being different

Story·Charles J. Ferraro — A boy wakes in a dusty attic, discovers he's been replaced in his family's life, falls through reality, and awakens to find he has become his replacement.

Poetry·Marielle Miller — A speaker rebels against expected questions (what, where, when) and instead asks 'why,' exploring the tension between curiosity and conformity.

Story·Autumn E. Weinreich — A hermit crab named Kermit faces school bullies, challenges them to an exoball game, and wins by riding on opponents' shells, transforming his social status.

Story·Felicia Johnson — A young elf girl discovers she can communicate with dragons and learns the kingdom's 'dragon attacks' are actually humans attacking dragons, becoming the prophesied Dragon Charmer.

Poetry·Ivy Yang — A child from Mars describes their home on the Red Planet, revealing complex feelings about Earth through contrasts of color, freedom, and beauty.

Story·Maddie Rubenstein — A boy who sees himself as an elephant struggles with how others perceive his differences, finding solace in a sandbox where he imagines letting worries fall away like sand.

Story·Willem Ehret — Lonely Athena, tired of being mocked by the other gods, invents humans to worship her wisdom, then cleverly trades each god's modifications for respect and power.

Story·Emma Chen Rolufs — A chicken named Rico dreams of becoming a Skyclash champion despite everyone's doubts, trains secretly for months, and defeats the school bully Tony in the championship match.

Poetry·Emma Catherine Hoff — A woman sits alone in an automat, invisible to others, as her hair whispers conflicting advice and laughing people demand she smile.

Poetry·Mary G. