September/October 2013

Story·Jenna Fields, age 12 — A bucking bronco narrates his life from birth to rodeo legend, revealing the fierce determination and isolation that define his existence as 'the fighter.'

Story·Hannah Ogden, age 13 — A family drives through the night to grandparents' house after eviction, their old truck barely making it as a girl reflects on loss and uncertain futures.

Story·Anna Haverly, age 13 — A twelve-year-old slave named Curtis escapes via the Underground Railroad with Harriet Tubman, reaching Canada where he reunites with his father and gains the surname Freedom.

Story·Matteo Wong, age 12 — A boy who steals from his father's rent money jar learns the consequences when their landlord threatens eviction, prompting him to get his first job.

Book Review·Graham Salisbury, Reviewed by Eric Yang — Calvin Coconut: Rocket Ride, by Graham Salisbury; Wendy Lamb Books: New York, 2012; $12.99 This book is about a kid named Calvin who is getting bullied to give the bully...

Story·Felicia McSweeney, age 11 — A girl is swept out to sea at night, sinks to the ocean floor watching bubbles rise from her laughing mouth, then returns to shore with the tide.

Story·Hannah Fern Pollard, age 13 — A boy finds his rival's lost championship kite before a competition and must decide whether to return it or keep it to ensure his own victory.

Poetry·Sydney Pardo, age 13 — A poem of lost childhood intimacy between cousins or friends, marked by shared memories of orchards, butterfly funerals, and the gulf that opens when one becomes a teenager.

Story·Elizabeth Surman, age 10 — A daughter celebrates her father through vivid portraits of his loud presence, humor, work ethic, and creative cooking experiments, declaring him the 'King of San Marino.'

Book Review·Amy Chua, Reviewed by Ana Sofia Uzsoy — Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, by Amy Chua; Penguin Books: New York, 2011; $16 Sophia and Louisa Chua are perfect kids. They get straight A’s and are the best...