US Common Core ELA
— A girl discovers a magical black horse that transforms into a ghost, learning his true name is Leeto before he gallops away to freedom.
— A sparrow flees a hunting hawk through forest branches in a desperate chase, then the perspective shifts to reveal the hawk's necessity of feeding its young.
— After her parents' death, a girl living with her grandmother discovers she can honor memories without being trapped by them when she transforms her mother's journals into a scrapbook.
— Three friends seeking relief from drought discover a mysterious river where a glowing woman lures one of them away, then wake to find rain has finally come.
— A girl follows a fox through a magical spring into another world, where she's tricked into slavery before the fox helps her escape.
— A fifth-grader reflects on the finality of elementary school's last day, from yearbook signings to the bell's final ring that marks the end of childhood routines.
— A girl loses her handwritten novel when it blows off a San Francisco cable car and disappears down a storm drain marked 'Flows to Bay.'
— A child walks through absolute darkness and snow until spotting a cottage light that transforms the cold journey into a homecoming.
— A girl flying alone for the first time finds courage through recorded messages from her parents on her iPod, transforming fear into pride as the plane prepares for takeoff.
— A girl facing yet another move finds comfort in her grandfather's mints, facts, and a farewell gift that promises connection across distance.