acceptance

Story·David Agosto-Ginsburg, age 11 — Jake dreads sharing summer camp with his autistic brother Chris, but when a bully targets Chris, Jake discovers his brother's resilience during a chess tournament showdown.

Poetry·Abby Shaffer, age 12 — A quiet moment between a girl and her aging, sick dog captures the tenderness of caring for a beloved pet nearing the end.

Story·Shyla DeLand, age 11 — After a weasel kills her beloved rooster Cocky, a girl struggles with guilt over loving a new chick until her mother helps her understand that loving again doesn't betray the...

Story·Felicia McSweeney, age 11 — A girl is swept out to sea at night, sinks to the ocean floor watching bubbles rise from her laughing mouth, then returns to shore with the tide.

Story·Isabel Folger, age 12 — A girl struggles with her family's move to Hawaii and her father's engagement, finding peace only when she discovers her mother's spirit remains with her.

Story·Isabella Widrow, age 11 — A second-grader's world shifts when her beloved teacher announces his retirement, sending her through grief, illness, and eventual acceptance over the course of a school year.

Story·Marina Stevenson, age 12 — A girl visits her grandmother with Alzheimer's at a retirement home, grapples with a missing wedding ring, and finds peace when her grandmother hears angels singing.

Story·Sonia Suben, age 10 — After his parents' divorce, Jasper struggles to adjust to life with his mother until he finds solace at a dock by the sea and learns a hard truth from his...

Story·Jim Burch, age 12 — Eight years after their parents abandon them at an orphanage, Katherine must confront her lingering hope for their return with help from her wise younger sister Lily.

Story·Sonia Carroll, age 12 — A Mexican-American girl learns to celebrate rather than mourn her grandmother's death during Día de los Muertos, finding her spirit in a monarch butterfly.