water

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·Carmen Flax, age 10 — A ghostly lilac figure wanders through pine forests and black rivers on an October night, crying out in sorrow before retreating into shadows.

Story·Andrew Wu, age 11 — A philosophical narrative following four reincarnated beings—seed, insect, fish, and bear—each discovering Nature's cyclical patterns of creation, destruction, and renewal through their brief lives.

Poetry·Anya Geist, age 12 — A nocturnal tour through a small town captures the quiet life of buildings, objects, and creatures after dark, from creaking floorboards to a bobbing pond raft.

Story·Harper Miller, age 11 — During a Texas drought, 11-year-old Ayita discovers her community's water crisis and organizes a grassroots effort to save dying plants while navigating life with her distant father.

Story·Adam Smith, age 10 — A boy describes an idyllic natural scene with waterfall, river, and wildlife, finding pure happiness in nature's beauty before returning home to dream of it.

Poetry·Irene Surprenant, age 8 — A wave narrates its experiences through changing weather, from gentle shore-lapping to tsunamis, lamenting pollution while celebrating the cycle of marine life.

Poetry·Charlotte Tigchelaar, age 11 — During a river cleanup, a father's joke about 'raking the river' sparks a daughter's recognition of poetry in everyday moments.

Poetry·Gwen Deutsch, age 12 — A girl watches wild horses thunder down a Wyoming mountain, experiencing the landscape through all her senses in a moment of overwhelming beauty.

Personal Narrative·Marco Lu, age 11 — A young naturalist explores the remarkable adaptations of saguaro cacti after encountering them in Arizona, detailing their growth patterns, water storage, and survival strategies.