Stories

Story·Soledad Tejada, age 11 — A girl flying alone for the first time finds courage through recorded messages from her parents on her iPod, transforming fear into pride as the plane prepares for takeoff.

Story·Simon Brake, age 13 — Two cousins fight to survive after a storm wrecks their uncle's tourist ship, leaving them adrift in a lifeboat that eventually sinks, forcing them to float until rescue arrives.

Story·Olivia Calamia, age 12 — A 12-year-old encounters hundreds of college students dressed as Santa flooding the NYC subway during an annual flash mob tradition, much to her embarrassment and her family's delight.

Story·Mary Woods, age 12 — A scrappy urban fox survives by scavenging until a train accident lands him in an animal shelter, where he's healed and released into a forest home.

Story·Olivia Smit, age 12 — A captive cheetah dreams of freedom while watching his brothers die from starvation, until a woman rescues him and returns him to the African savannah.

Story·Elise Allen, age 12 — Two friends share their last summer night together, walking under stars and seeing a shooting star before saying goodbye until next year.

Story·Hannah Culver, age 12 — A girl terrified of dogs after being bitten rescues an injured stray, only to discover he belongs to someone else, leading to an unexpected friendship.

Story·Julia Condon, age 13 — A middle schooler abandons her best friend for popularity, falls for a cruel prank at a party, and discovers where she truly belongs.

Story·Lulu Russell, age 11 — A sparrow flees a hunting hawk through forest branches in a desperate chase, then the perspective shifts to reveal the hawk's necessity of feeding its young.

Story·Nina Lampert, age 12 — A girl delivering Christmas cake to her elderly neighbor discovers eight snow globes on the mantle, each holding a story from the woman's adventurous past.