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Story·Evelyn Mealer, age 9 — A gymnast who loses her love for the sport after her favorite coach retires discovers she's a talented runner and makes it to the Olympic trials.

Personal Narrative·Lila Carpenter, age 11 — A girl struggles with anger and sadness as she helps her sister move into a college apartment in Bar Harbor, finding clarity by the ocean.

Poetry·Avery DiBella, age 10 — Snow falls like a skydiver, melts like ice cream, disappears like a sad song, but promises to return in winter.

Story·Michelle Byers, age 13 — During COVID lockdown, a mother and son each make wishes on matching copper bracelets that transport them through time, teaching them what they've taken for granted.

Poetry·Avery Lakomy, age 12 — A young poet questions why we divide the world into regions when their eyes see only one unified place where all people belong together.

Poetry·Sofie Dardzinski, age 9 — A young philosopher contemplates time's mysterious nature — how it stretches through space, moves at different speeds, and ultimately asks what we do with it.

Story·Raya Ilieva, age 10 — Two best friends in a small Florida town face their first real conflict when Oscar starts hanging out with the popular boys instead of taking their daily walks together.

Poetry·Sim Ling Thee, age 13 — A thirteen-year-old discovers her first white hair and spirals through denial, envy, and fear before finding acceptance and a renewed sense of purpose.

Story·Steven Cavros, age 9 — In future Orlando sewers, sentient creatures made from garbage attempt to form a government, leading to chaos, tyranny, and one night of freedom above ground.

Poetry·Suhani Pandya, age 12 — A girl questions the restrictions placed on her body and freedom—bound feet, hidden face, denied education—ultimately rejecting beauty that consumes a life.