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Poetry·Rainer Pasca, age 9 — A nine-year-old observes a river scene at an arboretum, recording nature's details while a speedboat disrupts the peaceful meditation of water, birds, and trees.

Story·Ermeen Choudhury, age 12 — A girl forced to move from her beloved bedroom runs into the woods, where blue jays sing a song that helps her understand home is carried in memory.

Poetry·Lulu Priede, age 11 — A child sits on the porch during a thunderstorm, savoring the sensory experience of lightning, rain, and the fresh smell of a summer storm.

Z

Story·Ayla Schultz, age 12 — A lonely rich girl befriends a mysterious park dweller named Z, discovering a hidden community that gathers at night, but Z vanishes with spring's arrival.

Story·Alexandra Plombon, age 12 — An African boy witnesses his mother's sacrifice when colonial soldiers raid their village, discovering that true bravery sometimes means choosing not to fight.

Story·Nina Oliva, age 12 — When villagers capture wolf pups for companionship, a girl who frees one is granted the power to speak to wolves and must negotiate peace between the species.

Poetry·Anne Brandes, age 12 — A girl journeys through fields and past a mill to a windowsill where, with pencil and paper, she begins to write as if the page were a ballroom.

Poetry·Katie Thomas, age 12 — A prose poem captures the joyful chaos of puppies at play, describing them as a single creature of fur, tongues, and wagging tails.

Poetry·Kyle Lotke, age 10 — A child races to watch the sunset, imagining where the sun goes, then becomes the sun sinking into bed while darkness transforms into regenerative sleep.

Story·Edie Koehlert and Chloe Weber — Three young cats journey to find a new home after their dying mother sends them away, guided by their deceased father's cryptic message about believing in possibilities.