Memoir

Personal Narrative·Ava Cai, age 12 — A restless student escapes her classroom during reading time, only to accidentally enter the wrong room on her return, finding unfamiliar older students staring at her.

Personal Narrative·Sonia Teodorescu, age 13 — A girl labeled 'alien' by her friend for her waterproof hair and quirks observes the equally strange behaviors of everyone around her at what seems to be a summer camp.

Personal Narrative·Jack Moody, age 10 — A peacock appears on a suburban Virginia roof, struts like it owns the place, calls to another peacock in the yard, then flies away.

Personal Narrative·Billie Brown, age 12 — A young aspiring animal rescuer brings home a worm that dies overnight, teaching her that wild creatures belong in their natural habitats, not bedrooms.

Personal Narrative·Yanling Lin, age 10 — A school field trip continues despite torrential rain, leaving students soaked and miserable until they finally return to school after doing nothing but stand in the downpour.

Personal Narrative·Sophia Hammond, age 11 — A second-grader struggles with reading aloud during class, feeling excluded until a supportive tutor helps her overcome her challenges and gain confidence.

Personal Narrative·Michelle Wang, age 12 — A Chinese immigrant child's first day of American school transforms from terror to tentative hope when a classmate extends a gentle hand of friendship.

Personal Narrative·Raya Ilieva, age 10 — During California's 2020 wildfires, a girl wakes to an apocalyptic orange sky and wonders when the world will return to normal.

Memoir· — Hello, it’s Diya again! Today, I wanted to keep this write-up short and simple. I recently moved to the Bay Area in California, as one of my parents moved jobs....

Personal Narrative·Anushka Trivedi, age 10 — Five vignettes explore monsoon rain in India, questions of faith and atheism, becoming an older sister, a medical emergency, and reflections on friendship and the pandemic.