school

Story·Emma Delaney, age 13 — On the last day of eighth grade, seven best friends release a balloon with a wish to stay friends forever, as they face separation for high school.

Story·Emma Dudley, age 12 — A star basketball player tears her knee in the championship game, faces losing her scholarship dreams, then finds purpose coaching young players while beginning her recovery.

Poetry·Nina Wilson, age 10 — A morning routine transforms when a redwing blackbird's song stops time on the way to the bus stop, breaking the monotony with wonder.

Story·Andrew Lee, age 13 — A new student struggles with bullying on the soccer field until a classmate teaches him moves that help him make the team and find acceptance.

Story·Emmy J. X. Wong, age 11 — A Chinese-American girl struggles with her identity after moving from San Francisco to Boston, finding strength in her grandfather's wisdom about heritage and belonging.

Story·Lauren Klepinger, age 11 — Kate struggles with jealousy when her friend Madison excels at everything, leading to a painful confrontation and eventual reconciliation about their differences.

Story·Lena Greenberg, age 10 — A shy girl befriends the barefoot new student who claims to be a princess, then betrays her under peer pressure, only to discover the true meaning of friendship after Irah...

Story·Andrew Lee, age 13 — A boy promises his injured grandfather he'll win the 400-meter dash, the same race that ended his grandfather's track career decades earlier.

Story·Aviva Leshaw, age 13 — A girl arrives home from school to an empty house and contemplates how the world continues moving while she stands still in her quiet kitchen.

Story·Victoria Beccar Varela, age 10 — A lonely girl who plays harp privately joins a youth symphony at her mother's urging and meets a potential friend who offers to help her.