UK KS2

Story·Linden Grace Koshland, age 11 — A small hut on a hill weathers a fierce storm, then settles into sleep as the sun emerges, its empty interior somehow full of the warmth of home.

Poetry·Gwen Deutsch, age 12 — A girl watches wild horses thunder down a Wyoming mountain, experiencing the landscape through all her senses in a moment of overwhelming beauty.

Story·Pauline McAndrew, age 9 — A girl arrives at a family gathering in North Carolina, plays with cousins, collects wood for a fire, and finds home in the sensory details of the reunion.

Story·Charlie Kubica, age 11 — A Polish boy moves to Miami with his father and grandmother, facing language barriers and bullying before finding community with other immigrant students in ESL class.

Story·Morgan Biagioni — A girl arrives at a family gathering in North Carolina, plays with cousins, collects firewood, and finds home in the sensory details of the reunion around a bonfire.

Personal Narrative·Marco Lu, age 11 — A young naturalist explores the remarkable adaptations of saguaro cacti after encountering them in Arizona, detailing their growth patterns, water storage, and survival strategies.

Personal Narrative·Kyle Wu, age 9 — A nine-year-old experiences his first total solar eclipse from a South Carolina balcony, mixing scientific facts with sensory details and family moments.

Personal Narrative·Taryn Morlock, age 11 — Scientists are using gene-editing to modify pig organs for human transplants, removing problematic sugars and viruses that cause rejection.

Story·Marlena Rohde, age 12 — Two sisters discover magical golden seaweed that cures illness, but when a greedy friend threatens them for it, they escape to join an underwater community of glowing creatures.

Poetry·Yutia Li, age 9 — A playful cosmic origin story traces from a tiny speck's explosion through the Big Bang to Earth's formation and the first single-celled life.