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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!

She's My Friend

by Kari, age 12

"Ha!" Jaci sighed, as she closed the tent door because she was going to bed now. Her parents were by the fire with her sister Lucy (though she was always called Lou). "Ha!" Jaci sighed again. She was deeply upset because Lou had just told the best ghost story and she really wished it would come true.

The ghost story was about a twelve year old girl named Chloe who died in Pina Grove State Forest and loved a young girl to death in a lake.

Jaci thought about that story as she slipped into her purple and green sleeping bag. Lou was twelve but Jaci was just ten or Zen as her German teacher called it. "Hey Jaci!" Lou cried. "Come quick!" "Ha!" Jaci sighed as she slipped out of her sleeping bag and climbed out of the tent, her thoughts will have to wait.

"Up There," Lou pointed. Jaci looked up the tall ghost gum. Up there was a bat - a big, horrible, black, furry bat. "Ahh!" cried Jaci. The startled bat flew away. "Oh you! You ruin everything!" Lou cried as she stormed off to their tent. "Jaci, please go and apologise to your sister. You shouldn't have scared it," her mum said calmly. 'Ah, that was just like mum. She always favoured Lou more,' thought Jaci. Jaci ran to the tent. "Sorry Lou. I know I shouldn't have scared it. It.it.frightened me," Jaci said who was really and truly sorry. Lou just stared into space for a second before replying "Sorry, I shouldn't have shouted." Jaci hugged her sister and said "Good night Lou, God Bless!" Jaci slipped into her sleeping bag and picked up her book she was reading - Mary Ryan, a ghost story about a girl hunting her step brother.

"Good morning sleepy head," Lou said, waking her sister in the morning. Jaci yawned. "Morning!" cried a tired Jaci and she climbed out of their tent and patted Spot their Border-Collie dog.

"Mmmm!" Jaci nearly shouted. They were having roasted marshmallows for the first time this trip. After Jaci had as many as she wanted, she told her parents "I'm going for a walk." "Comin' Spot!" she called and she walked along the road. What she saw ahead of her was nothing of the expected. "It's a graveyard," she whispered. She walked over to one of the tombstones and read CHLOE MARTIN 1993... "Jaci! Jaci! Tea!" yelled Lou. "Coming!" Jaci called back. On the way back she said to herself "I would have been eight in 1993, I might have known her."

"Jaci, I need you please. You only can help me if you believe in me! Can you please help me?" cried a young girl's voice that made Jaci wake up. But that wasn't what made her wake up. It was the tingle down her spine when she heard that voice. So she crept out of the tent and there standing before her was a depressed figure of a young girl, perhaps a twelve year old. She was all white. "I will leave now but tomorrow I will be back so you can tell me your answer." Then she vanished without a trace. "A ghost," whispered Jaci. "A real live ghost." Jaci slipped back into the tent to think about that question. Yes, she did believe in ghosts and she had seen one.

"Jaci, what is your answer?" cried the voice of last night. "I believe in ghosts!" Jaci told the ghost triumphantly. "What is your name?" Jaci asked. "Chloe," it said sulkily. "Why that's a fine name," cried Jaci. "I saw your grave yesterday. You know I always wanted a ghost friend!" "Ohhh!" Chloe said shortly. "Why are you so upset?" Jaci asked. "Cause I hate being dead," cried Chloe. "How did you die?" asked Jaci. "A rattle snake bit me and we didn't get to the hospital in time." "Oh! I'm so sorry," said Jaci. "Here, let me show you something."

Chloe took her to a lake - Dead Man's Lake. "Isn't it beautiful?" said Chloe as she slipped a gold necklace with a heart on it into Jaci's hand. Chloe took Jaci to this lake night after night until one day Chloe nearly made her drown. Jaci's mum and dad spotted Jaci in the lake and thought she was dying. They pulled her out and she was okay. The next night Jaci didn't see Chloe and the next and the next until finally she gave up and called it a dream. But she still had the necklace forever!

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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!
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