emotional depth
— A thirteen-year-old watches younger kids playing Star Wars in a park, triggering memories of his own carefree childhood games with friends and his hero brother.
— A twelve-year-old actress faces her final audition before a year-long ban on performing, negotiated with her doctor parents who want her to pursue medicine instead.
— A girl whose family is fragmenting befriends her silent cousin by creating a mechanical dancing bird that mirrors the shorebirds they both love.
— A girl volunteers at a nursing home, collecting words and stories from residents who share their memories, imagination, and a precious dictionary with her.
— Sisters collect shells and sea glass at the beach, but discover the treasures lose their magic when brought home, separated from ocean and memory.
— A girl overcomes her fear to confront bullies who are racially harassing her Filipino friend, discovering the power of standing up for what's right.
— Eight-year-old Yuki experiences the upheaval of Japanese-American internment, losing herself in despair until a letter from her librarian and an unexpected kindness help her find hope again.
— After her grandfather shares memories of her late grandmother during a rainstorm, a girl discovers the meaning of finding sunshine even on cloudy days when he passes away two days...
— A star running back plays through concussion symptoms with a cracked helmet in the championship game, scores the winning touchdown, but may never play football again.
— At summer camp, a girl lies about her grandmother's earrings to avoid teasing, loses them, and discovers her new friend stole them out of misguided kindness.