US Common Core ELA

Story·Andrew Wu, age 11 — A philosophical narrative following four reincarnated beings—seed, insect, fish, and bear—each discovering Nature's cyclical patterns of creation, destruction, and renewal through their brief lives.

Story·Eliana Schaffer, age 11 — A girl who believes she is perfect discovers emptiness within herself when her teacher sends her home, triggering her first tears and the beginning of real growth.

Poetry·Ivy Cordle, age 9 — A child discovers that the scary monster outside their door is actually lonely and scared, shrinking smaller with each act of kindness until it disappears.

Poetry·Grace Jiang, age 11 — A year cycles through the seasons as Little Deer grows from playful fawn to father, echoing his own father's words about preparing for winter.

Story·Isabel Swain, age 12 — A girl awaits her mother's return for a crucial school interview, only to learn her mother is hospitalized and she'll enter foster care.

Poetry·Grace Jiang, age 11 — A seed becomes a rose that grows tall as a dog, then withers each winter and returns, cycling through seasons year after year.

Story·Vandana Ravi, age 12 — A girl who struggles to speak finds solace in a book about a unicorn and a friend, escaping into its world during lunch before returning to face school.

Story·Mia Fang, age 13 — After her father loses his job and joins the military, Lily struggles with anger and guilt until the day a messenger arrives with devastating news.

Story·Anna Shepherd, age 11 — During a tense car ride to visit relatives, two sisters play Twenty Questions, but when Jenny thinks she's solved Ula's puzzle, her sister refuses to confirm the answer.

Story·Ziqing (Izzie) Peng, age 10 — A child describes their city's beauty through the day, then reveals how its bright lights confuse baby sea turtles, causing them to crawl away from the ocean.