atmospheric setting

Story·Casey Tolan, age 13 — A boy discovers he has the potential for forbidden Time Magic when sent to his uncle's island cabin, then races to help his homeland when war breaks out.

Story·Alice Mar-Abe, age 11 — A girl's beloved neighborhood market closes, teaching her through the owner's wisdom about accepting change while cherishing memories.

Story·William Gwaltney, age 11 — A boy secretly rides his winged horse Athena through the summer night sky, flying over ponds and listening to a concert before returning home to keep their magical secret safe.

Poetry·Olivia AscioneD'Elia, age 13 — A century-old house becomes a living archive of memories, its rooms layered with photos and stars, transforming from pink dusk to dark ink as night falls.

Story·Sophie Stid, age 13 — Every Saturday, four-year-old Elsa and her four sisters walk through Boston, collecting bagels, moon cookies, and laundry, until a broken carousel forces them to create their own magic.

Poetry·Rory Lipkis, age 9 — A child walks along a canal towpath, observing nature's beauty alongside human intrusion—from dragonflies and turtles to litter and a dying fish.

Poetry·Pierie Korostoff, age 12 — Kitchen scene where paperwhites by the sink, snow outside, and magnetic poetry on the fridge create a meditation on mismatched elements that somehow belong together.

Story·Alana Yang, age 12 — A seventh grader sneaks out at midnight to her childhood faerie circle and witnesses real faeries dancing under the full moon, who spell her name in daisies and leave her...

Story·Kiyomi Wilks, age 12 — A folk healer summons a mystical owl to save a dying girl when traditional remedies fail, then quietly departs after her recovery.

Story·Lyla Lawless, age 13 — Walking past the abandoned Finster house at dusk, a nine-year-old sees a ghostly figure in the window, only to discover it's a renovation crew preparing the Underground Railroad site for...