection you like. That’s the fun of this challenge – an opportunity to explore.
Short stories offer several benefits especially for new or reluctant readers.
- It may not be as daunting as a large book or novel.
- It is more likely the reader will finish reading the entire work.
- There is a sense of accomplishment when completing it that may motivate further reading.
- Because they’re brief, short stories may encourage exploration of new genres and authors.
- It encourages a habit of daily or more regular reading routines.
- They are a great alternative to apps and cell phone distractions when there are brief moments of “in between” time.
- For budding authors, reading short stories can help hone their writing craft.
Suggested Stories
The Blind Man and the Elephant
Click Clack the Rattlebag by Neil Gaiman
The Emperor’s New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
The Gift of the Magi by O Henry
The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde
Jack and the Beanstalk
King Midas and the Golden Touch
The Lady or the Tiger? By Frank Stockton
The Legend of Sleepy Hallow by Washington Irving
The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper
The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen
The Magic Shop by HG Wells
The Minority Report by Philip K Dick
The Monkey’s Paw by WW Jacobs
The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K LeGuin
The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame
Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving
Stone Soup
The Sword and the Stone by TH White
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
Three Questions by Leo Tolstoy
The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
To Build a Fire by Jack London
Suggested Authors
Aesop
Ray Bradbury
Brothers Grimm
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Ernest Hemingway
Rudyard Kipling
Jack London
Edgar Allan Poe
Mark Twain
Kurt Vonnegut
EB White
These websites have dozens of short stories available to read online or download.
