US Common Core ELA

Personal Narrative·Louise Johnson — Two cousins skip watching their brothers' soccer games to clean up trash from a forest stream, turning a boring morning into a meaningful adventure.

Story·Natalie Yue — A daddy longlegs trapped in a shower fears death when children find him, but one girl carefully releases him outside, granting unexpected freedom.

Personal Narrative·Gabrielle McCaskill — A girl reluctantly moves from Bellevue to New York, clinging to memories of her neighborhood, best friend, and the places that shaped her childhood.

Story·Jaxton Goertzen — An alien student named Gooby finds a rare ancient coin that magically traps his hand in a fist, threatening his chance to become the first alien on the basketball team.

Story·Kana Shackelford — A four-year-old befriends a dryad living in the lilac bushes, but on her eighth birthday discovers she's grown too old to see her magical friend anymore.

Personal Narrative·Sophie Li — A girl races classmates to determine relay order, but when she beats the 'perfect' girl, her competitor lies about the result, leaving the truth unresolved.

Poetry·Evans Yaffee — A child walks in spring rain, observing flowers and feeling raindrops, remembering being small as the world seems to look back.

Poetry·Evans Yaffee — A brief poem urging readers to look up and recognize how the world needs their help, emphasizing awareness and responsibility.

Story·Riley Killen — A teen guitarist battles stage fright through two performances, finding courage with help from family and an unexpected friend who gives her a purple guitar pick.

Personal Narrative·Talia Tarason — Discovering her great-grandfather's coin collection leads a girl to understand how objects hold memories, inspiring her to buy her own commemorative coin.