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Story·Erin Cadora, age 11 — After her father's death, a girl moves repeatedly with her family until discovering abandoned baby mice in their new backyard gives her purpose and healing.

Story·Iona Swift, age 12 — After losing a theater role, a girl flees to a creek where nature's calm gradually soothes her devastation and helps her find peace.

Story·Timmi Ruth Kline, age 11 — 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.

Story·Isabel Sutter, age 12 — Two sisters race across neighboring lawns, the older rediscovering the pure joy of running barefoot through grass on a summer day.

Story·Dylan J. Sauder, age 13 — A boy hiding in an abandoned Paris theatre discovers ghostly musicians are his mother's orchestra, leading him to his grandfather, the famous conductor Alexandre Mierceles.

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·Lizzy Teerlink, age 13 — A young boy in 1950s Chicago waits for Christmas morning when a reindeer mysteriously enters his bedroom, leaving him with a magical encounter he'll never forget.

Story·Kia Okuma, age 12 — A young opera-goer finds transcendence not in the spectacle but in the music itself, which becomes a force that balances and sustains her between performances.

Story·Emma Dudley, age 13 — A boy living in a North Carolina trailer park befriends a wealthy newcomer who moves into his childhood home, forcing him to confront his past and find belonging.

Story·Amanda Valdovinos, age 13 — A girl walks through her empty childhood home one last time before moving, finding comfort in her old cat who shares her reluctance to leave.