siblings

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.

Personal Narrative·Kateri Escober Doran, age 12 — Two kindergarteners get locked out of their classroom during a bathroom break and must overcome their fears and rivalry to find help together.

Story·Bo-Violet Vig, age 13 — A girl wakes on her thirteenth birthday to find her family has forgotten, but they quickly orchestrate a do-over when they realize their mistake.

Poetry·Tara Prakash, age 12 — Time's passage traced through family moments — a brother's kite, grandfather's lined face, babies' bright eyes — questioning permanence while accepting change's necessity.

Personal Narrative·Ugochinyere Agbaeze, age 11 — A girl waits alone in the rain when her mother doesn't meet her at the bus stop, remembering past loneliness and finding comfort when her siblings arrive.

Story·Marlena Kilian, age 11 — A Spanish nobleman's son discovers a fossil in the mansion's garden creek that turns out to be an ancient baby dragon's tooth, bringing him lasting fame.

Story·Sascha Farmer, age 12 — After moving from a small Canadian coastal town to Houston, Gale struggles with homesickness, remembering her life among pine forests, gray jays, and ocean fishing.

Poetry·Genesis Lee, age 12 — A young person processes grief after a funeral, watching her sister's breakdown, feeling her heart chip away, and struggling to reconnect with life afterward.