US Common Core ELA

Story·Sophie Stid, age 13 — Every Saturday, four-year-old Elsa and her four sisters walk through Boston, collecting bagels, moon cookies, and laundry, until a broken carousel forces them to create their own magic.

Story·Kiyomi Wilks, age 12 — A folk healer summons a mystical owl to save a dying girl when traditional remedies fail, then quietly departs after her recovery.

Story·Lyla Lawless, age 13 — Walking past the abandoned Finster house at dusk, a nine-year-old sees a ghostly figure in the window, only to discover it's a renovation crew preparing the Underground Railroad site for...

Story·Grace McNamee, age 13 — An eleven-year-old girl travels from Ohio to Pennsylvania with the father she hasn't seen since age two, slowly uncovering the truth about their separation.

Story·Emily Ward, age 13 — A racing greyhound named Cassie, inspired by a little girl's faith in her, wins her first race but ultimately chooses freedom over fame by escaping through a fence.

Poetry·Annie Rudisill, age 11 — A swimmer embraces the ocean's depths, feeling the sandy bottom and salty breeze, drawn repeatedly back into the water's welcoming coolness.

Story·Natalie Schuman, age 11 — A girl recounts thirteen years with her beloved Barbadian babysitter Juan, from their first meeting through the bittersweet day Juan stops working for the family.

Story·Erik Dinardo, age 13 — A grieving man revisits places he shared with a lost child, finding each location abandoned or changed, until a ray of light breaks through.

Poetry·Riley Grace Carlson, age 9 — A child walks to a tree swing in a pasture, falls asleep, and wakes to find autumn has arrived while they slept.

Story·Isabel Folger — A grieving man revisits places he once shared with a child, finding them empty and changed, until a ray of light breaks through.