US Common Core ELA

Story·Marika Massey-Bierman, age 13 — A girl torn between joining the spring musical with friends or trying track discovers new friendship when she chooses the unfamiliar path.

Poetry·Ella Biehn, age 12 — A child recalls dancing in autumn leaves before moving south, where a photograph preserves what geography has taken away.

Story·Sonia Suben, age 10 — After his parents' divorce, Jasper struggles to adjust to life with his mother until he finds solace at a dock by the sea and learns a hard truth from his...

Story·Eoin O'Mara, age 11 — A boy secretly befriends a field mouse his family considers a pest, then faces a moral crisis when his grandmother orders him to shoot it with his bow and arrow.

Poetry·Jacob Miller — A child battles nighttime fears during a thunderstorm, mistaking ordinary objects for monsters until exhaustion finally overtakes terror.

Story·Tatum Schutt, age 12 — A girl searching for something special in her life discovers a perfect miniature house by a stream in the woods, but must leave before exploring it.

Story·Isabella Reyes, age 13 — A six-year-old watches her parents' marriage dissolve on a summer day in Iowa and must choose which parent to leave with when her mother packs for Chicago.

Story·Erin Trefny, age 11 — A middle school boy who loves dance faces relentless bullying until he decides to perform in the school talent show to show his classmates what dance truly means to him.

Poetry·Brooke Gillman, age 13 — A young writer climbs her favorite oak tree overlooking dark water, finding solitude and inspiration in the worn branches where she writes.

Story·Emma Caroline Duncan, age 11 — A mute girl in southern Africa discovers the feared Jago bird that terrorizes her village is protecting its silent chicks, finding her own voice through their connection.