US Common Core ELA

Story·Hannah Krenn, age 13 — A girl shares her late grandfather's memory box with her younger sister to comfort her after classmates call her stupid, discovering that giving memories away multiplies their power.

Poetry·Lotus Shen, age 11 — A catalog poem traces things that vanish — vapor trails, insects, melting snowflakes, flowing water — finding the hidden nature of everyday disappearances.

Poetry·Brooke Hemingway, age 13 — A wolf leads its pack into a moonlit clearing where the forest holds its breath and the world sparkles with otherworldly light.

Poetry·Sandra Detweiler, age 13 — A lyrical meditation on climbing above fog to find mountain peaks rising like islands from a sea of clouds below.

Story·Brigid Armbrust, age 13 — Emma struggles with moving to Maine until a wise classmate teaches her that home isn't a place but something you carry with you, transforming dirt into meaning.

Story·Stiles Fraser White, age 12 — A new student at school faces the reigning chess champion, with social acceptance hanging in the balance of their match.

Story·Brigit Pierce and Sam Hinton and Hannah Feren — In a dystopian dome where citizens' memories are erased through food, Drew discovers her grandmother has vanished and uses her voice-mimicking talent to expose the truth.

Story·Aleydis Barnes, age 12 — A family that never decorates for the holidays judges their neighbors' elaborate displays until one daughter tries to fit in, then realizes their tradition matters more.

Story·Benny Mitchell, age 11 — A book-obsessed boy forced on a tech-free vacation meets Chester, a local kid who gives him a tour of the quirky town and becomes his first real friend.

Story·Anika Walkes, age 11 — When her father's train is delayed, eight-year-old Katy opens his shoe store herself and successfully completes her first sale to a surprised customer.