Various story themes appeal to readers of all ages. While some stories are silly and laughable, other stories have underlying themes that lightly touch on the positive values of friendship, politeness, overcoming disabilities, kindness, being careful, and having consequences for good (and not so good) decisions. Still, other interesting stories are unusual and true about animals, science, history, significant people, and important events.

Short Vowels Series

Short a – Book 1

 Short a is full of surprises with kids and animals. Sometimes they learn little lessons!

The Fawn and the Hawk (Less 15 p. 52)

A fawn and a hawk were pals and raced to the marsh to see who was faster. Guess who got there first!

Brad the Brash Rat (Less 23 p. 71)

Brad was very rude and liked to make his rat gang mad. He learned a lesson on being kind to others.

The Map (Less 25 p. 78)

Clark and his dog had a map to go to Grant’s farm, but they ended up back at home! What happened?

Short i – Book 2

Short i stories include clever kids with fun plans that go wrong, but what happens is even funnier!

The Play  (Less 6  p. 24)

     Four friends planned a play about a silly family. They really DID act like quite a silly family!

The TV Act    (Less 7  p. 27)

     Four kids practiced to be on a TV show, but everything went haywire. To their surprise they were TV stars!

Clint and Trish Go Fishing   (Less 13  p. 50)

    Fishing from a large tree branch over a river was to be a good time. Only the fish had a VERY good time!

Short o – Book 3

Short o is about stories of kindness and generosity, with other amusing stories that advise “If something is too good to be true …”

The Money Pit   (Less 6  p. 25)

     Josh and Don hastily bought a mountain lodge without making sure it was in good shape. Uh oh!

Lord George of England  (Less 8   p. 31)

     Although George had a simple life with little belongings, his acts of kindness spread throughout the kingdom.

 The Ship’s Cooks  (Less 9  p. 35)

    Bart and Mort wanted to travel free on a ship so they disguised themselves as cooks. It cost them plenty.

Short u – Book 4

Short u includes fun stories that perk awareness of self-improvement, along with other interesting stories that are true.

The Experiment  (Less 5  p. 21)

     Russ spent money like wild and was wasteful with everything. His friend made a bet that he wasn’t able to live on an island for one month.

The Bad Manners Watch  (Less 8  p. 32)   

     Three friends watched people one day and kept a log of their bad manners. Their list made front page headlines!

Owning a Pet Skunk  (Less 11  p. 43)

     Pet skunks are smart and playful, but taking care of them is not simple. If you want one, find out if they are allowed in your state, get a permit, and good luck!

Short e – Book 5

All the stories in Short e are true! Interesting and unusual stories are based on science, history, significant people, and important events.

The St. Louis Gateway Arch    (Less 7  p. 32)

     The Gateway Arch in Missouri took 32 years of planning and building. There was a shocking problem when the final section was to be placed at the top!

The Loch Ness Monster   (Less 8  p. 36)

      At Loch Ness in Scotland, people have seen “Nessie” for the last 1,500 years. Scientists are using sonar to find the water creature.

Earthquakes and Tornadoes  (Less 11  p. 47)

    There are different types of earthquakes and tornadoes, two kinds of natural disasters from the wrath and power of Mother Nature.