effective dialogue
— A twelve-year-old girl whose father hunts wolves for pelts rescues an orphaned wolf pup and, with help from the Animal Society, eventually convinces her father to stop commercial hunting.
— A boy showing off in an old boat gets swept downriver at night, then ingeniously lassos a giant snapping turtle to pull him to shore at dawn.
— A girl finds her perfect horse at a failing stable, but when her superstitious mother refuses, she creates an elaborate scheme involving a fake dream to change her mind.
— Five softball-obsessed girls who refuse to outgrow their park face a newcomer in pink who shatters both their expectations and a neighbor's window with one swing.
— A girl regrets not defending her Korean classmate Marion when a popular boy makes a racist comment, learning a painful lesson about moral courage and complicity.
— A young woman becomes the first female bull rider to attempt the Championships, facing down Widow Maker, a bull unridden for seven years.
— An actor playing Romeo navigates pre-show tension with her Juliet, finding reconciliation and deeper understanding of her character through performance.
— A girl who believes she's bad at everything discovers kayaking, overcomes her fear after tipping over, and places second in a race.
— An eleven-year-old volunteers at an animal shelter, saves kittens from a fire started by another volunteer, and earns a shy tabby named Trust.
— An outcast seventh-grader's wish on a shooting star leads to unexpected friendship when he's paired with the school's intimidating new girl for a biology project.