adventure

Poetry·Benjamin Firsick, age 11 — A boy raking leaves watches migrating birds, imagining one small bird who flies the opposite way eventually saves the flock from hawks in Costa Rica.

Story·Alexis Colleen Hosticka, age 12 — A father and son hiking trip turns dangerous when an avalanche strikes, and a mysterious deer saves the boy's life by warming his unconscious body.

Story·Caroline Thomas, age 12 — A Blue Heeler named Patches patrols her Texas ranch, herding horses, chasing cars, and protecting her territory until pride lands her in the pool.

Story·Anna Hirtes, age 9 — An orphan girl named Shelly encounters a unicorn in the Magic Forest who saves her from a snake bite, then meets her identical twin Elizabeth.

Story·Colin Johnson, age 13 — A young surfer struggles with aggressive locals at Trestles surf break, learns the unspoken rules of lineup hierarchy, and finally earns respect by catching a twelve-foot wave.

Story·Samantha Lai, age 10 — A slave girl named Min-Li discovers she is a Guardian of the Phoenix when a magical bird rescues her and reveals her destiny to heal villages.

Story·Adam Jacobs, age 11 — Two friends' argument over building an Alamo versus medieval snow fort escalates into a snowball fight, ending when a snowplow buries one boy and they reconcile.

Story·Casey Tolan, age 13 — During a blizzard, a boy herding sheep on his uncle's poor farm rescues a nobleman trapped under a fallen stone at Stonehenge, potentially saving the family's fortunes.

Story·Hayley Jones, age 10 — A jockey races her horse Rose for the last time before retirement, losing a stirrup mid-race but recovering to win by a nose against rival Angel.

Story·Talitha Farschman, age 12 — A noble lady disguises herself as a foreign prince and wins three contests to free her husband from the king's dungeon after he boasted of her beauty.