growing up
— A thirteen-year-old realizes his best friend and sister are falling for each other during a boat trip to a diner, then bikes to a neighbor's house seeking new friendship.
— A girl discovers her passion for racing horses, wins local competitions with her horse Cherish, but during a crucial race, Cherish breaks her leg on a shortcut, ending both their...
— After three years in Texas, a girl returns to North Carolina expecting everything unchanged, but discovers both she and her childhood friends have transformed while their bond endures.
— Two cousins bond over strawberry picking games after the older brother dismisses them, discovering their own friendship beyond the shadow of the eldest.
— A thirteen-year-old experiences her first family Ski Day tradition, culminating in the discovery of a candlelit ice rink hidden in the wilderness under a diamond-bright winter sky.
— Two best friends drift apart when one becomes popular in seventh grade, but reconnect at a summer party where apologies and a leap into the lake restore their bond.
— On the last day of eighth grade, seven best friends release a balloon with a wish to stay friends forever, as they face separation for high school.
— Two childhood friends are separated when their families move to different states, then reunite by chance years later at college in Chicago.
— A boy promises his injured grandfather he'll win the 400-meter dash, the same race that ended his grandfather's track career decades earlier.
— A young Egyptian girl yearns to help build Pharaoh Cheops' pyramid while managing household duties and missing her parents, who return unexpectedly at story's end.