loss

Personal Narrative·Viviana Perez — A girl says goodbye to her great-grandmother's apartment in Michigan, cataloging memories of family gatherings, walks to the lake, and the feeling of having a family home.

Story·Nate Varga — A lost British soldier stumbles upon a Bedouin camp in the Arabian desert and is led to witness the rare blooming of the Queen of the Night flower, triggering memories...

Story·Emily Chang — A year after accidentally injuring her best friend on a snow day, Anna struggles with loneliness until a wounded bird helps her find a path toward healing and reconnection.

Poetry·Alice Robinson-McVety — A found silver button with a swirl pattern becomes a portal to imagined water, its unknown owner haunting the speaker's meditation on the small, lost object.

Poetry·Enni Harlan — Siblings build a twig house in a clover field after rain, only to find their creation destroyed by gardeners the next day.

Personal Narrative·Maya Hooda, age 10 — A girl mourns her grandmother who ran a bookshop, remembering her generosity to a barefoot child and the patient way she taught her to bake.

Personal Narrative·Noa McCarter, age 8 — After hitting his first double, a boy finds a rare goldfinch feather, loses it, then recovers it days later for his collection.

Personal Narrative·Ia Sofocleous, age 11 — On the last day of fourth grade, a girl says goodbye to her best friend who is moving to Israel, clinging to the promise they'll be pen pals.

Poetry·Sonia Teodorescu, age 13 — Light and shadow, seasons and elements carry memories through abandoned spaces—a house no longer lived in, paths no longer walked, games no longer played.

Story·Ellie Wang, age 9 — A cat named Mayhem creates a magical name-guessing game in a water glass to find a new owner after her beloved human dies, testing each person's true character.