US Common Core ELA

Story·Natalia M. Thompson, age 11 — A girl who stopped speaking Spanish to avoid classmates' mockery finds solace in the woods and resolves to reclaim her heritage language.

Story·Betty Julia Rosen, age 12 — A young violist struggles with harsh criticism and self-doubt before finding confidence through an orchestra audition, culminating in both musical success and a first date.

Story·Natalie Wittenbrook, age 11 — A twelve-year-old girl whose father hunts wolves for pelts rescues an orphaned wolf pup and, with help from the Animal Society, eventually convinces her father to stop commercial hunting.

Poetry·Brendan Cunningham, age 8 — A boy captures his father through three vivid scenes: carpenter at his desk, football coach on the field, and dad reading bedtime stories.

Poetry·Ben Amoss, age 10 — A snake's morning routine along the Mississippi River ends abruptly with an encounter with a wheel, told through sensory details and simple movements.

Story·Lauren Boersma, age 11 — During the 1953 Netherlands flood, twelve-year-old Sieke is separated from her family and spends a terrifying night caring for a lost little girl before both are reunited with their families.

Story·Megan M. Gannett, age 13 — A girl watches her mysterious neighbor Rochelle for years before discovering she's created an elaborate kingdom from stones, each with names and personalities.

Poetry·Andrea Begin, age 12 — A speaker accidentally rips a map and imagines the torn paper could magically bring her closer to a distant friend she misses.

Story·Emma Loizeaux, age 11 — A girl recalls waking at 4:30 AM to climb Panther Mountain with her mother and grandparents, eating hard-boiled eggs while watching the sunrise from the summit.

Story·Philip Grayeski, age 11 — A boy bonds with his grandfather through fishing trips and flying lessons in the Red Comet plane, then inherits the aircraft after his grandfather's death from cancer.