Open Books Challenge 2026: Short Story Collection

The Open Books Reading Challenge is a year-long reading challenge for people interested in pushing the boundaries of their reading. For full details of the program, please check-out our page at: https://www.rplmn.org/books-more/discover-more/open-books-reading-challenge

These are some ideas that fit the 2026 category "Short story collection."

Happy Reading!

Updated December 31, 2025
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Accidental archaeologists : true stories of unexpected discoveries
Albee, Sarah
Ebook
Science meets real-life mystery in this adventurous look at incredible unexpected finds that changed history.Secret treasures are buried all around us -- you just have to look for them!Accidental Archaeologists takes you on an adventure through time to relive some of the coolest surprise...
Those who saw the sun : African American oral histories from the Jim Crow South
Avery, Jaha Nailah
Paper Book
NYPL BEST OF THE YEAR BEST OF THE BEST, BLACK CAUCUS OF THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION A stunning collection of oral histories from Black elders who grew up in the Jim Crow South The past is not past. We may think...
The doll in the hall and other scary stories
Brallier, Max
Paper Book
Beginning readers will love these spooky stories from New York Times bestselling author Max Brallier! Pick a book. Grow a Reader! This series is part of Scholastic's early reader line, Acorn, aimed at children who are learning to read. With easy-to-read text, a short-story...
Faeries never lie : tales to revel in
Cr?dova, Zoraida
Paper Book
A collection of fun and thought-provoking short stories that center faeries of varying genders and cultures, described by Kirkus Reviews as "a tantalizing taste of trickery and enchantment!" and perfect for spooky season! There's something to be said for starting...
5-minute dinosaur stories
Donohue, Moira Rose
Paper Book
Travel back in time to unlock the secrets of the dinosaurs with these 12 fascinating true tales of prehistoric life! Join National Geographic on an expedition into the past to explore kids' favorite topic- dinosaurs! These dino-mite true tales are all the ideal length to be read...
When we become ours : a YA adoptee anthology
Gibney, Shannon
Audiobook
Super puzzletastic mysteries : short stories for young sleuths from Mystery Writers of America
Grabenstein, Chris
Ebook
Bestselling author Chris Grabenstein and the Mystery Writers of America bring together twenty peerless puzzles--from bestselling authors such as Peter Lerangis, Stuart Gibbs, Lauren Magaziner, Kate Milford, and, of course, Grabenstein himself--in an anthology of mystery short stories that...
Body talk : 37 voices explore our radical anatomy
Jensen, Kelly
Paper Book
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2020 It's time to bare it all about bodies!   We all experience the world in a body, but we don't usually take the time to explore what it really means to have and live within one. Just as...
Black girl power
Johnson, Leah (Young adult author)
Paper Book
AN INSTANT USA TODAY BEST SELLER Kirkus Reviews Best of 2024 list, Best of Middle Grade A vibrant, heartwarming collection of 15 middle grade stories and poems that celebrates the joy, strength, and experience of Black girlhood, including stories from Ibi Zoboi, Sharon M...
Sitting with dogs : stories of rescue dogs going from lost to loved
Kanaka, Rocky
Rocky Kanaka is known the world over as a dog rescue advocate. His millions of fans follow along each week as Rocky visits shelters and finds dogs in need. He often finds the most hopeless cases-dogs that have been abandoned because they're sick or their owners can no longer care for them, or they...
Steve Martin writes the written word : collected written word works
Martin, Steve
Paper Book
A USA Today Bestseller  With an exclusive new introduction and some never-before-published pieces, a collection of greatest hits from one of the most beloved comedians of our time, Steve Martin, now starring in Hulu's Only Murders in the Building. ...
Serendipity : ten romantic tropes, transformed
Meyer, Marissa
Paper Book
Love is in the air in Serendipity, a collection of stories inspired by romantic tropes and edited by #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer. The secret admirer. The fake relationship. The matchmaker.
The bone picker : native stories, alternate histories
Mihesuah, Devon A.
Paper Book
