Short stories for kids in English
Short stories you can finish in one sitting, from gentle tales for young children to stories about exams, friendship, money and family for teens. The stories are set in Pakistani homes, streets and villages, so children see their own world in books.
Read a story aloud, stop at the end of each chapter to talk about what happened, and let your child retell it in their own words. Every story is free: register for a free account and every story opens, including the Premium storybooks. For the youngest readers, try Interactive Books and Explore. Older readers can head to Online Reads.
The Freelancer’s First Dollar
Seventeen-year-old Talha earns his first online payment designing a logo, and knows exactly how to spend it.
MDCAT Morning
Twenty days before MDCAT, Noor studies at 4 a.m. until her mother quietly brings her a cup of tea.
Monsoon Boat
A flooded lane, a stack of paper and Dada Jaan's stories from 1975 turn a rainy day into a race.
The Kite That Came Back
A lost kite with a name on it lands on Zoya's roof. Returning it starts a new friendship.
Reels vs. Books
Hamza is famous for ten-second videos but fails his maths test. So he makes his first study reel.
The Mango Box
A giant box of Multan mangoes turns into a street full of new friends for Ayesha.
Chai at the Dhaba
A failed exam, a rainy night and a truck driver's one sentence that changes a student's mind about giving up.
The Truck Art Dream
Zain paints one tiny blue bird on his uncle's truck, and it travels across all of Pakistan.
Load-Shedding Night
When the power cuts out, Sana's family finally talks by candlelight, and nobody wants the lights back on.
The Last Over
One run to win, one wicket left, and a tape ball in Bilal's hand. A gali cricket story about trusting your team.
Stories to start with
For young children
- Zain’s Day of Wonder: a curious boy finds that the whole world is a classroom, told in five short scenes.
Premium storybooks with a moral
- The Dream of Seven Stars: a shepherd boy’s dream and a village well
- The Lantern of Madinah: a boy who lights the street lanterns every evening
- The Sparrow Who Flew Twice: trying twice is braver than giving up after once
- Who Took My Laddoo?: look for the truth before pointing a finger
- Sheikh Taang and the Market Day: a clever answer to a greedy seller
- The Monkey in Our Classroom: calm thinking beats chasing and shouting
You can read Chapter 1 of all twenty Premium stories, with no account, on Free Story Previews.
For teens
- The Last Over: a gali cricket story about trusting your team
- Load-Shedding Night: a family talks by candlelight
- The Truck Art Dream: one small painted bird travels across Pakistan
- Chai at the Dhaba: a failed exam and one sentence that changes a student’s mind
- The Mango Box: a box of Multan mangoes becomes a street of new friends
- Reels vs. Books: a famous ten-second video maker fails a maths test
- The Kite That Came Back: returning a lost kite starts a friendship
- Monsoon Boat: a flooded lane and paper boats
- MDCAT Morning: studying at 4 a.m. before the medical entry test
- The Freelancer’s First Dollar: a first online payment and how to spend it
Keep exploring Qalam and Kitab
Every page below is free to open. Pick the next step that fits you.
- Online Reads: free books on study skills, money, careers and technology.
- Interactive Books: read-along books for ages 3 to 8.
- Explore: short science books for young children.
- Playgroup: everything for the youngest readers in one place.
- Student Challenges: Pakistan’s exams, tests and competitions explained.
- Solutions Hub: free preparation guides, one per challenge.
- Free Chapters: read Chapter 1 of any book with no account.
- All books and free account: every book type in one place.
- Print and Copy: get pages printed and delivered in Lahore.
- FAQ: answers about accounts, books and delivery.
- Site Guide: a plain fact sheet about what the site offers.
- Site Map: every public page in one list.