Inspired by reading challenges offered by many public libraries but limited to people in those specific communities and the success of our 2023 Reading Challenge, GSHE is organizing a 2025 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 will be very broad so families may choose whatever book they wish and feel is appropriate for their children.
Participants are not required to complete book reports, give oral presentations, create a formal project, or send in anything to GSHE. Families are free to incorporate our reading challenge into their child’s learning as they see fit. If you choose to keep a record of participation, it can be part of your child’s homeschool portfolio!
Participation
For 2025, GSHE will not collect reading logs, track participation, or issue a year-end prize. Families are free to extend the Reading Challenge in any way they wish; perhaps provide a monthly incentive to encourage your child’s reading such as a new book if they complete all monthly challenges.
For kids that are not reading independently, audio books and books you read together are perfectly fine. Any reading ability is welcome to participate.
GSHE has several resources for free books in our directory that you can access with a free registered account.
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 Keyese
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 hundreds of short stories available.
