authentic voice
— Five years after her twin sister Grace falls to her death from their treehouse, twelve-year-old Chloë returns to find Grace's spirit waiting to play pirates one last time.
— A child searches the airport for their father returning from Iraq, recognizing him finally by his smile and open arms.
— After a fight with her mother about fitness, a girl flees to her rooftop refuge and realizes that having a mother, even an imperfect one, is a gift.
— A young performer transforms stage fright into confidence, tracking the physical sensations of fear giving way to the moment when words finally 'start to fly.'
— A girl searches desperately for her beloved lesson horse Judah after he's retired without warning, finally finding him at a distant stable.
— A girl swings on a rope swing, crashing through bushes and spinning wildly, finding joy despite scratches and the threatening branch above.
— A boy contrasts the metaphorical fog of human deceit with the real fog of his countryside home, finding paradise in nature's simple peace.
— A swimmer's race unfolds from nervous anticipation through the explosive start, underwater glide, flip turn, and triumphant finish in lane seven.
— A seven-year-old in Shanghai receives a pet rabbit as a gift, but after two weeks of joy, the rabbit dies the night before the family must travel.
— A lonely ranch girl discovers a stray silver cat in the barn, secretly feeds it, and eventually adopts it when the cat needs help giving birth to kittens.