Short Stories – Anthologies – Collections

Talk That Talk: An Anthology of African-American Storytelling

Compilation of tales from Afro-American folklore. Among the storytellers included are Zora Neale Hurston, Nikki Giovanni, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Leadbelly.

Kintaro’s Adventures And Other Japanese Children’s Stories

Singing turtles, a boy who wrestles wolves and a host of other beloved characters can be found in Kintaro’s Adventures and Other Japanese Children’s Favorite Stories. This volume contains six stories, including “How to Fool a Cat,” “The Princess and the Herdboy” and “Kintaro’s Adventures.”

Maudie and Bear

Bear’s world revolves around Maudie. Maudie’s world also revolves around Maudie. In this delightful picture book, readers will meet Maudie, a plucky young girl, and her friend Bear, a gentle giant with a heart of gold. Whether they are going on a bike ride, fixing an afternoon snack, or dancing together, Bear’s love for Maudie is unwavering and his devotion will win over readers of all ages.

The Tree Is Older Than You Are

This gathering of poems and stories, told in both the original Spanish and translated English, transcends borders as it invites readers into a shared world of ideas, visions and dreams. Sixty-four great Mexican writers and painters are collected here, including Rosario Castellanos, Alberta Blanco, Octavio Paz, and Julio Galan.

The Mermaid of Warsaw

Enchanting, wicked and often very funny, Poland’s folk tales are one of the great treasures of Central Europe. Crowned by the story of The Mermaid of Warsaw, the eight colourful tales in this collection include Skarbnik’s Second Breakfast, set deep in the Wieliczka salt mines, The Turnip-Counter from Karkonosze and The Copper Coin of Wineta, alongside stories from Poznan and the Polish lakes.

You Don’t Have A Clue

When two gun-toting hoodlums tell the fourteen-year-old narrator of René Saldaña’s story, “The Right Size,” to kiss the floor, he doesn’t think twice. And his dad and younger brother drop to the floor just as quickly. “This guy Jimmy probably thinks Dad is the greatest threat among the three of us, but he’s dead wrong. Dad couldn’t hurt a bug,” the boy thinks. In the ensuing twenty minutes, he learns that his dad isn’t as weak as he thought, and in fact, his dad is willing to do whatever it takes to protect his family, even if it means killing someone. The teens featured in these stories deal with situations typical to all young adults, including attraction to the opposite sex—or to the same sex, in one story—and first sexual encounters, problems with family and friends, academic and personal aspirations. But they also deal with every kind of thrilling situation imaginable, from missing girls to kidnappings and dismembered bodies. A young girl finds herself living with her “family,” though she has no memory of them or who they claim she is. A geek at a prestigious public high school finds himself working with his very attractive arch-rival to solve the mystery of a severed, bloody arm that appears inexplicably in his locker. And Mike’s life sucks when his parents split up, but it gets worse when his best friend is abducted by a thug shot by Mike’s dad, a police officer. There’s something for everyone here, with aliens, ghosts and even an Aztec god making appearances in these stories. Set in schools and communities from New York City to Venice Beach, California, the protagonists reflect the breadth and diversity of the Latino authors included in this innovative collection. Published authors such as Mario Acevedo, Alicia Gaspar de Alba, Diana López and Sergio Troncoso appear alongside less well-known authors who deserve more recognition. With an introduction by young adult literature expert Dr. James Blasingame of Arizona State University, this collection is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats until the last page is turned.