adventure

Story·Josiah Ney, age 13 — A boy stands at the edge of a cliff, gathering courage to jump into the river below, then leaps and experiences the exhilarating plunge into cool water.

Story·Kyle Trefny, age 11 — A boy joins his marine biologist father on a rescue mission to free a bottlenose dolphin trapped in fishing nets fourteen miles off the California coast.

Story·Tatum Schutt, age 12 — A girl searching for something special in her life discovers a perfect miniature house by a stream in the woods, but must leave before exploring it.

Story·Emma Caroline Duncan, age 11 — A mute girl in southern Africa discovers the feared Jago bird that terrorizes her village is protecting its silent chicks, finding her own voice through their connection.

Story·Isabella Widrow, age 12 — A family drives through rain to hunt chanterelles in the Pacific Northwest woods, finding twenty pounds after initial frustration and cold searching.

Story·Shyla DeLand, age 13 — A girl investigates a mysterious scream and white shape in the woods, leading her to reconcile with her best friend and discover a snowy owl.

Story·Nikitha Raju, age 11 — During a storm in Revolutionary War-era America, a girl defies her mother to fetch a doctor for her sick baby brother, evading horse thieves along the way.

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.

Story·Aiwen L. Desai, age 12 — A girl searching for an elusive albino mare on her family's ranch is swept away by a flooded river, then rescued by the wild horse band she sought.

Story·Alex Perry, age 9 — A young skier investigating dark puddles in cracked ice falls through and fights to survive, his life flashing before him as he struggles toward the surface.