animals

Story·Hannah Ogden, age 13 — During a fierce Irish storm, Emma ventures into the woods to find her lost sheep and encounters a fairy ring of dancing leprechauns who help her home in exchange for...

Story·Emily Stevens, age 13 — A girl searches desperately for her beloved lesson horse Judah after he's retired without warning, finally finding him at a distant stable.

Poetry·Abraham Lawrence, age 12 — A boy contrasts the metaphorical fog of human deceit with the real fog of his countryside home, finding paradise in nature's simple peace.

Story·Carrie Merhout, age 10 — A lonely ranch girl discovers a stray silver cat in the barn, secretly feeds it, and eventually adopts it when the cat needs help giving birth to kittens.

Story·Evelyn Chen, age 12 — Two cousins at a beach house share the same drowning nightmare, then follow a mysterious voice to rescue a seal trapped in a fishing net.

Story·Eleanor M. Polak, age 11 — After her parents' death, Sarah moves from her strict aunt's house to live with elderly strangers in the country, finding unexpected warmth and belonging.

Poetry·Celie Kreilkamp, age 11 — A girl chases chickens away from an outdoor dinner, then later visits them in their coop, stroking them as they settle for sleep.

Story·Sophie Eisenberg-Edidin, age 13 — A ten-year-old girl struggles to reconnect with her father when he returns from World War II, discovering both his trauma and their shared memories at the chicken coop.

Story·Lena Boesser-Koschmann, age 11 — A girl encounters a bear while riding her pony, watches in horror as a neighbor shoots it, and struggles with anger and grief over the senseless killing.

Story·Diane Duboise, age 11 — A Navajo boarding school student is haunted by visions of an angry gorilla until a traditional medicine man reveals the source and performs a healing ceremony.