identity

Story·Eliana Schaffer, age 11 — A girl who believes she is perfect discovers emptiness within herself when her teacher sends her home, triggering her first tears and the beginning of real growth.

Story·Lia Taylor, age 12 — A prince sent to find a bride falls for her brother instead, leading them to flee their kingdoms and establish a new land where love can flourish freely.

Story·Sabrina Guo, age 12 — A young violinist tours China with the Joyous String Ensemble, performing alongside master musicians while discovering how music can literally save lives and connect memories across time and place.

Story·Aditya Singh, age 12 — Five vignettes explore identity through hands, chess defeat, a berry tree, a letter to younger self, and meditation on the narrator's name.

Story·Julia Li, age 12 — A girl feels like an alien at school, invisible until classmates realize her father is rich, then suddenly everyone wants to help her.

Poetry·Olivia Cadham, age 11 — A young person explores their fluid identity through the lens of being a girl, boy, or dragon on different days, ultimately choosing to be themselves.

Poetry·Anna Calegari, age 12 — A speaker sees herself as a monochrome old photograph in the mirror, noting only pink shoelaces and purple under-eye bags break the grayscale of her reflection.

Story·Valentine Wulf, age 12 — A teenage inventor's basement startup becomes a global corporation that destroys the environment and exploits workers while maintaining public support through clever marketing and the slogan 'for the greater good.'

Poetry·Kathleen Werth, age 8 — A young writer explores identity through an 'I AM' poem format, weaving together dreams of unicorns, talking dogs, and the worry of dying too soon.

Story·Kyra Yip, age 11 — A girl with severe food allergies navigates birthday parties, medical emergencies, and social awkwardness, ultimately finding strength in her difference rather than shame.