summer

Story·Claudia Ross, age 13 — Walking a valley trail after elementary school graduation, a girl finds a broken eggshell and realizes the hawks circling her are searching for it.

Story·Emma Place, age 11 — A girl sailing with her family off the Maine coast slips into the water and rides a dolphin after a pod appears alongside their boat.

Poetry·Eddie Mansius, age 13 — A young surfer catches their first wave in Maui, experiencing the exhilaration of success after being tumbled by the ocean.

Story·Cole Miller, age 11 — A young cellist faces performance anxiety before a school concert, finding that the music transforms his fear into something better than summer itself.

Story·Hayden Rasberry, age 11 — A lonely boy struggling with growing up finds an abandoned dog on the street and secretly brings him home, only to discover his parents had planned to get him a...

Story·Emily Boring, age 13 — A teenage girl reflects on her brother's autism during a family lake trip, discovering that their imperfect family's joy matters more than being 'normal.'

Story·Nicky Cannon, age 12 — A boy races from car to ocean, feeling invincible in the Atlantic waves until his mother calls him back to ordinary life at nightfall.

Story·Anna J. Mickle, age 12 — A girl finds comfort in Green Lake, moving from cliff to water to cabin, observing nature's details and remembering boat rides with her brother.

Story·Nicky Cannon, age 12 — A boy races from car to ocean, feeling invincible in the waves until his mother calls him back to ordinary life at nightfall.

Story·Katharine Keller, age 13 — A city girl sent to her grandparents' desert homestead for summer discovers unexpected beauty in the harsh landscape and finds her artistic calling.