memory

Poetry·Elisabeth Martin, age 13 — A poem traces the cycle of grief from fresh loss through fading memory to sudden, sharp remembrance that brings the pain flooding back.

Story·Emily Knopf, age 13 — A thirteen-year-old girl remembers her brother's journey from playful teenager to soldier while processing the news that he's missing in action in Afghanistan.

Poetry·Theo Taplitz, age 10 — A boat journey brings memories of a grandfather as dolphins appear, blending present observation with past experiences on the water.

Story·Marina Stevenson, age 12 — A girl visits her grandmother with Alzheimer's at a retirement home, grapples with a missing wedding ring, and finds peace when her grandmother hears angels singing.

Poetry·Ella Biehn, age 12 — A child recalls dancing in autumn leaves before moving south, where a photograph preserves what geography has taken away.

Story·Jim Burch, age 12 — Eight years after their parents abandon them at an orphanage, Katherine must confront her lingering hope for their return with help from her wise younger sister Lily.

Poetry·Hannah Dastgheib, age 11 — A child falls into autumn leaves and experiences a sensory rush of memories, scents, and sounds that blur into a single moment of seasonal joy.

Story·Ella McAuliffe, age 13 — A young naturalist's journey from protecting bird nests at four to confronting caged owls in Myanmar, learning hard lessons about nature's cruelty and human intervention.

Story·Sonia Carroll, age 12 — A Mexican-American girl learns to celebrate rather than mourn her grandmother's death during Día de los Muertos, finding her spirit in a monarch butterfly.

Story·Luke Brolsma, age 13 — A thirteen-year-old watches younger kids playing Star Wars in a park, triggering memories of his own carefree childhood games with friends and his hero brother.