food

Story·Ralston Frattarola, age 12 — A seventh-grader who loves baking in a family that doesn't understand him proves his worth by making extraordinary brownies that win them over.

Poetry·Devon Mann, age 10 — A sensory celebration of pizza-making and eating, from spinning dough to cheese dripping like lava, capturing each stage through vivid comparisons.

Story·Sabrina Guo, age 11 — A girl reflects on eating chicken in China and at home, connecting the meals to her birth year of the rooster and what traditions mean across cultures.

Story·Alicia Xin, age 12 — A matsutake mushroom narrates its journey from a Tibetan forest where it's harvested by a girl named Tashi, to a New York market, and finally to a new forest home...

Poetry·Molly DellaValla, age 10 — A child observes a busy beach day filled with family chaos, snacks, sandcastles, and the ocean's constant presence, capturing summer's sensory overload.

Poetry·Alice Baumgartner, age 12 — Sensory memories of a Mardi Gras dinner trigger vivid recollections of sounds, tastes, and a game of Truth or Dare on an unseasonably warm February evening.

Story·Zhang He, age 11 — A girl selling oranges at a Chinese market warns customers her fruit is sour, then runs after them to return their change, teaching a lesson about honesty.

Story·Siobhan Ringrose, age 13 — A thirteen-year-old takes her first job picking strawberries, discovering the harsh realities of farm labor alongside workers from many cultures, especially the industrious Mennonites.

Story·Isabel Harding, age 13 — During an autumn storm, forest creatures—a squirrel, owl, fox, mole, and others—struggle for shelter and food, their lives intersecting in a complex web of survival.

Story·Tran Nguyen, age 13 — During a dinner of liver and broccoli, a girl dreams she travels to Depression-era Berlin and wartime Vietnam, witnessing hungry children fighting over scraps.