animals

Poetry·Blythe Davis, age 9 — A child observes how her cat's contented tiredness differs from human exhaustion and imagines a world where we could all be tired in that peaceful, satisfied way.

Story·Eileen Yoo, age 12 — A girl follows a mysterious fox with blue eyes through the forest at midnight to discover a magical meadow where animals can communicate.

Story·Juli Hiramatsu, age 11 — A spotless leopard breaks her promise not to eat monkeys, gains spots as punishment, and must apologize to her friend to restore both her fur and friendship.

Story·Miya Lin, age 10 — A girl reads about a catnapped cat in the newspaper, then sneaks out at night to search for and successfully reunite the missing cat with its owner.

Poetry·Rex Huang, age 11 — A nature poem moves through seasons and small dramas — a cat-mouse chase, beavers splashing, a robin's descent — to reveal nature's hidden language.

Poetry·Sevi Ann Stahl, age 10 — A dog named Roo races through a yard in ecstatic motion, turning corners, leaping, and becoming pure joy before skidding to a stop.

Story·Leo Roiphe, age 12 — A boy picking berries transforms into a squirrel and encounters a starving fox, gaining new understanding of nature's harsh realities through their shared moment.

Personal Narrative·Elise Cheung, age 8 — A girl visits Taiwan's Houtong Cat Village, where villagers care for hundreds of stray cats, and forms a special connection with a hungry orange tabby kitten.

Personal Narrative·Augusta Koch-Cochrane, age 12 — A nervous rider at a Halloween Horse Show discovers that personal accomplishment and encouraging others matters more than winning first place.

Story·Ellie Wang, age 9 — A cat named Mayhem creates a magical name-guessing game in a water glass to find a new owner after her beloved human dies, testing each person's true character.