November/December 2016

Poetry·Lotus Shen, age 11 — A catalog poem traces things that vanish — vapor trails, insects, melting snowflakes, flowing water — finding the hidden nature of everyday disappearances.

Poetry·Brooke Hemingway, age 13 — A wolf leads its pack into a moonlit clearing where the forest holds its breath and the world sparkles with otherworldly light.

Poetry·Sandra Detweiler, age 13 — A lyrical meditation on climbing above fog to find mountain peaks rising like islands from a sea of clouds below.

Story·Brigid Armbrust, age 13 — Emma struggles with moving to Maine until a wise classmate teaches her that home isn't a place but something you carry with you, transforming dirt into meaning.

Story·Stiles Fraser White, age 12 — A new student at school faces the reigning chess champion, with social acceptance hanging in the balance of their match.

Book Review·Melanie Conklin, Reviewed By Samantha Abrishami — Counting Thyme, by Melanie Conklin; G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers: New York, 2016; $16.99 When I’m picking out books to read, I usually try to avoid the sad...

Story·Brigit Pierce and Sam Hinton and Hannah Feren — In a dystopian dome where citizens' memories are erased through food, Drew discovers her grandmother has vanished and uses her voice-mimicking talent to expose the truth.

Story·Aleydis Barnes, age 12 — A family that never decorates for the holidays judges their neighbors' elaborate displays until one daughter tries to fit in, then realizes their tradition matters more.

Story·Benny Mitchell, age 11 — A book-obsessed boy forced on a tech-free vacation meets Chester, a local kid who gives him a tour of the quirky town and becomes his first real friend.

Book Review·Victoria Jamieson, Reviewed By Claire Cleary — Roller Girl, by Victoria Jamieson; Dial Books for Young Readers: New York, 2015; $20.99 Tougher. Stronger. Fearless. These are the words the protagonist of Roller Girl is driven by as...