sensory richness

Story·Karen Susanto, age 13 — A fox drinking at a forest pond narrowly escapes a stone thrown by humans, whose intrusion shatters the peaceful sanctuary.

Story·Allison Sargent, age 11 — A Black girl struggles with accepting her natural hair as beautiful while navigating classmates who treat it as exotic and touchable.

Story·Ella Kate Starzyk, age 11 — A girl wakes to find everything turned yellow, discovers she's colorblind, falls into despair, then inexplicably floats into the sky before landing in her mother's arms.

Poetry·Ella Pierce, age 12 — A paddleboarder experiences heightened awareness of nature's details — jumping fish, water droplets, moonlight — finding beauty in imperfection and rhythm.

Story·Raya Ilieva, age 10 — When her parents announce their divorce, twelve-year-old Kate runs away to the beach but realizes she needs her family—even if it's changing.

Story·Jack Meyer, age 13 — Two next-door-neighbor boys share mint chocolate chip ice cream and play video games on a windy spring afternoon, their friendship revealed through accumulated details.

Personal Narrative·Elena Baltz, age 10 — A 10-year-old recounts the day she had to put down Cody, her elderly pet rat, six months after losing his brother Spencer.

Personal Narrative·Arielle Kouyoumdjian, age 13 — A 13-year-old visits an indigenous village in Ecuador's jungle and confronts the stark contrasts between their sustainable lifestyle and American consumption.

Personal Narrative·Lydia Taylor, age 13 — A family camping trip to Yellowstone becomes a magical adventure as siblings explore forests, witness the Grand Prismatic Spring, and create their own riverside kingdom.

Story·Bo-Violet Vig, age 13 — A girl who knows every corner of her beloved childhood home must move across the country, discovering that home is defined by the people you love, not the house itself.