Write about a character stumbling upon a library book that changes the course of their life, for better or worse.

Posted in Middle School on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 207 stories

“(All Stories Are) Ghost Stories” by Rachel Loughran

Submitted to Contest #91

I was one of the first to move in when the old school was converted into flats. I happened to know the foreman of the site, and he showed me around the place when it was half done. I’ve seen photos of it from way back when. When it still smelled of books and pubescent sweat and academic nerves. When it was full of people, real and imagined.In the photos the double height ceilings soar, flying far above the photographer’s head on the wings of thousands of books, which stack floor to ceiling, metres and metres of dark leather spines containing...

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“Yellow Tulips ” by Mary Sheehan

Submitted to Contest #91

Nanny told me not to, but I did it anyway.For the Irish history project, some picked the Famine, some the invasion of the Vikings. I picked the history of our town, Ballymunroe, for no reason other than that it seemed to require the least amount of effort. Nanny grumbled as she squeezed us fresh orange juice, the pan of rashers and eggs crackling next to her.“Why would you pick that? Sure can’t I tell you everything you need to know about it? Haven’t I lived here all my life?” She flipped an egg, sunny side down, just the way I liked it...

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“Mirror Image” by Deborah Mercer

Submitted to Contest #91

I suppose, like most people, I have mixed feelings about library book sales, or the discards table, or whatever. A strict voice tells me that it absolutely isn’t right to sell off a perfectly good hardback copy of a book that originally cost over £10 for 50p just because there’s a bit torn off the corner of page 27, or a naughty child (or adult!) has scribbled a bit on page 153. By the way, don’t read any especial significance into these numbers. They’re not like 42 from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, or 73 from The Big Bang Theory. T...

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“Her Majesty” by Cathryn V

Submitted to Contest #91

The old library reminds me of pictures from a century ago with the dark mahogany paneling and green shaded desk lamps. A few people whisper, muffled sounds of books being replaced on shelves. Out of the way, in a far corner is an overstuffed chair with worn brown leather that has grown thin over the arms and headrest. I’ve got to get off my foot. The cart holding my books acts as a walker while I push toward the corner. I feel old, especially on a day like this. In two years I’ll turn thirty. Over the hill.My name’s Mary. I'm mostly miserabl...

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“My Dads A Killer?” by Ella Garrett

Submitted to Contest #91

“Hey, I’m gonna be home just a little bit late tonight. I’m running by the library.” I tell Mason through the phone. Masons my boyfriend of five years, on Tuesday. “Okay, No worries see you when you get home. Love you.” “Love you.” I say and hang up. Right now I’m taking forensic classes and I’m totally lost. You‘d think it‘d be easier. But you’d be mistaken. So, I’m on my way to get a forensics for dummy book. My mom says this is the right path for me and I should stick with it though. She says my dad would really proud too. He wa...

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“Choose...” by Kendall Defoe

Submitted to Contest #91

It was an honest mistake. Michael Modlum, long-time bachelor and full-time Central Branch patron, had not paid attention to the buttons on the elevator when he stepped aboard the already opened space. And then it dropped. Usually, he would have walked up the single flight of stairs to the fiction section, found a chair in an area not too hot or bright with sunlight (difficult on that day), and tried to read whatever had been left behind on a table or shelf nearby. But it was a much more tiring day and he felt he deserved the elev...

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“diary” by Snjeguljica 33

Submitted to Contest #91

...It's a cold December night. Winter has just begun, and it will be long and snowy. Like every one in this hilly area where I grew up. Disease was advanced and my sister received me in his house. Long time, I have no one anymore except her. The pains are sometimes so strong that morphine makes it easy for just an hour or two, when I'm able to indulge more than rest. Anyway, I don't want to think of death, not yet. My thoughts are constantly coming back to everything I've seen, experienced and lived in these 53 years. Nothing I was sorry for...

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“The Book of Wisdom” by Emery Starshine

Submitted to Contest #91

Alyssa paced through the library shelves in time to the clock ticking, scanning the book titles one by one. She was the pickier kind of reader. Here were her rules: NO kissing or romance-related stuff Too many pages were NOT allowed Too little pages were NOT allowed The book could only range from half an inch to two inches NO mushy talk AT ALL or else this book SUCKED Up to 3 antagonists ONLY Up to 3 protagonists ONLY Title HAD TO BE interesting OR ELSE she would NOT read it Had to have a good turning point or plot twist Had to ...

