US Common Core ELA

Story·Isabel Stronski, age 12 — After her mother's death, a girl moves to a farm with her father and encounters an old woman who tends a single bean plant, her only inheritance from her late...

Poetry·Kira Householder, age 12 — A granddaughter listens intently as her grandfather talks about construction and business, finding beauty and hidden lessons in his philosophical approach to work.

Story·Abby K. Svetlik, age 12 — A girl moves from Colorado to New York after her mother's death, resisting the change until an elderly landlady helps her see that pain makes love meaningful.

Poetry·Celie Kreilkamp, age 11 — A girl chases chickens away from an outdoor dinner, then later visits them in their coop, stroking them as they settle for sleep.

Story·Jack Zimmerman, age 11 — A boy jealous of his cousin's building projects with their grandfather finally gets his chance when they build a chicken coop together during a summer visit.

Story·Logan Gusmano, age 11 — During a violent storm in France, an older brother frightens his adopted younger sibling with tornado tales, then realizes his cruelty and transforms the storm into an adventure game.

Story·Siena DeBenedittis, age 13 — A girl sneaks out for a midnight swim in the pool the night before moving away, finding solace in the underwater light and the stars above.

Story·Nadezh Mulholland, age 13 — A girl discovers a mysterious book that transports her into its pages, where she finds reassurance that her comatose sister will recover.

Story·Sophie Eisenberg-Edidin, age 13 — A ten-year-old girl struggles to reconnect with her father when he returns from World War II, discovering both his trauma and their shared memories at the chicken coop.

Story·Karina Emilia Palmitesta — Two friends lying under an oak tree share funny memories until one asks if the other remembers how their friendship began, triggering a flashback to third grade.