authentic voice
— A twelve-year-old enslaved girl learns to read in secret, escapes to Massachusetts via the Underground Railroad, and becomes a teacher, reuniting with her childhood friend years later.
— A city girl discovers freedom and friendship with wild-haired Robbie during a brief stay in the country, then must leave him behind.
— A seven-year-old girl reluctantly tries water-skiing again on the Mississippi River and finally succeeds, discovering the joy she'd been missing.
— A girl who loves ocean life runs away from home during a hurricane, is rescued by dolphins, and learns to appreciate what she has.
— A shy girl misreads a sentence that spans two pages, creating classroom tension until a classmate secretly helps her discover the missing words.
— A girl in a wheelchair faces her fear during her first therapeutic horseback riding lesson, finding hope for both physical recovery and independence.
— A girl reluctantly cleans her room instead of playing computer games, rediscovering lost toys and finding satisfaction in organizing her belongings.
— A poem explores the power of words to destroy friendship and the deeper power needed to repair it through forgiveness.
— From a peach tree, a girl watches her sister ride and remembers her own horse Bosa, sold years ago, recalling their stubborn bond and the day they parted.
— A writer recalls her first trip to Alaska ten years ago, where she befriended a pack of wolves—Lakota, Pike, and Kepa—and witnessed their struggles to survive through a brutal winter.