loss

Story·Becky Shafer, age 13 — After surviving a plane crash, a boy struggles with trauma while his friend's family hobby store faces closure, both learning to face uncertain futures.

Story·Rosalie Schulick, age 13 — A six-year-old girl hatches a duckling from an abandoned egg, raises it as her best friend, then learns to let it return to its wild family at the pond.

Story·Emma A. Lunbeck, age 12 — A city girl discovers freedom and friendship with wild-haired Robbie during a brief stay in the country, then must leave him behind.

Poetry·Zoe Paschkis, age 12 — A poem explores the power of words to destroy friendship and the deeper power needed to repair it through forgiveness.

Story·Chappell Sargent, age 10 — From a peach tree, a girl watches her sister ride and remembers her own horse Bosa, sold years ago, recalling their stubborn bond and the day they parted.

Story·Sarah Shissler, age 12 — A writer recalls her first trip to Alaska ten years ago, where she befriended a pack of wolves—Lakota, Pike, and Kepa—and witnessed their struggles to survive through a brutal winter.

Story·Kirsten Moon, age 13 — A girl visits her mother's grave before moving across the country, bringing roses and struggling to say goodbye until a mysterious breeze brings comfort.

Story·Clara Elizabeth Lind — A girl watches her sister ride horses while remembering her own beloved mare Bosa, sold years ago, and the adventures they shared together.

Story·Allison Stadd, age 12 — A girl struggling with writer's block finds inspiration in memories of her late father and writes through the night, discovering she's already won by making the effort.

Story·Kristen Martin, age 12 — A girl misses her best friend who moved to England three years ago, fights with her parents about visiting, then learns patience when her father suggests a family trip.