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After Dinner Conversation Short Story Series
Monsters: After Dinner Conversation Short Story Series
Synopsis - There are monsters roaming the neighborhood, but sometimes you need to go outside for ice cream.
After Dinner Conversation is a growing series of short stories across genres to draw out deeper discussions with friends and family. Each story is an accessible example of an abstract ethical or philosophical idea and is accompanied by suggested discussion questions.
Podcast discussions of this short story, and others, is available on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and Youtube.★★★ If you enjoy this story, subscribe via our website to "After Dinner Conversation Magazine" and get this, and other, similar ethical and philosophical short stories delivered straight to your inbox every month. (Just search "After Dinner Conversation Magazine")★★★
After Dinner Conversation is a growing series of short stories across genres to draw out deeper discussions with friends and family. Each story is an accessible example of an abstract ethical or philosophical idea and is accompanied by suggested discussion questions.
Podcast discussions of this short story, and others, is available on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and Youtube.★★★ If you enjoy this story, subscribe via our website to "After Dinner Conversation Magazine" and get this, and other, similar ethical and philosophical short stories delivered straight to your inbox every month. (Just search "After Dinner Conversation Magazine")★★★
- GenresShort Stories
24 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 25, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 30, 2023
What a though provoking short.
This short story touches on exclusion. Its hard to say much since its so short and I don't want to spoil anything.
This is a safe short to read to kids about 10 and up and a wonderful way to get the conversation started about the importance of inclusion and acceptance.
These "After Dinner Conversation" series really do stir up excellent points and deeper conversations.
Free on KU to boot!
This short story touches on exclusion. Its hard to say much since its so short and I don't want to spoil anything.
This is a safe short to read to kids about 10 and up and a wonderful way to get the conversation started about the importance of inclusion and acceptance.
These "After Dinner Conversation" series really do stir up excellent points and deeper conversations.
Free on KU to boot!
August 15, 2020
Surprising!
This little story is something different. And it also has a very surprising ending.
A new family in the neighborhood. Little Carrie Mae hears the ice cream truck coming. She asks her mother for an ice cream.
While mother walks the few blocks to the park to get them some ice cream, people are running away from the park in fear.
Then they spot Carrie Mae and her mother and their looks of fear turn to looks of disgust.
What is going on!? 😱
This little story is something different. And it also has a very surprising ending.
A new family in the neighborhood. Little Carrie Mae hears the ice cream truck coming. She asks her mother for an ice cream.
While mother walks the few blocks to the park to get them some ice cream, people are running away from the park in fear.
Then they spot Carrie Mae and her mother and their looks of fear turn to looks of disgust.
What is going on!? 😱
December 11, 2020
A suspenseful story
Monsters by Ana Carolina Pereira has a daughter and mother walking a terrifying three block trip to the ice cream man. Pretty good.
Monsters by Ana Carolina Pereira has a daughter and mother walking a terrifying three block trip to the ice cream man. Pretty good.
December 7, 2019
...but fear itself
Is it inbred in humans to be scared of “the different”? In this story, the family has moved into a neighborhood that, because they haven’t seen anyone like “them”, they are seen as “monstrous” as Mother first sees the driver.
But what about us sees the “other” but not the monster within each of us? 5/5
Is it inbred in humans to be scared of “the different”? In this story, the family has moved into a neighborhood that, because they haven’t seen anyone like “them”, they are seen as “monstrous” as Mother first sees the driver.
But what about us sees the “other” but not the monster within each of us? 5/5
April 11, 2023
The Pinkett family just moved in to their new house in Windsor Woods two weeks ago; it’s a gorgeous and sunny Saturday afternoon.
Nancy has been having terrible nightmares. Her husband, Melvin, is outside painting the house. Young daughter Carrie Mae is napping.
Carrie Mae hears the siren song of the ice cream truck, and begs her mother for a sweet treat. Nancy relents, despite Melvin’s reticence.
As the two make their way to the park, they encounter several of their new neighbors. Rather than greet the newcomers, people hurriedly move away from Nancy and Carrie Mae—in disgust.
The ice cream man’s name is Tom, and he’s very nice. He’s also…hideous. His face is covered in purple tumors.
As Tom scoops their ice cream, Nancy reflects on moving to Windsor Woods. She wonders if it was a mistake. Tom shares some of the many difficulties he experienced during his own upbringing.
