summer

Personal Narrative·Micki Mermelstein — A girl with a fear of heights jumps off a cliff at her cousins' urging, nearly drowns in panic underwater, then immediately agrees to do it again for a video.

Story·Marlene Dukes — A lonely girl's accidental cross-country journey in a malfunctioning self-driving car becomes an adventure in independence and connection with an unlikely companion.

Poetry·Grace Zhuang — A young poet captures summer through garden growth, beach days, and songs, ending with a wistful plea for the season to remain.

Personal Narrative·Siyona Agarwal — During a memorable dinner in San Sebastian, a mother nervously lends her favorite scarf to her daughter, only to stain her own shirt while the scarf remains pristine.

Personal Narrative·Carys Kim — A girl overcomes her fear to shave her head in solidarity with her grandmother who has cancer, discovering unexpected strength in the act.

Story·Emily Chang — A girl navigates family tensions and grief during a lake outing, culminating in an ice cream mishap that leads to an unexpected swim across the lake with her cousin.

Story·Eileen Yoo — A girl discovers a buried box meant for someone else, follows cryptic clues through the woods to find a key, and gains the courage to finally speak up to her...

Personal Narrative·Micki Mermelstein, age 11 — Alone at her family's Country House, once filled with cousins' laughter, an 11-year-old reflects on how growing up has emptied the summer gathering place of its magic.

Poetry·Sofie Dardzinski — From a patch of grass, a solitary observer watches the summer solstice sunset transform into night, tracking each color shift until fireflies claim the darkness.

Poetry·Lexie Dolliver — A sensory celebration of summer unfolds through repeated refrains of birdsong, ocean waves, flowers, and family gatherings.