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Story·Jim Burch, age 12 — Eight years after their parents abandon them at an orphanage, Katherine must confront her lingering hope for their return with help from her wise younger sister Lily.

Poetry·Ben Stieren, age 13 — A muskie hunt in Wisconsin waters builds through sensory details until the predator strikes, snapping the fishing line with the lure in its teeth.

Poetry·Gertie-Pearl Zwick-Schachter, age 12 — A drowsy afternoon in a garden becomes a meditation on the sensory pull between nature's beauty and the body's desire for rest.

Poetry·Charlotte Robertson, age 11 — A young poet maps her beloved seaside town through sensory details — from a whale door knocker to turquoise wharfs to sailboats floating like butterflies.

Story·Ayla Schultz, age 11 — A girl whose family is fragmenting befriends her silent cousin by creating a mechanical dancing bird that mirrors the shorebirds they both love.

Story·Kika Kovaleski, age 10 — 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.

Poetry·Richard Ma, age 12 — A basketball player misses shots on a worn court, the ball landing in mud, but persists until finally hearing the satisfying swish.

Story·Jenna Fields, age 13 — 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...

Poetry·Genevieve Jacobs, age 12 — A bearded dragon observes its reflection in terrarium glass, mistaking it for another lizard until the heat lamp clicks off and the illusion vanishes.

Story·Mathilde Fox-Smith, age 11 — A teenage graffiti artist creates stunning murals on abandoned buildings while evading police, forming an unlikely friendship with a politician's daughter who discovers his work.