November/December 2004

Story·Sophia Stid, age 10 — A girl wakes at a family cabin called the Cedars, joins morning rituals including the 'Oh Joe' bell, and prepares for a hike with grandparents and cousins.

Poetry·Timmy McWhirter, age 12 — A boy and his grandmother sit outside a dingy trailer, their bright smiles transforming the worn surroundings into something luminous.

Story·Anastasia M. Apostoleris, age 12 — A ten-year-old boy experiences November 22, 1963, through the lens of his baby brother named after President Kennedy, capturing the moment childhood innocence meets national tragedy.

Story·Rachel Weary, age 10 — A girl regrets not defending her Korean classmate Marion when a popular boy makes a racist comment, learning a painful lesson about moral courage and complicity.

Book Review·Gerald Morris, Reviewed by Nikki Friedman — The Ballad of Sir Dinadan by Gerald Morris; Houghton Mifflin Company: Boston, 2003; $15 “What do you want to be when you grow up?” All of us children have been plagued...

Story·Jessica Ro, age 11 — A girl who resents her difficult grandfather discovers her love for him only when he's hospitalized with a heart attack and gives her a locket containing a photo of them...

Story·Veronica Engler, age 15 — A young woman becomes the first female bull rider to attempt the Championships, facing down Widow Maker, a bull unridden for seven years.

Story·Molly Dektar, age 13 — A girl receives a mysterious package containing both an elf hat that once excluded her and her childhood Hanukkah hat, forcing her to reconsider identity and belonging.

Story·Felix Zhang, age 13 — A father's harsh parenting drives his son away, and only as the son lies dying from an attack in India do they finally exchange the words 'good night' they never...

Poetry·Mira Bernstein Kaufman, age 11 — A child swimming with her father discovers strength in diving under waves instead of fighting them, finding joy in the ocean's power.