childhood
— A thirteen-year-old explores memory and perception through four vignettes: coffee grounds and bird eggs, violin practice, shower wall patterns, and a childhood dream of walking on eggs.
— A boy recounts the discovery and surgical removal of a skull tumor when he was a baby, emphasizing his family's faith and the lasting impact on his life.
— After her best friend moves to Switzerland, an eight-year-old girl struggles with loneliness at school and finds solace in their Skype conversations, though nothing feels the same.
— A girl recalls being praised as 'a little angel' throughout childhood, while her mother's poetry quotation hints at the impermanence of such perfection.
— Beverly Henderson, orphaned in 1950s Idaho, befriends a raccoon named Bandit who later betrays her, causing an explosion that kills her father and leaves her in a 13-year coma.
— A boy reflects on the tree outside his old bedroom window—his silent companion through childhood frustrations—and its loss in a hurricane, while settling into a new room with a new...
— In a climate-ravaged future, an old person who preserved each season in jars watches a child accidentally break one, releasing spring back into the world.
— A young person explores their fluid identity through the lens of being a girl, boy, or dragon on different days, ultimately choosing to be themselves.
— A LAX airport barista who watches travelers daily saves a child's lost teddy bear and reunites them a month later, receiving no tip but witnessing their joy.
— A young writer explores identity through an 'I AM' poem format, weaving together dreams of unicorns, talking dogs, and the worry of dying too soon.