memory
— A girl receives her art school acceptance letter and struggles with leaving her mother and younger sister, ultimately deciding to pursue her dream after her sister's encouragement.
— A girl escapes to a secret garden after fighting with her mother, where memories of visiting the same garden as a child help her find forgiveness.
— 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 girl remembers her terror at starting preschool as she prepares to leave for college, finding her mother crying on her bed in a reversal of their old roles.
— 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 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.
— After three years in Texas, a girl returns to North Carolina expecting everything unchanged, but discovers both she and her childhood friends have transformed while their bond endures.