nature

Story·Emma Watson, age 13 — A girl covets a gold necklace at a shop but finds greater beauty in a silver flower from her backyard that transforms her reflection into something magical.

Story·Emily Boring, age 13 — A teenage girl reflects on her brother's autism during a family lake trip, discovering that their imperfect family's joy matters more than being 'normal.'

Poetry·Laura Dzubay, age 11 — A father and daughter play frisbee at sunset, their throws and catches becoming a wordless conversation of connection and understanding.

Story·Hugh Cole, age 12 — A girl in coastal Maine discovers a ferret she names Rumor at an abandoned lighthouse and saves it from a hawk, forming a brief connection before it disappears.

Poetry·Levi Crossley, age 12 — A morning farm routine becomes a meditation on familiar rituals, from feeding cattle to picking the season's first buttercup.

Poetry·Isabel Sutter, age 13 — A girl climbs her backyard oak tree and finds a moment of transcendent joy where all worries dissolve into the beauty of sky and wind.

Poetry·Mara Schiffhauer, age 12 — A plant watches a baby being celebrated for growing, then remembers its own unwitnessed growth from seed to tree, reaching skyward with equal pride.

Story·Anna J. Mickle, age 12 — A girl finds comfort in Green Lake, moving from cliff to water to cabin, observing nature's details and remembering boat rides with her brother.

Story·Noa Wang, age 11 — A girl gets lost in the forest at dusk and follows a mysterious great horned owl through the darkness back to her parents' campsite.

Poetry·Kayla Walsh, age 13 — A young writer celebrates the simple pleasures of a family camp by a lake—sailboats, loons, hammocks, and the feeling of being protected from the world.