parents

Story·Lila C. Kassouf, age 12 — A girl obsessed with solving bank robberies discovers her mother's hidden past when she finds old letters from her estranged poet aunt.

Poetry·Enni Harlan, age 13 — A father and daughter discover a dead bird at dusk and create an impromptu funeral with autumn leaves, watching as wind carries both leaves and spirit away.

Story·Zahra Batteh, age 10 — A spoiled rich man loses everything when his parents die, struggles to find work, and eventually creates a program to help homeless people become rideshare drivers.

Poetry·Alyssa Wu, age 13 — While her mother is sick, a daughter seizes the chance to cook in the usually forbidden kitchen, making pizza with nervous care as a surprise.

Story·Raya Ilieva, age 10 — When her parents announce their divorce, twelve-year-old Kate runs away to the beach but realizes she needs her family—even if it's changing.

Poetry·Audra Sanford, age 8 — A child recalls the warmth and safety of being held by their mother in their earliest memory, describing it as their happiest moment.

Story·Audrey Young, age 11 — A physically timid girl who has failed at every sport finally learns to ride a bike, discovering freedom and confidence in the process.

Personal Narrative·Alina Khilchenko, age 11 — A girl's excitement about becoming a big sister turns to grief when her mother miscarries, teaching her about loss and the fragility of hope.

Story·Sydney Burr, age 13 — A girl waits in a sweltering car while her mother fights with broken gas pumps, her stream-of-consciousness revealing the death of her brother Joel and her parents' bitter divorce.

Story·Jamison Freis, age 12 — A boy gets a dog his mother hates. After the mother repeatedly tries to abandon the dog, it saves her from a mugger, changing her heart.