animals

Poetry·Autumn E. Weinreich, age 6 — A young child's rhythmic plea to a new cat, asking it to be their companion and dubbing it 'The Tuna Cat' with playful repetition.

Story·Lily Yagi, age 11 — A dog named Chocolate wakes up abandoned, searches for her owner through city and forest, becomes leader of a wolf pack, then finds her way home after 49 days.

Story·Lydia Young, age 11 — Four friends venture through Star Forest to save the Tree of Life from the Eternal Cloud of Doom, discovering Mother Nature needs help protecting the environment.

Personal Narrative·Caden Wang, age 12 — Four brief meditations capture moments in different outdoor spaces — a forest path, tennis court, porch, and window view — through precise sensory observation.

Story·T. Max Crowe, age 12 — A lonely man in ancient Greece trades his dog to a god to resurrect his dead son, but Hades punishes him for breaking the laws of death.

Poetry·Peter Shuster-Raizberg, age 7 — A young poet observes the ocean's mysteries—fish, sharks, treasure—while lamenting that its population is disappearing.

Personal Narrative·Jack Moody, age 10 — A peacock appears on a suburban Virginia roof, struts like it owns the place, calls to another peacock in the yard, then flies away.

Personal Narrative·Billie Brown, age 12 — A young aspiring animal rescuer brings home a worm that dies overnight, teaching her that wild creatures belong in their natural habitats, not bedrooms.

Story·Lucia Osborn-Stocker, age 12 — A lonely guard dragon, hardened by years of servitude, finds unexpected companionship when a starving fox pup steals food and curls up beside him for warmth.

Story·Fiona Clare Altschuler, age 11 — Poor mouse twins receive a visit from the wealthy royal family, whose scorn prompts their mother to declare she's richer in joy than they are in gold.