loneliness

Story·Alexa Chiang, age 11 — After her best friend moves to Switzerland, an eight-year-old girl struggles with loneliness at school and finds solace in their Skype conversations, though nothing feels the same.

Story·Jamison Freis, age 12 — Beverly Henderson, orphaned in 1950s Idaho, befriends a raccoon named Bandit who later betrays her, causing an explosion that kills her father and leaves her in a 13-year coma.

Personal Narrative·Ugochinyere Agbaeze, age 11 — A girl waits alone in the rain when her mother doesn't meet her at the bus stop, remembering past loneliness and finding comfort when her siblings arrive.

Poetry·Mazzi Maycotte, age 10 — A tree enjoys the rain but feels lonely when no children come out to play, wishing it could walk and talk like humans.

Poetry·Mazzi Maycotte, age 10 — A child crosses rivers, lakes, and mountains to reach school, only to be invisible in the classroom—unseen, unheard, like a ghost.

Story·Aoife O'Connell, age 11 — A homeless orphan girl in Paris meets a mysterious old woman who turns out to be a pirate captain, and after stealing her ring, is invited to join the crew.

Poetry·Rhône Galchen, age 11 — A solitary figure contemplates a metaphorical mountain that blocks their path, yearning for waves of change while trapped between states of black and white.

Story·Salena Tang, age 13 — A girl with synesthesia who tastes words and memorizes dictionaries finds connection through a spelling bee competition, transforming from isolated to confident.

Story·Una Dorr, age 12 — After moving to Brooklyn, Kiera finally achieves popularity but must choose between her new friends and Claudia, who wears the same Hello Kitty shirt Kiera once loved.

Story·Isabel Swain, age 12 — A girl awaits her mother's return for a crucial school interview, only to learn her mother is hospitalized and she'll enter foster care.