Literary Speed-Dating

Welcome, and take a seat.Here’s how it works: you’ll have about 90 seconds with each story to see if there’s a spark. A connection?A hint of intrigue? Great. If not, don’t worry—the bell will ring, and you’ll move to the next. The best part of literary speed-dating? No pressure, just a series of delightful first impressions.

Penguin’s Big Heart Flutters Fast!

A small penguin lives in a town. It walks around the big park. The penguin feels a little sad. It wants a friend to play with. Suddenly, it sees a red ball. The ball looks very round. The penguin likes the red ball. It pushes the ball with its nose. The ball rolls on the green grass. The penguin follows the red ball. It feels very happy now. Then, a small dog sees the ball. The dog runs to the red ball fast. The penguin watches the dog play. The dog has fun with the ball. The penguin likes the happy dog. It walks near the happy dog. The dog […]

Ant Carries Giant Crumb Home?!

A tiny ant sees a big crumb. The crumb looks good to eat. The ant wants this yummy food. It is a giant crumb for ant. The ant walks near the crumb. The ant pushes the giant crumb. The crumb stays still. The ant pulls the giant crumb. The crumb moves a little bit. The ant feels happy. This work is hard for ant. The ant must schlep around.It schleps the heavy crumb. The ant goes on the ground. It goes up a small green hill. The sun shines hot all day. The ant feels a little tired. It needs to rest a short time. It looks at the big […]

Tricky Boy’s Lost Toy Day?!

A tricky boy plays a fun game. He hides his sister’s red key. His sister looks for the key. The boy watches his sister search. The boy feels happy with game. He hides a blue pencil next. His sister makes a sad face. The boy likes this tricky game. One day the boy wants his toy. It is a small toy car. The boy looks for his car. The car is not on table. The car is not on shelf. The boy searches all his room. The boy feels a little sad. His favorite car is not here. The boy wants his toy car. This feels like a bad game. […]

Picnic Surprise: Ants Dance?!

Tim has a fun picnic. He sits on a green blanket. The blanket is on the grass. Tim eats yummy yellow cake. He drinks sweet red juice. Many small ants live near. The ants want some yummy food. One small ant sees Tim’s pants. The ant crawls on his pants. More ants crawl on his pants. Tim feels a strange tickle. He looks down at his pants. He sees many black ants. Tim has ants in his pants. He makes a quick jump. He starts to wiggle all around. His legs make fast moves. He makes a funny new dance. His family watches Tim dance. They see the ants on […]

The Lazy Cat’s Holiday

The Spark Notes-short-story (200 words)

Sam lives in a small town. He has a cat named Whiskers. Whiskers is very lazy. He sleeps all day. Sam works hard and feels tired. He thinks, “Give me a break!” One sunny day, Sam has an idea. He packs a small bag and picks up Whiskers. Sam walks to the bus stop. They take the bus to the beach. Whiskers wakes up and looks around. The sand feels warm. Whiskers jumps out of Sam’s bag and runs. Sam laughs. Whiskers chases a crab. The crab looks funny. Whiskers plays and forgets to sleep. Sam feels happy. He relaxes on the sand. He thinks, “This is the break I […]

The Great Tomato Plan

The Spark Notes-short-story (200 words)

Molly lives on a farm. She has a best friend named Tommy. Tommy loves tomatoes. One day, Tommy moves to a new town. Molly feels sad and misses Tommy. Molly thinks about a plan. She wants to get back with Tommy. Molly picks the best tomatoes from her farm. She packs them in a big box. She writes a note, “Tommy, come back for the tomatoes.” Molly rides her bike to the post office. She mails the box to Tommy. Molly waits and waits. She checks the mail every day. One day, she gets a letter from Tommy. Tommy writes, “I love the tomatoes! I will visit you soon.” Molly […]

The Case of the Missing Cheese

The Spark Notes-short-story (200 words)

Max lives in a small house with his pet mouse, Nibbles. Max loves cheese. He eats cheese every day. One morning, Max wakes up and finds his cheese gone. Max feels very upset. He thinks, “They owe me an apology!” Max looks around the house. He sees tiny footprints on the floor. Max follows the footprints to the garden. In the garden, Max finds a group of mice. They dance around a big piece of cheese. Max feels very angry. Max picks up Nibbles and says, “Nibbles, you owe me an apology!” Nibbles looks at Max with big, innocent eyes. Max laughs. He feels better. The other mice stop dancing. […]

The Giant’s Pink Umbrella

The Spark Notes-short-story (200 words)

Bob lives in a city. He walks to the market every day. One day, he sees a giant. The giant has a big, pink umbrella. It is very strange. Bob thinks, “Why does the giant have a pink umbrella?” The giant smiles. Bob feels his heart beat fast. The giant is very kind. Her name is Lily. She sells fruit at the market. Bob likes her smile. He buys an apple from her. Every day, Bob visits Lily. He buys fruit and talks to her. They laugh together. Bob thinks about Lily all the time. Her pink umbrella shines in his mind. One day, Bob brings a small, red umbrella. […]

The Great Pie Fiasco

The Spark Notes-short-story (200 words)

Tim lives in a small town. He loves to bake pies. One day, Tim decides to bake a giant pie for the town fair. He works hard all morning. He mixes flour, sugar, and apples. Tim feels proud. He thinks, “Nice going, Tim!” Tim puts the pie in the oven. He waits and smells the sweet apples. Tim feels hungry. He dreams about winning the pie contest. The oven timer rings. Tim opens the oven and gasps. The pie looks strange. It grows too big! The pie grows and grows. Tim’s kitchen fills with pie. Tim thinks, “Oh no, nice going, Tim!” He grabs a broom and tries to push […]