BJ Novak Short Stories — Complete Reading & Writing Unit (Grades 8–10)

Bring humor, irony, and fresh perspectives into your homeschool English program.

This all-in-one unit helps middle and high school students strengthen reading comprehension and analytical writing through BJ Novak’s witty short stories (One More Thing). Designed to guide your teen step by step, the lessons make it simple for parents to facilitate rich discussions and scaffold strong writing — no teaching degree required.

What’s Inside (7 complete packs)

• Pre-Assessment Pack — establish a starting point with 4 short texts, prompts, and rubric (pick 1 or try them all)
• “The Rematch” — characterization, diction, and theme (+ guided paragraph practice)
• “The Girl Who Gave Great Advice” — irony, sarcasm, tone, and paragraph writing
• Four-Story Pack — All You Have to Do, The Beautiful Girl in the Bookstore, The Impatient Billionaire & the Mirror for Earth, Missed Connection (symbolism, satire, allegory, theme)
• “I Never Want to Walk on the Moon” — symbolism, tone, and extended writing practice
• Summative Assessment — choice of story + leveled prompts with organizers and rubric
• Full Pacing Guide — day-by-day flow with built-in flexibility for homeschool pacing

Why Homeschool Families Love This Bundle:

✅ One purchase covers 2–3 weeks of structured English instruction (adaptable to go faster or slower)
✅ Combines engaging stories with explicit writing guidance — no more “just read & discuss”
✅ Parent-friendly notes and student handouts walk you through every step
✅ Differentiated supports mean you can adapt for mixed ages or varying ability levels
✅ Includes printable & digital versions for easy use at home, in co-ops, or while traveling

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this unit, your student will be able to:

• Analyze irony, satire, symbolism, mood, and theme in contemporary short stories
• Write polished analytical paragraphs with claims, evidence, reasoning, and quotation integration
• Revise and peer-review writing for clarity, coherence, and style
• Build confidence in both reading comprehension and structured academic writing

⚠️ Please Note:

• Texts not included: You’ll need your own copies of the B.J. Novak stories (One More Thing).
• Content note: Some stories include profanity. Materials invite discussion of diction and audience-appropriate language.
• License: Single-teacher/single-family classroom use. Digital download; all sales final.

💡 Individually, these resources add up to $75 — but you get the entire unit for just $39.