school

Story·Lucy Strother, age 9 — A tall, insecure fifteen-year-old faces pressure to cheat on a state test from a classmate, but finds courage through her childhood teddy bear to do the right thing.

Story·Lisa R. Neher, age 13 — A nervous girl drives to her school play audition, battles stage fright, performs her monologue, and finds relief in having tried her best.

Story·Annika Thomas, age 11 — A shy girl misreads a sentence that spans two pages, creating classroom tension until a classmate secretly helps her discover the missing words.

Story·Ann Pedtke, age 12 — A Tae Kwon Do student struggles with self-doubt while attempting to break her first board, finally succeeding when she visualizes victory and commits fully.

Story·Annie Strother, age 13 — A thirteen-year-old reflects on her nomadic life in her parents' van, arriving in their thirty-second town while longing for the stability of a real home.

Story·Chappell Sargent, age 10 — A frustrated girl takes a bareback ride on her old horse when a crimson butterfly spooks the mare, throwing the rider and revealing unexpected beauty.

Story·Daniel Lyons, age 12 — At summer camp, a boy befriends Caylan, a special needs camper, and defies the drama director by bringing him onstage to perform in the camp musical together.

Story·Hana Bieliauskas — A white girl in art class gradually befriends Tammy, a Black student who faces racist bullying, culminating when she witnesses an attack and offers help.

Story·Christine Nichols, age 13 — A third-grader forced to sit with sixth-graders on the bus faces bullying until an older girl in a matching outfit stands up for her, turning fear into friendship.

Story·Inci Atrek, age 11 — A young basketball player faces intense pressure during a crucial free throw, battling self-doubt and physical anxiety before finding the courage to take the shot.