friendship

Story·Hannah Scarborough, age 10 — When her best friend moves away, a girl who loves marine biology finds unexpected comfort in yellow daffodils floating in the ocean.

Story·Emmy J. X. Wong, age 12 — A seventh-grader with a lifelong crush on her neighbor plans to reveal her feelings at the Valentine's dance, but gets the flu and misses it—until a midnight mailbox exchange changes...

Poetry·Devorah Malka Reisner, age 12 — A new student sits alone watching unfamiliar faces until a red-haired girl's kind note transforms isolation into the beginning of friendship.

Story·Katie Mercer-Taylor, age 13 — Two girls meet at a mountain overlook on Anne's last day before moving to California, sharing a moment of understanding about their respective losses and transitions.

Story·Kaija Warner, age 13 — A boy travels back to 1908 where a mysterious girl helps him return to his own time, only to discover she died the day after they met.

Story·Olivia Smit, age 12 — A night watchman rescues a black stallion named Tear Drop from drowning at sea, forming a bond that survives separation and mistreatment before their eventual reunion.

Story·Emi Cohen, age 10 — A young writer struggles with creative block, trying every genre and filling candy wrappers with unfinished stories, until she discovers the solution is to write about her own experience.

Story·Julia Condon, age 13 — A middle schooler abandons her best friend for popularity, falls for a cruel prank at a party, and discovers where she truly belongs.

Story·Jack Taitel, age 10 — A boy transforms his backyard into an epic racetrack where he finally defeats his rival, the 'Dashing Devil,' in an imagined footrace through fall leaves and mud.

Story·Jordan Coble, age 13 — A teenage girl moves to a California cottage and befriends her reclusive neighbor, discovering the woman's tragic past and learning not to judge by appearances.