war

Story·Maeve Brett-Vasko, age 12 — A young soldier who can see death timelines on people's palms sacrifices himself to save his best friend during a fortress battle, transferring his gift to her.

Story·Jon Breed, age 13 — During a military coup in Sierra Leone, a fifth-grader shelters with his embassy family, finding and symbolically discarding a bullet that represents the violence surrounding them.

Story·Ryan G. Braun, age 10 — A 10-year-old recounts Hannibal's ambush of Roman forces at Lake Trasimene in 217 BC, detailing military preparations, strategy, and the devastating Carthaginian victory.

Story·Emily Taylor, age 11 — Two girls discover a hidden stamp collection from 1943 in the woods, track down its elderly owner, and learn why he hid it during World War II.

Poetry·Laberije Shala, age 13 — A young refugee from Kosovo mourns her father's death, expressing the emptiness of life without him and her identity as an orphan who brings roses to his grave.

Story·Arielle Gorin, age 13 — A Jewish boy flees to Switzerland with an aging WWI veteran during the Nazi occupation, learning to see beyond hero worship to understand human complexity.

Story·Alexandra Orczyk, age 12 — A girl loses her childhood best friend when their families take opposite sides during the American Revolution's Stamp Act crisis, their final parting at a harbor as he sails away.

Story·Elizabeth Mainardi, age 13 — A wizard named Zordex faces his enemy Yoleighwan in a standoff on a barren plain, then receives an unexpected visit from Queen Qyera seeking an alliance against dark forces.

Story·Katie Russell — A girl recalls her baseball-playing brother who returns from WWII as a ghost of himself, until their shared baseball finally breaks his silence.

Story·Teresa Cotsirilos, age 13 — A girl recalls her baseball-obsessed childhood with her older brother Sammy, who returns from WWII as a ghost of himself, until their shared baseball finally breaks his silence.