Under the shadow of gray clouds, three children venture into the woods, where they spot the corpse of an old man on a scaffold. Suddenly a wild figure emerges, with long fingernails and tangled hair. It is the Hattak fullih nipi foni, the bone picker, who comes to tear off rotting...
Fifty beasts to break your heart : & other stories
Nethercott, GennaRose
Paper Book
ONE OF THE WASHINGTON INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF BOOKS' BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR . From the author of the breakout novel Thistlefoot- a collection of dark fairytales and fractured folklore exploring how our passions can save us-or go monstrously wrong. "Real magic, real delight,...
Baloney and friends
Pizzoli, Greg
Paper Book
Meet Baloney! This book is about him. And also Peanut the horse, his best friend. There's Bizz the bumblebee, too, of course. And Krabbit. He'd rather not be here, but what can you do? In this graphic novel for young readers, watch our pig protagonist perform some questionable magic, cheer him on as...
The cursed carnival and other calamities : new stories about mythic heroes
Riordan, Rick
Paper Book
Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents ten new stories--including one of his own--about beloved heroes that sprang from the imaginations of some of the best middle grade authors working today. I hope you enjoy your trip through the multiverse mansion as much as I did. The...
Telephone tales
Rodari, Gianni
Paper Book
Night after night, a father spins a new, fantastical bedtime story for his daughter from the other end of the telephone. Every night, at nine o'clock, wherever he is, Mr. Bianchi, an accountant who often has to travel for work, calls his daughter and tells her a bedtime story....
The ice cream machine
Rubin, Adam
Paper Book
Don't miss the #1 New York Times bestseller everyone is raving about! From the wild and wonderful imagination of the author of Dragons Love Tacos comes this hilarious, irresistible debut collection of six totally different stories with the same exact name. In these...
Hornbeam by and large
Rylant, Cynthia
Paper Book
Hornbeam and his friends embark on three new larger-than-life adventures in the third book in the Hornbeam series, from the creators of the Gooseberry Park, Motor Mouse, and Mr. Putter and Tabby books! Hornbeam the moose, Eureka the goose, Cuddy the bull, and Adorabelle the skunk...
Rad American history a-z : movements & moments that demonstrate the power of the people
Schatz, Kate
Paper Book
From theNew York Timesbestselling team behindRad American Women A-Zcomes an illustrated collection of radical and transformative political, social, and cultural movements in American history. "An engaging, fascinating, and necessary book that speaks truth to...
Show don't tell : stories
Sittenfeld, Curtis
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * The bestselling author of Eligible and Romantic Comedy "blends acerbic wit, shrewd insight and sharp-eyed observation [in this] bravura collection" (The Washington Post), including a story that revisits the main character from her iconic novel Prep<...
Ancestor approved : intertribal stories for kids
Smith, Cynthia Leitich
Paper Book
Edited by award-winning and bestselling author Cynthia Leitich Smith, this collection of intersecting stories by both new and veteran Native writers bursts with hope, joy, resilience, the strength of community, and Native pride. Native families from Nations across the...
Legendary frybread drive-in : intertribal stories
Smith, Cynthia Leitich
Paper Book
Featuring the voices of both new and acclaimed Indigenous writers and edited by bestselling Muscogee author Cynthia Leitich Smith, this collection of interconnected stories serves up laughter, love, Native pride, and the world's best frybread. The road to Sandy June's Legendary Frybread...
Lost dog
Todd, Brandon
Paper Book
Adventure Friends Miguel and Clarke search for a lost dog in this full-color book perfect for beginning readers! Pick a book. Grow a Reader! This series is part of Scholastic's early reader line, Acorn, aimed at children who are learning to read. With easy-to-read text, a short...
Sweaterweather : & other short stories
Varon, Sara
Paper Book
Back before Odd Duck, before Robot Dreams, Sara Varon created Sweaterweather. This endearing, quirky volume is a captivating look into Varon's creative process. It combines short comics stories, essays, and journal entries, and invites the reader into the world of Sara Varon:...

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