Books by Rafe Martin

Best ShortsBEST SHORTS: Favorite Short Stories for Sharing

Selected by Avi
Houghton Mifflin, 2006
Grade 5 Up
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Rafe’s version of the Japanese ghost tale, Ho-Ichi the Earless is in two-time Newbery Award-winner, Avi’s latest collection, Best Shorts: Favorite Stories for Sharing. Afterword by Katherine Paterson.

“Unlike most collections, there is no integrating theme in the 24 short stories included here—just fine writing, cultural diversity, and timeless creativity. With such strong writers as Richard Peck, Natalie Babbitt, Lloyd Alexander, and Rafe Martin, one would expect nothing less. Strategic placement of genres sustains reader interest. Animals as heroes, time machines as homework helpers, along with Washington Irving’s timeless classic Rip Van Winkle and Frank Stockton’s highly provocative The Lady or the Tiger? offer many powerful, instantly engaging choices, especially appealing to reluctant readers. . .Brief biographical sketches of the contributors are included. Katherine Paterson offers a persuasive afterword in favor of sharing, discussing, and reading these selections aloud as well as exhorting the dire need for more quality writing in short fiction.”

—From School Library Journal, Maria LaRocco,
      Cuyahoga Public Library, Strongsville, OH