family

Story·Brennan Cameron, age 10 — After a fire destroys their farm's crops and orchard, Oscar must decide whether to sell his beloved foal Rose to help his family survive the winter.

Personal Narrative·Happiness Neema, age 11 — A refugee girl from Tanzania navigates teasing about her weekly hairstyle at her Chicago school, finding resilience through friends' support and creative problem-solving.

Poetry·Cora Burch, age 13 — A teen searches Craigslist for a bike with a diagonal bar that defies gender categories, settling on one labeled 'women's' despite their preferences.

Story·Ariana Kralicek, age 12 — Swifty navigates hip-hop classes, failed auditions, a new baby brother, and friendship drama while discovering drums and cutting her hair for charity.

Personal Narrative·Rubina Davila, age 13 — A visit to a family's longtime East Los Angeles bakery triggers memories spanning generations, from the writer's great-grandfather to present-day holiday gatherings.

Story·Anonymous — A hungry five-year-old boy unknowingly reports his parents for treason to a dystopian government in exchange for candy, not understanding what he's done.

Story·Lila C. Kassouf, age 12 — A girl obsessed with solving bank robberies discovers her mother's hidden past when she finds old letters from her estranged poet aunt.

Poetry·Enni Harlan, age 13 — A father and daughter discover a dead bird at dusk and create an impromptu funeral with autumn leaves, watching as wind carries both leaves and spirit away.

Story·Allison Sargent, age 11 — A Black girl struggles with accepting her natural hair as beautiful while navigating classmates who treat it as exotic and touchable.

Story·Ella Kate Starzyk, age 11 — A girl wakes to find everything turned yellow, discovers she's colorblind, falls into despair, then inexplicably floats into the sky before landing in her mother's arms.