animals

Story·Trentin Lyle Stalnaker, age 11 — A boy accidentally shoots a squirrel with his BB gun, then desperately tries to save it, confronting his guilt and the reality of what he's done.

Story·Ella McAuliffe, age 13 — A young naturalist's journey from protecting bird nests at four to confronting caged owls in Myanmar, learning hard lessons about nature's cruelty and human intervention.

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·Ella Fasciano, age 13 — A delicate observation of trying to help an injured insect fly again, capturing the fragility of both the creature and the moment of attempted rescue.

Story·Montanna Harling, age 13 — A lonely girl who spends afternoons in the forest rescues a drowning kitten from the river and finds the friend she's been missing.

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.

Poetry·Meghan Waldron, age 13 — A summer evening unfolds through sensory details — grass brushing knees, bats circling overhead, bullfrogs calling goodnight as day turns to twilight.

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.

Poetry·Bethany Duff, age 11 — A meditation on wordless connection between living beings — running with dogs, dancing, holding babies — and how we lose this silent language as we grow older.

Poetry·Katherine Shock, age 12 — Morning light filters through as a girl and her cat share a quiet moment of connection, curling together in the gray-gold dawn.