Stories

Story·Kara Peter, age 13 — In a drought-stricken African village where everything is brown, a girl searching for mythical blue wishing stones accidentally throws one into the muddy river, transforming it to crystal clear water.

Story·Claire Mao, age 10 — A seven-year-old in Shanghai receives a pet rabbit as a gift, but after two weeks of joy, the rabbit dies the night before the family must travel.

Story·Lukas Bacho, age 12 — A businesswoman at San Francisco airport reluctantly agrees to deliver a mysterious package from a deaf stranger to his daughter in New York.

Story·Evelyn Chen, age 12 — Two cousins at a beach house share the same drowning nightmare, then follow a mysterious voice to rescue a seal trapped in a fishing net.

Story·Carrie Merhout, age 10 — A lonely ranch girl discovers a stray silver cat in the barn, secretly feeds it, and eventually adopts it when the cat needs help giving birth to kittens.

Story·Juliette Shang, age 10 — A young pianist reflects on why she continues despite the tedium of practice, finding meaning in performance, emotional expression, and connecting with elderly audiences.

Story·Ethan Archibald, age 13 — A son profiles his mother, a Chinese immigrant who expresses herself through cooking, weaving together her Beijing childhood, American journey, and culinary mastery.

Story·Lily Hoelscher, age 13 — A girl having a terrible day meets a mysterious boy who shows her a hidden pond with lotus flowers growing from mud, teaching her about resilience.

Story·Eleanor M. Polak, age 11 — After her parents' death, Sarah moves from her strict aunt's house to live with elderly strangers in the country, finding unexpected warmth and belonging.

Story·Ellanora Lerner, age 12 — A volunteer meal deliverer meets an elderly man who asks her to write about his deceased son so he'll be remembered, then receives the son's funeral tape after the father...