November/December 2012

Story·Lily Strauss, age 10 — A Montana girl raises money to visit her beloved horse Missoula, who has been sent to Missouri to work as a therapy horse for children with disabilities.

Poetry·Ethan Vranic, age 12 — In a dreary autumn meadow between two oaks, once-flourishing roses now lie shriveled and colorless, their sharp thorns the only remnant of former vitality.

Story·Miriam Henerson, age 12 — Three girls teach three boys to make an anniversary pie for Max's parents, leading to flour explosions, foam dart wars, and last-minute whipped cream rescues.

Book Review·Jessica Day George, Reviewed by Rachel Halpern — Tuesdays at the Castle, by Jessica Day George; Bloomsbury Books for Young Readers: New York, 2011; $16.99 Jessica Day George’s Tuesdays at the Castle is a wonderful, heart-pounding story about...

Story·Isabella Widrow, age 9 — On a rainy day, a bored girl finds her cat Mango in a closet and shares a moment of connection that transforms her mood.

Poetry·Nastassja Carusetta, age 13 — A daughter anxiously awaits her mother's return from a road trip, memories of their last night together mixing with dark fears about what might happen.

Story·Sarina Rani Deb, age 10 — A boy's beloved husky Breeze becomes a local hero by saving lives, but dies after being injured in a blizzard while seeking shelter.

Story·Alyssa Ingle, age 12 — A middle child feels invisible after her baby brother's birth, finally confronts her parents about feeling neglected, and receives the love and attention she's been craving.

Poetry·Danielle Eagle, age 12 — A young writer celebrates the power of imagination through metaphors of flight, electricity, and natural forces, declaring herself a dreamer whose pen brings visions to life.

Story·Krystle DiCristofalo, age 12 — Three friends exploring an abandoned house discover photographs in the basement showing children who look exactly like them, wearing the same old clothes they've been trying on.