We learn why Melvin’s had to paint their house three times in two weeks, and the source of Nancy’s fears.
Scary in its mundanity; very visceral reality. Touching, thought-provoking, sad, and eerie.
Nancy has been having terrible nightmares. Her husband, Melvin, is outside painting the house. Young daughter Carrie Mae is napping.
Carrie Mae hears the siren song of the ice cream truck, and begs her mother for a sweet treat. Nancy relents, despite Melvin’s reticence.
As the two make their way to the park, they encounter several of their new neighbors. Rather than greet the newcomers, people hurriedly move away from Nancy and Carrie Mae—in disgust.
The ice cream man’s name is Tom, and he’s very nice. He’s also…hideous. His face is covered in purple tumors.
As Tom scoops their ice cream, Nancy reflects on moving to Windsor Woods. She wonders if it was a mistake. Tom shares some of the many difficulties he experienced during his own upbringing.
We learn why Melvin’s had to paint their house three times in two weeks, and the source of Nancy’s fears.
Scary in its mundanity; very visceral reality. Touching, thought-provoking, sad, and eerie.
February 29, 2020
"Monsters" by Ana Carolina Pereira receives four stars from me, good storytelling, and good theme.
I like the juxtaposition of the characters with each other. I thought that Pereira does a good job of presenting her theme and developing it. This isn't a complicated story, direct. Here I'll sum it up for you Mother and daughter walk to park to get Ice cream; mom talks to ice cream man, mom talks to daughter, mom and daughter walk home. But within this, the conversations are important, the questions the daughter asks are important.
Recommended: yes.
I like the juxtaposition of the characters with each other. I thought that Pereira does a good job of presenting her theme and developing it. This isn't a complicated story, direct. Here I'll sum it up for you Mother and daughter walk to park to get Ice cream; mom talks to ice cream man, mom talks to daughter, mom and daughter walk home. But within this, the conversations are important, the questions the daughter asks are important.
Recommended: yes.
November 20, 2020
Made me angry
Wonderful story. The way the characters were treated is so far beyond my understanding. People are people. All should be treated equal. I had a feeling about the end and I was right! The discussion questions are not easy to answer. I believe what you think you will do is not the same as what you would do in reality. Very thought provoking.
Wonderful story. The way the characters were treated is so far beyond my understanding. People are people. All should be treated equal. I had a feeling about the end and I was right! The discussion questions are not easy to answer. I believe what you think you will do is not the same as what you would do in reality. Very thought provoking.
May 13, 2021
Block busting.
Author freebie. Suitable for all ages. When real estate agents looked at stable neighborhoods where nobody was selling their homes, they would occasionally sell a home to minorities like jews, negroes or even the irish, this would cause a bunch of people to start selling their homes. The banks and real estate agents always got their piece of the action.
Author freebie. Suitable for all ages. When real estate agents looked at stable neighborhoods where nobody was selling their homes, they would occasionally sell a home to minorities like jews, negroes or even the irish, this would cause a bunch of people to start selling their homes. The banks and real estate agents always got their piece of the action.
April 13, 2024
The Pinketts have just moved into a new neighbourhood. The mother and daughter walk to the park to buy ice cream. En route, the neighbours stare at them with disgust. When they get there they see an ice cream vendor with a deformed face. While chatting with him they come to like him. They return home and confront the true ugliness of their neighbours.
May 22, 2020
I enjoyed this read. It was basically about discrimination and how a family was not wanted there because they did not match the skin color of the others. The "Monsters" were the racist neighbors who wanted the area to be "whites only".
August 24, 2023
Monsters: After Dinner Conversation Short Story Series
Ana Carolina Pereira
A black family moves into a white enclave, guess who the monsters are. The ice cream man has a disfigured face. Does thinking I’m surprised he was hired and/or is willing to face the public make me one of the monsters?
Ana Carolina Pereira
A black family moves into a white enclave, guess who the monsters are. The ice cream man has a disfigured face. Does thinking I’m surprised he was hired and/or is willing to face the public make me one of the monsters?
January 24, 2020
Good tale. I saw the "twist" coming from the very beginning, but knowing it did not detract from the story. My only complaint is that I think very few people (at least ones that I interact with) have opposing views on this issue. It's pretty decided at this point. Still a good story.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews