emotional depth

Story·Madesyn Fogg, age 10 — After losing their father and fortune, Elizabeth and her mother survive a deadly storm that destroys their cliff-side house, only to recover their wealth through a rediscovered bank account number.

Story·Anyi Sharma, age 10 — A man recently released from prison hosts a dinner party where guests flee one by one, revealing his isolation as reality dissolves into forest imagery.

Poetry·Anna Calegari, age 12 — A speaker sees herself as a monochrome old photograph in the mirror, noting only pink shoelaces and purple under-eye bags break the grayscale of her reflection.

Poetry·Kathleen Werth, age 8 — A young writer explores identity through an 'I AM' poem format, weaving together dreams of unicorns, talking dogs, and the worry of dying too soon.

Story·Kyra Yip, age 11 — A girl with severe food allergies navigates birthday parties, medical emergencies, and social awkwardness, ultimately finding strength in her difference rather than shame.

Poetry·Irene Surprenant, age 8 — A young poet celebrates flowers with exuberant appreciation for their colors, scents, and daily presence in the natural world.

Poetry·Irene Surprenant, age 8 — A wave narrates its experiences through changing weather, from gentle shore-lapping to tsunamis, lamenting pollution while celebrating the cycle of marine life.

Story·Sabrina Guo, age 12 — An art student struggles to paint a childhood memory she doesn't have, ultimately creating a canvas that blends her parents' first meeting with imagined moments they never shared.

Story·Freya Jones, age 13 — A 13-year-old chronicles raising her 4-H pig Ash from spring to fair, knowing she'll have to sell him for slaughter, wrestling with love and loss.

Poetry·Eva Bandy, age 9 — A child stands frozen in autumn leaves, feeling deep sorrow for their death and unable to step on them.