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Short Story Library

We all love reading stories, especially those our friends have written! They fire up our imaginations and take us on wonderful journeys!

The children who have contributed items for this website live in Australia and all are educated at home by their parents.

A BIG THANK YOU goes to everyone who has sent stories for our Kids Pages! To find out how to send us your short story read the submission guidelines. As you can see by the stories below, your story can be any length and include illustration!

Read all the other stories!

Nancy's Choice

by Jessica, age 9

Once upon a time (in my time) there was a girl who couldn't decide what her sport was.  She loved ballet and gymnastics but she liked to sing and dance, her favourite dance was tap. Her name was Nancy.

"Mum, why can't I keep doing what I am doing? I mean, I am doing very well in my tap and my ballet and my gym and am enjoying them all exquisitely." Nancy said to her mum one morning.

"The family is running low on money and pretty much all of it is going to your lessons" Nancy's mum said. "You will have to choose between them. You might be able to have one or two but the other must go," her mum continued "Oh I am sorry, why not call Kathy? She is sure to come up with a solution."

Nancy smiled.  Kathy was her best friend from tap and ballet "Okay, you're right it is a good idea to take it up with a friend." She walked over to the telephone. 

"Hello," a grim voice answered, "Who is it?  It's the Wallaroos here, what can I do for you?"

Nancy answered, "It's Nancy, can I speak to Kathy please?" Waiting for an answer she heard "Kathy, someone by the name of Nancy wants to talk to you". 

"Hello Kathy, I called to ask you a question.  You see I have to stop a sport and I want to know what you think I should stop".

"Well I don't know. I think stop gym then we will still be able to see each other!"

Nancy thought for a moment and said   "Well I don't know.  Let me think, I will call you when I have made up my mind. See ya."

Then Nancy had an idea. Her idea was that she would do the things that she had been practising. First she tried the splits and she went right to the ground and then she did some tap. She could barely keep the rhythm and then she did some ballet and her toes were perfectly pointed. She ran out to the telephone and called her other friends: Emma, Josie, Sarah, Kate and Kathy, and told them what she had decided to do "wow, that's great. See ya soon" all her friends had said.

She went to tell her mum "Mum, mum?" Nancy said as soon as she got outside doing a cartwheel and a handstand. "Mum, I have decided what I am going to do!" She sat down and said "Did you say I could do two?" she asked her mother.

"Yes" her mum said "Well mum, I am going to do ballet and gym! I found what I am supposed to do."

Nancy's mum smiled and said "I am happy you found out!" and Nancy had a great time doing both.

Later that year Nancy won two gold medals for gym and three silver trophies for ballet.

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Welcome to the world of home education - learning without school! We officially began educating our three children in 1985, when our eldest was five years. In truth, we had helped them learn what they need to learn as they grew and explored and discovered this amazing world since the moment they were each born! I am a passionate advocate of allowing children to learn unhindered by unnecessary stress and competition, meeting developmental needs in ways that suit their individual learning styles and preferences. Ours was a homeschooling, unschooling and natural learning family! There are hundreds of articles on this site to help you build confidence as a home educating family. I hope that your home educating adventure is as satisfying as ours was!
Beverley Paine

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