Stories
— A girl torn between joining the spring musical with friends or trying track discovers new friendship when she chooses the unfamiliar path.
— After his parents' divorce, Jasper struggles to adjust to life with his mother until he finds solace at a dock by the sea and learns a hard truth from his...
— A boy secretly befriends a field mouse his family considers a pest, then faces a moral crisis when his grandmother orders him to shoot it with his bow and arrow.
— A boy's subway journey becomes a catalog of encounters — a homeless woman, street performers, a soul-reading stranger — each revealing the city's complex humanity.
— A girl receives a mysterious golden locket that only certain people can see, giving her courage to sing her first solo and later passing it to her sister.
— A boy accidentally shoots a squirrel with his BB gun, then desperately tries to save it, confronting his guilt and the reality of what he's done.
— A distant father and daughter walk to see Spider-Man; he secretly helps a man afford tickets and saves her from a dog, but she only notices the shirtless hero.
— A girl searching for something special in her life discovers a perfect miniature house by a stream in the woods, but must leave before exploring it.
— A six-year-old watches her parents' marriage dissolve on a summer day in Iowa and must choose which parent to leave with when her mother packs for Chicago.
— A middle school boy who loves dance faces relentless bullying until he decides to perform in the school talent show to show his classmates what dance truly means to him.