adventure

Story·Julia Echternach, age 11 — A girl roller-skating to a reservoir meets Ally, who teaches her to catch frogs and watch for foxes while sharing a philosophy of doing whatever feels right.

Story·Alex Iyker, age 11 — A seven-year-old girl searches for her missing grandfather in a blizzard, guided by her dog to a cave where he lies injured, and brings him home on Christmas Eve.

Story·Cooper Oznowicz, age 12 — A boy from a small Connecticut town experiences his first Yankees game, leaves early during a blowout, then listens to a dramatic comeback attempt on the car radio.

Story·Rebecca Orchard, age 12 — On planet Matia 3, where girls are expected to raise families, Retsina attempts her fourth and final chance to become a Space Cadet, competing against boys in a grueling test.

Story·Meredith Allen, age 12 — Two bored suburban kids venture into the swamp seeking a legendary hermit, encounter an alligator, and are saved by the very man they sought.

Story·Tara Stroll, age 13 — A teenage trapper and his dog get lost in a Canadian blizzard, facing freezing water, injuries, and near-death before finding their way to safety.

Story·Jack Mesich — A mother cheetah hunts to feed her cubs, then saves them from a grass fire sparked by lightning, losing one cub before finding her again.

Story·Fiona Cull, age 11 — A mother cheetah hunts to feed her cubs, then must rescue them from a lightning-sparked grassfire that threatens their den.

Story·Ben Guarino, age 11 — A seven-year-old searching for snakes in his backyard encounters a timber rattlesnake that bites him when he moves too suddenly, leading to hospitalization.

Story·Pace Ellsworth, age 13 — A tiger stalks and kills an antelope, then discovers his cached prey has been disturbed by strange new creatures with vehicles, marking his first encounter with humans.