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Synopsis
Do your students enjoy a good laugh? Do they like to be scared? Or do they just like a book with a happy ending? No matter what their taste, our Creative Short Stories series has the answer.
We've taken some of the world's best stories from dark, musty anthologies and brought them into the light, giving them the individual attention they deserve. Each book in the series has been designed with today's young reader in mind. As the words come to life, students will develop a lasting appreciation for great literature.
The humor of Mark Twain...the suspense of Edgar Allan Poe...the danger of Jack London...the sensitivity of Katherine Mansfield. Creative Short Stories has it all and will prove to be a welcome addition to any library.
VOYA
Short stories are made even more accessible in this Creative Short Stories series. Shirley Jackson's classic The Lottery portrays a small town that gathers to hold its yearly lottery, a barbaric game of chance. Each head of household draws a slip, and the family with the marked slip will lose a member to stoning by the townsfolk. The shocking story forces readers to grapple with issues of ritual and violence. In Edgar Allan Poe's The Cask of Amontillado, the main character, Monstresor, vows revenge on Fortunato, a former friend. Monstresor leads Fortunato into a wine cellar tucked away deep in the catacombs. Here Monstresor chains and walls up his victim, leaving him to die. The horrific crime and claustrophobic surroundings are unsettling, but Monstresor feels no remorse for his act. Each book has a section after the tale examining the background of the story's publication, providing initial reactions, and exploring themes and motivations. An author profile is also appended. These additions will help readers more thoroughly understand the story, its context, and the author. The main section of each book, the short story itself, is less than twenty pages long. The print is large, and mysteriously some text is printed in different colors. These two stand-alone volumes may appeal to readers who would find a large collection of short stories unappealing. Stories by Oscar Wilde, O. Henry, Jack London, Mark Twain, Frank Stockton, and James Thurber complete this eight-volume collection. Reviewer: Amanda MacGregor