friendship

Story·Claire Rinterknecht, age 12 — A grieving girl finds solace climbing her oak tree and discovers unexpected connection when a new teacher arrives who values her love of words.

Story·Sophia Gallegos, age 13 — A girl dreams of descending through ocean layers to encounter a mysterious jellyfish, then wakes to ordinary life while harboring her grandfather's secret journal of undiscovered sea creatures.

Story·Audrey Nelson, age 13 — A basketball player reflects on how the game remains constant from third grade through high school, despite physical changes and growing skill.

Story·Evelyn Fitzpatrick, age 11 — When her best friend announces she's moving to Korea in two days, a girl's anger gives way to understanding that true friendship can survive any distance.

Story·Catherine Chung, age 12 — A young traveler boards a Beijing-to-Shenzhen train, befriends a three-year-old girl named Yang Han, sketches her portrait, and reflects on connection across the journey.

Story·Tyler Leiderman, age 11 — A boy spends a final day at the beach with his best friend who is moving to Israel, remembering their years of friendship and facing the pain of goodbye.

Poetry·Brooklyn Jeffcoat, age 12 — A young person captures the intensity of friendship through sensory snapshots — ice cream sweetness, rushing downstairs, laughing until breathless, then returning to solitude.

Story·Fiona Mulley, age 13 — A young actress playing Marmee in Little Women draws on her longing for her best friend who moved away to deliver a powerful performance on opening night.

Story·Kaidince Edwards, age 12 — A girl's dare to microwave a plastic fork at school coincides with an unrelated oven explosion, leading to evacuation and her eventual confession to the principal.

Story·Brian Qi, age 10 — A shy girl dreads her first rock-and-roll class until she discovers her best friend is there, transforming her terror into joy.