animals

Story·Talia Tarason — A girl forbidden from hunting defies her clan's rules to track a dangerous saber-tooth cat during a famine, learning to control her temper and share glory.

Story·Madaline Klassen — A farming couple who despise cats accidentally bring home two from the shelter, then discover the resulting litter makes perfect garden tillers.

Poetry·Marilena Korahais — A whimsical recipe poem for making soup from bay water, moon snail shells, urchin spikes, and other seaside ingredients, stirred into a whirlpool under August lightning.

Story·Autumn E. Weinreich — A hermit crab named Kermit faces school bullies, challenges them to an exoball game, and wins by riding on opponents' shells, transforming his social status.

Story·Felicia Johnson — A young elf girl discovers she can communicate with dragons and learns the kingdom's 'dragon attacks' are actually humans attacking dragons, becoming the prophesied Dragon Charmer.

Personal Narrative·Clementine Lewis — A young swimmer discovers the underwater world of a Bermuda coral reef, encountering a parrotfish that transforms her understanding of the ocean.

Poetry·Nirali Yedendra — A young writer explores consciousness, emotions, and human existence through a stream-of-consciousness meditation on the brain's power to liberate us through thought and speech.

Poetry·Clarie Pierce — A rock on the beach narrates what it has witnessed over ages — seagulls, tides, weddings, sunsets — and invites readers to make memories it will keep safe.

Story·Giles Trim — A cat narrates its elaborate escape from being taken to the vet, until it accidentally speaks English and shocks its humans into submission.

Story·Jubilee Sung — A bored 12-year-old builds a time machine from trash, travels to ancient Alexandria with her talking cat, and must convince Julius Caesar not to burn the library to save human...