pets

Story·Madaline Klassen — A farming couple who despise cats accidentally bring home two from the shelter, then discover the resulting litter makes perfect garden tillers.

Story·Giles Trim — A cat narrates its elaborate escape from being taken to the vet, until it accidentally speaks English and shocks its humans into submission.

Story·Ayla Fardin — An eleven-year-old Ukrainian girl navigates daily life during wartime, discovering her family lacks funds to evacuate while finding small ways to bring hope.

Personal Narrative·Mia Xu — A girl who missed last year's snow savors an early morning walk with her dog through fresh snowfall, reflecting on how scarcity makes things precious.

Personal Narrative·Iwan Lee — A child recalls the surprise trip to the airport to pick up their new puppy, Yoda, arriving from Korea on Halloween day.

Story·Ava Jamieson — A girl finds a dying kitten in the snow and her veterinary-student sister saves it, bringing the sisters closer after growing apart.

Poetry·Blythe Davis, age 9 — A child observes how her cat's contented tiredness differs from human exhaustion and imagines a world where we could all be tired in that peaceful, satisfied way.

Story·Miya Lin, age 10 — A girl reads about a catnapped cat in the newspaper, then sneaks out at night to search for and successfully reunite the missing cat with its owner.

Poetry·Sevi Ann Stahl, age 10 — A dog named Roo races through a yard in ecstatic motion, turning corners, leaping, and becoming pure joy before skidding to a stop.

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.