March/April 2010

Story·Erik Dinardo — In the antebellum South, an enslaved girl named Hope learns her mother will be sold, prompting escape plans, while the master's daughter Abigail faces a moral choice.

Story·Christopher Fifty, age 13 — An osprey hunts for fish to feed his mate and chicks, navigating marsh winds and the constant threat of eagles to provide for his family.

Poetry·Imani Apostol, age 11 — A girl discovers through blocked-out papers with one word visible—PREGNANT—that she'll become a big sister, processing excitement and new responsibility.

Poetry·Eliza Putnam, age 13 — A reader abandons her book to follow the calls of wood frogs and peepers through her window onto the porch roof, where their chorus declares 'We are alive.'

Story·Hayden Rasberry, age 11 — A lonely boy struggling with growing up finds an abandoned dog on the street and secretly brings him home, only to discover his parents had planned to get him a...

Book Review·Kathryn Fitzmaurice, Reviewed by Nicole Timofeevski — The Year the Swallows Came Early, by Kathryn Fitzmaurice; HarperCollins: New York, 2009; $16.99 What happens when someone you love betrays you? Well, in this book, The Year the Swallows...

Story·Emma Watson, age 13 — A girl covets a gold necklace at a shop but finds greater beauty in a silver flower from her backyard that transforms her reflection into something magical.

Story·Emily Boring, age 13 — A teenage girl reflects on her brother's autism during a family lake trip, discovering that their imperfect family's joy matters more than being 'normal.'

Poetry·Laura Dzubay, age 11 — A father and daughter play frisbee at sunset, their throws and catches becoming a wordless conversation of connection and understanding.

Story·Cameron Manor, age 11 — Two sisters navigate their relationship through midnight roof adventures, failed spy agencies, and garage sales of unwanted gifts, revealing the complex dynamics of sibling love.