fear

Story·Julian March, age 12 — A boy showing off in an old boat gets swept downriver at night, then ingeniously lassos a giant snapping turtle to pull him to shore at dawn.

Story·Lauren Tompkins, age 11 — An eleven-year-old volunteers at an animal shelter, saves kittens from a fire started by another volunteer, and earns a shy tabby named Trust.

Story·Preston Craig, age 10 — A girl who believes she's bad at everything discovers kayaking, overcomes her fear after tipping over, and places second in a race.

Poetry·Hudson Jetton, age 12 — In overtime's golden goal moment, a young soccer player faces a penalty kick, feeling the pressure mount before making the winning shot.

Story·Olivia Grugan, age 13 — A teenage girl recounts the day her family's beloved pond became the site of tragedy when a six-year-old Amish boy drowned during a gathering.

Story·Marian Homans-Turnbull, age 13 — A girl's last morning on a Nova Scotia island turns into a fog-bound adventure when their boat gets lost, leading to an unexpected sail on a schooner.

Story·Julia Duchesne, age 13 — A boy discovers his natural rock-climbing talent during a family vacation, then faces his first real test when his sister's life hangs in the balance on a Greek cliff.

Story·Casey Tolan, age 11 — A young thief steals a sacred necklace to pay for his father's doctor, but when an innocent girl faces execution for his crime, he must choose between saving her life...

Story·Natania Field, age 13 — A volunteer firefighter rescues a boy from a burning house, reliving memories of being saved from a fire by his sister years earlier.

Story·Zaki Moustafa, age 13 — A fourteen-year-old Confederate soldier marches through dawn fog to ambush a Union camp, then confronts the horror of killing boys his own age.