authentic voice

Story·Lebo Molefe, age 13 — A rainbow-colored parrot is captured from the rainforest and transported through illegal wildlife trade, eventually finding a home with a lonely girl named Anne.

Poetry·Nicky Cannon, age 12 — A roller skater crashes into a puddle but celebrates the joy of the ride despite the muddy, bruised ending.

Story·Rachel Keirstead, age 12 — A girl devastated by moving from Ohio to New Jersey finds hope when she discovers an outdoor club at her new school and makes a friend who shares her love...

Poetry·Caroline Lunt, age 12 — A child climbs to a tree house and observes the small details of nature—an ant carrying a leaf, a bird taking flight—before settling down to read.

Story·Angela Chang, age 9 — A girl watches from her backyard as a male blue jay sings to attract a mate, then observes the pair fly away together into the sky.

Poetry·Sophia Lipkin, age 9 — A young rider recalls beloved horses and the exhilarating moment of her first successful jump, feeling her heart soar as Violet leaps into the bright blue sky.

Story·Benet Dawn Stoen, age 11 — A girl moves to the South Pole with her scientist parents, befriends a local boy who runs away after a painful memory surfaces, then nearly dies of hypothermia while searching...

Story·Alex Carmona, age 12 — A wolf pup who lost her family in a blizzard encounters a grieving girl who lost her dog, and through their connection, the wolf brings her blind brother to the...

Story·Adair Brooks, age 13 — A deaf girl named Shira, isolated from her musical family, discovers her artistic talent and creates a fundraising campaign for Haiti earthquake victims through her paintings.

Poetry·Mary Woods, age 12 — A harness racing scene unfolds through storm imagery, where horses' hoofbeats create a rhythmic song against the track in rain and wind.