emotional depth

Story·Maria Lohr, age 13 — Two sisters on their Florida vacation sunrise walk discover baby sea turtles being attacked by seagulls and devise a plan to save them.

Story·Malin Moeller — A boy in an orphanage experiences vivid dreams of a jungle that begin bleeding into reality, leading him to discover his connection to an enslaved ancestor.

Story·Esther Lyon, age 13 — A five-year-old's joy at her first ballet recital turns to tears when she's the only dancer without flowers, until her grandmother picks a makeshift bouquet from the grounds.

Story·Brittany Newell, age 10 — A girl finds escape and identity through playing her dusty family piano, culminating in a Christmas Eve performance where she becomes one with the instrument.

Story·Sarah Jick, age 13 — A teenager planning to run away at dawn is discovered by her little sister, whose innocent love makes her reconsider and decide to stay.

Poetry·Mushka Bogomilsky, age 10 — A grandfather shares his Holocaust survival story with his grandchild, from separation to liberation, ending with both in tears.

Story·Amy Xu, age 11 — An eleven-year-old recounts getting lost in a NYC subway station at age four, then discovers her grandmother remembers the incident differently, questioning memory itself.

Story·Adara Robbins, age 13 — A teenage athlete returns to an empty soccer field at night, confronting memories of rejection and rediscovering her love for the game through solitary practice.

Story·Canyon Woodward, age 12 — An American family in Peru misjudges a tourist with many suitcases, later discovering she brings clothes for local children and supports Quechua weavers through fair trade.

Story·Natalia M. Thompson, age 13 — In Tehran, a teenage girl joins her mother's secret political group that meets under the guise of Friday tea gatherings while the men are at prayer.