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“Untitled” by Francis Daisy

Submitted to Contest #91

“He’s upstairs. In the library. You’ll have to wait,” she tells her and motions for the girl to sit on the hard chair. The girl wonders if she can hear her swallow in the silence. She swipes her sweaty palms on her jeans and wonders if she should have changed into a skirt or a dress or a different person altogether before presenting herself here. What was she thinking? The woman stares at the door, also waiting. Neither of them make eye contact. She was to sit here and wait for her grandfather to finish reading his latest book about Hit...

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“Future Echoes” by Hannah Brown

Submitted to Contest #91

Dismantling her childhood wall of books, Annie was struck violently by a relic from her past. A small yellow-covered book. Hardback. About the size of her palm and slimmer than her pinky finger. It hit her in her left temple. Bounced off and skittered away, almost frightened, beneath her bed. She staggered back, grasping the stack of books already in her arms to her chest tighter. Sighed. Sweat had collected at the small of her back. Stickiness had gotten into all of her nooks and crannies. Hair stuck to her forehead and the nape of ...

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“The Library Book” by Bonnie Clarkson

Submitted to Contest #91

Jacob, a sophomore in college, used his hand to lead his eyes to a good horror book in that section of the library. Surely, he could locate one he had not read. His hand came to an empty spot. A little closer examination showed a book squeezed nearly to the back of the shelf. With a little effort, the black book came loose. Amazed to see the title of Holy Bible in gold letters, his curiosity made him wonder why it is in the horror section. The banned book should not be in the library at all. Being an autho...

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“You made me a Charlie... Thank you!” by Dhevalence .

Submitted to Contest #91

“You made me a Charlie… Thank you!” As smooth as she’d practised, and velvety too, Gia’s voice sailed through the hush to the man opposite her. Reaching over, she hovered her palms above the surface for a moment. Then, pulling her hands back into her body, she conjured a package underneath her palms… Like a magic trick.She waited for a reaction.Meanwhile, the package in gold wrapping lay in a spot upon the table, bisecting the distance between them. He seemed indifferent. His head turned away towards the muffled conversations ...

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“The Story of Rose” by Rose Quartz

Submitted to Contest #91

Light rain poured mildly down in New Orleans. The wind was blowing at thirteen miles per hour, the humidity was at sixty percent, and precipitation was at 43 percent. I was a nerd for the weather. Sure it wasn’t something to go on Instagram for and brag about, like being an astronaut and recording my journey on Mars, but ever since I was a kid, I enjoyed looking out my window and watching what the sky would deliver to me. It brought ease to my life until my husband found a way to make my life a living hell. “Rose, I want to get a divor...

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“Land of the Unwell ” by Kaitlin McKnight

Submitted to Contest #91

Land Of The Unwell It all started with a thick book and a tornado of colors. The ending, however, was one coated in red. * * * “I’m heading off to the library, mom. I’ll be back in an hour or so,” Eveliah Black said as she grabbed her black sneakers and pulled them over her feet. “Okay, Eveliah dear. Don’t be too long, Jamia and aunt Crystal are coming over at three,” her mother replied from the kitchen, her voice echoing off of the blank, newly-painted beige walls. Eveliah...

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“Stumbling and Falling” by Kathleen March

Submitted to Contest #91

This is my story about another story. If I get the two stories and their dogs confused, I hope you will forgive me. I’m getting along in years. Maybe there are more than two stories, too, which could be a problem when trying to tell which is which. Perhaps you can help me. I’m not even sure how many dogs are involved. Rusty, the Story of a Dog. That’s the title I remember. I know the book was hard-bound, and its cloth cover was green. Or maybe it was red. If not, it must have been blue or mustard-colored. Oh, it was so long ago. St...

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Write about a character stumbling upon a library book that changes the course of their life, for better or worse.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 207 stories

“(All Stories Are) Ghost Stories” by Rachel Loughran

“Yellow Tulips ” by Mary Sheehan

“Mirror Image” by Deborah Mercer

“Her Majesty” by Cathryn V

“My Dads A Killer?” by Ella Garrett

“Choose...” by Kendall Defoe

“diary” by Snjeguljica 33

“The Book of Wisdom” by Emery Starshine

“Untitled” by Francis Daisy

“Future Echoes” by Hannah Brown

“The Library Book” by Bonnie Clarkson

“You made me a Charlie... Thank you!” by Dhevalence .

“The Story of Rose” by Rose Quartz

“Land of the Unwell ” by Kaitlin McKnight

“Stumbling and Falling” by Kathleen March

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about someone going to extreme lengths to return an overdue library book.

Start your story with a stern librarian scolding two characters for making noise in the library.

Write about a character who meticulously catalogs everything in their life, until something disrupts their system.

Set your story in a library, after hours.

Contest #91

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

770

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: