loss
— A young immigrant mourns leaving Côte d'Ivoire, listing beloved foods, peoples, places, and memories of a father who called her 'cherie.'
— A boy recalls his friendship with Fraser through their shared obsession with Warhead candies, from second grade competitions to Fraser's move back to Australia.
— A girl recalls her last perfect day with her grandfather in Michigan, discovering a secret pond they called the Animal Kingdom, before he died of cancer months later.
— A shy girl visits a special oak tree at night where the ghost of her friend appears to tell her a cautionary tale about finding her voice.
— A grieving teenager from New Jersey struggles to adjust to life with her aunt in Alabama until a chance encounter at a lighthouse during a storm offers unexpected comfort.
— A girl traces her understanding of the Iraq War through three encounters: her aunt's photos, a returned care package marked DECEASED, and her grandmother holding a soldier's boots.
— 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...
— A girl searches for the perfect apple in her grandfather's orchard, remembering her grandmother who died last year, and discovers a new way forward through shared grief.
— A twelve-year-old girl, alone in an empty house after her father left, discovers that writing poetry can be its own form of comfort when traditional lullabies are gone.
— A granddaughter remembers intimate morning rituals with her grandmother—hot water, waffles, hair combing—and wishes she could share her grown self with the woman who died too soon.