The Carlson Septs' story collection is this site's main attraction. The stories are divided into a New Series and an Old Series. I wrote the stories in the Old Series in high school, while I'm writing the New Series now that I've graduated from college. I've changed some details about the Septs' lives in the New Series, so some details mentioned in the Old Series stories may no longer be accurate. I would like to rewrite some of the old stories, so you may see revised versions of them eventually.
These stories are meant for readers of all ages (meant literally, not as a euphemism meaning "just for little kids," though kids are certainly included). Stories with content that parents of young children will want to check are marked PG. See the FAQ for more details on kid-safe content.
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Thank you for reading our stories. We hope you enjoy them!
The New Series
- It's the Carlson Septuplets' tenth birthday. From complete strangers who consider themselves the girls' biggest fans to the local news crew looking to remember Westfield's moment in the spotlight, everyone wants in on the fun.
- Set: July 12, 1992, age 10
- Published: July 25, 2004
The Writing on the Wall — Part 1 • Part 2
- During the wave of copycat violence after the Columbine High School shootings, a bomb threat appears on the bathroom wall at Westfield High School. Some of the Septs are frightened while others think it's a prank, but none of them are happy when they find themselves tied up in the mess.
- Rated: PG for high schoolers being cruel and references to frightening real events
- Set: May 1999, age 16
- Published: November 30, 2005 (Part 1); December 7, 2005 (Part 2)
- Zoe and her friend Elizabeth are just normal kids, but they're about to go to school with celebrities! Do they dare to talk to them?
- Set: September 1992, age 10
- Published: July 31, 2008
The Old Series
- The Septs are headed off for a Saturday on the slopes with the Westfield Ski Club. Megan isn't really sure why she joined, and doubts that she'll escape with less than a few broken limbs, while Molly fights a ridiculous rule and shows a side of her character that the others didn't know she had.
- Set: January 1999, age 16
- Published: April 4, 2000
- All of the Septs have headed off on different trips, and only Meredith is left to go to her aunt's wedding in Minnesota. She thinks being an only child for the weekend will be fun, but will it really be what she expects?
- Set: 1999, age 16
- Published: June 27, 1999
- Just how far can a novice hockey player go with a little bit—okay, make that a lot—of determination? The fact that she's a Septuplet makes things a little more exciting for her teammates, who never realized how much attention you might get if you were one of the world's only septuplets.
- Set: February 1998 to April 1999, age 15-16
- Published: February 20, 1999
- The Carlsons just want a restful vacation on the North Carolina shore. But restful it's not once the National Weather Service puts out a hurricane warning.
- Set: August 1998, age 16
- Published: 1998
- There's a convention for triplets and higher order multiple births being held in downtown Detroit, and the Septuplets are invited as the guests of honor. They're used to being treated specially, but one thing they don't want to tolerate is discrimination against people who aren't born in bunches.
- Set: July 1997, age 15
- Published: June 29, 1998
- It's a challenge that many high schoolers find themselves facing: too many activities! With her Cooking Contest and Story Club meeting on the same day, and Molly's Science Fair in the way, will Monica ever be able to make everything work out?
- Set: May-June 1998, age 15
- Published: April 14, 1998
- Westfield High School closes in the middle of the school day after a huge winter storm hits Metro Detroit. It's much too cold to walk home, but the Septs don't have any other choice -- unless you count Melissa's plan, which ends up stranding her and Michelle into a seemingly hopeless mess.
- Set: January 1998, age 15
- Published: January 19, 1998
- The Carlsons take a camping trip, much to the Septs' dismay. Will they end up drowning in a downpour? Will they be attacked by killer mosquitoes? Or might they just find something of interest on the other side of the lake?
- Set: 1996, age 14
- Published: 1997
- Mary has a new friend who just might have come from another planet, and she's convinced a UFO landed in her backyard. Is it, as Molly the skeptic says, mere coincidence, or did something strange really happen in Westfield that night?
- Set: Spring 1997, age 14
- Published: April, 1997
Stereotypes, Suspicion, and Septuplets
- After a violent sixteen-year-old commits a crime in the Carlsons' hometown, paranoia strikes Westfield. Adults refuse to trust any kids. It's up to the Carlson Septs to prove that not all young people are guilty until proven innocent, but with Mary and Melissa in the middle of a huge fight, they aren't setting a great example.
- Set: May 1996, age 13
- Published: April, 1997
- For once, all of the Septs are invited to the same party: a sleepover at Michelle's friend June's house. The weather that night might just make the party as newsworthy as Molly's friend, the daughter of a reporter, thinks it is.
- Set: 1997, age 15
- Published: April, 1997
- It's the Septs' eleventh birthday. How can seven birthday girls share the spotlight? Is there some way to give everyone the attention they deserve on their own special day?
- Set: July 12, 1993, age 11
- Published: March 1, 1997
- It's April Fools' Day and the Septuplets have always wanted to try switching places. Too bad Michelle's hair is too short for her to switch. Will that leave her the only one who can figure things out?
- Set: April 1, 1997, age 14
- Published: February, 1997
- While the Septs' parents and aunt and uncle go to finish some Christmas shopping, their 15-year-old cousin Paige gets the privilege of babysitting them. Virginia and Colin have to help their big sister, but they get in way over their heads when Paige decides to try some multi-tasking at the mall.
- Set: 1984, age 2
- Published: 1996