humor

Poetry·Connor Kiggins, age 12 — A 12-year-old rails against school as an 'American monarchy' where teachers are dukes, principals are kings, and students are powerless peasants denied basic freedoms.

Personal Narrative·Claire Pan, age 11 — An eight-year-old navigates her first solo bus ride, ice-skating camp, and the small victories of a shy kid finding courage in new experiences.

Story·Ellie Wang, age 9 — A cat named Mayhem creates a magical name-guessing game in a water glass to find a new owner after her beloved human dies, testing each person's true character.

Story·Zoe Kijak, age 11 — A girl who never backs down from a challenge breaks her arm climbing the neighborhood's tallest tree during a game of Truth or Dare she wasn't supposed to play.

Personal Narrative·Roy Kim, age 13 — A boy shoots an arrow into the sky during a bow-making activity, gets it stuck in a tree, and learns to think before acting through elaborate attempts to retrieve it.

Personal Narrative·Ava Cai, age 12 — A restless student escapes her classroom during reading time, only to accidentally enter the wrong room on her return, finding unfamiliar older students staring at her.

Personal Narrative·Sonia Teodorescu, age 13 — A girl labeled 'alien' by her friend for her waterproof hair and quirks observes the equally strange behaviors of everyone around her at what seems to be a summer camp.

Personal Narrative·Jack Moody, age 10 — A peacock appears on a suburban Virginia roof, struts like it owns the place, calls to another peacock in the yard, then flies away.

Personal Narrative·Billie Brown, age 12 — A young aspiring animal rescuer brings home a worm that dies overnight, teaching her that wild creatures belong in their natural habitats, not bedrooms.

Story·Annabelle Vaughan, age 9 — A girl who saved a cat finds herself followed by street cats everywhere, leading to chaos when she tries to help them make her mother happy so they won't have...