water

Poetry·Dylan Sherman, age 10 — White becomes a meditation on beauty and renewal through images of doves, snow, sails, and roses emerging from ashes.

Poetry·Peter Satterthwaite, age 13 — A peaceful pond scene transforms when a dead swan is discovered, prompting questions about death, grief, and the aggressive mourning behavior of its companions.

Story·Christopher Fifty, age 13 — An osprey hunts for fish to feed his mate and chicks, navigating marsh winds and the constant threat of eagles to provide for his family.

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.

Poetry·Rebecca Mitkus Wishnie, age 10 — Night at a dock becomes a symphony of metallic clangs, wave sounds, and boat thuds, while stars spark like kindling in the black sky.

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.

Poetry·Kayla Walsh, age 13 — A young writer celebrates the simple pleasures of a family camp by a lake—sailboats, loons, hammocks, and the feeling of being protected from the world.

Story·Simon Brake, age 13 — Two cousins fight to survive after a storm wrecks their uncle's tourist ship, leaving them adrift in a lifeboat that eventually sinks, forcing them to float until rescue arrives.