UK KS3

Poetry·Brooke Gillman, age 13 — A young writer climbs her favorite oak tree overlooking dark water, finding solitude and inspiration in the worn branches where she writes.

Story·Samuel Campopiano, age 13 — A young pickpocket at the Eiffel Tower steals an old man's gold pocket watch, but returns it after hearing the man cry 'I lost my watch! I lost my father!'

Poetry·Samantha Ji Ping Wainapel, age 13 — A young writer rediscovers the exhilaration of flight, watching the world shrink below while yearning to experience the sky without the plane's protection.

Story·Tatum Cocotos, age 13 — Through secret letters, Storm warns their cousin Bobbi on Planet 236 that the space station headquarters plans to cut off supplies to the colonies permanently.

Story·Ella McAuliffe, age 13 — A young naturalist's journey from protecting bird nests at four to confronting caged owls in Myanmar, learning hard lessons about nature's cruelty and human intervention.

Poetry·Ben Stieren, age 13 — A muskie hunt in Wisconsin waters builds through sensory details until the predator strikes, snapping the fishing line with the lure in its teeth.

Poetry·Gertie-Pearl Zwick-Schachter, age 12 — A drowsy afternoon in a garden becomes a meditation on the sensory pull between nature's beauty and the body's desire for rest.

Poetry·Ella Fasciano, age 13 — A delicate observation of trying to help an injured insect fly again, capturing the fragility of both the creature and the moment of attempted rescue.

Story·Megan Little, age 13 — A girl overcomes her fear to confront bullies who are racially harassing her Filipino friend, discovering the power of standing up for what's right.

Story·Kika Kovaleski, age 10 — Eight-year-old Yuki experiences the upheaval of Japanese-American internment, losing herself in despair until a letter from her librarian and an unexpected kindness help her find hope again.