What do you do when a teen comes into the library and they’ve read all their favorite author’s books and they’re still hungry for more? Of course there’s book-lists, read-alike lists, as well as staff and teen recommendations, but how about offering up a short story collection that includes a story by a teen’s favorite author?

Short story collections often slip under the radar, but they’re a great way to engage teen readers by providing the hook of a story by a well-loved author, paired with work by other writers they may not have been exposed to.

For the rabid Stephenie Meyer fans, I’ve been sharing Prom Nights From Hell (2007) hoping that that if they haven’t already discovered the other authors in this collection that they’ll return looking for books by Meg Cabot and Lauren Myracle.

Plus, what’s especially fun about short story collections is the element of theme that many collections use to draw the stories together, like the way holidays can alter romantic relationships in Let it Snow: three Holiday Romances (2008) or how just one night can change things in Up All Night (2008).

And short story collections are perfect for teens easily daunted by thick books (Imagine, a whole story in just twenty pages!) as well as busy teens trying to squeeze leisure reading into the time between sports, work, homework, school, and everything else.

Books Mentioned

Let it Snow (2006)
John Green

Maureen Johnson

Lauren Myracle

Up all Night (2008)

Peter Abrahams
Libba Bray
David Levithan
Patricia McCormick
Sarah Weeks
Gene Luen Yang

Prom Nights From Hell (2007)

Meg Cabot
Kim Harrison
Michele Jaffe
Stephenie Meyer
Lauren Myracle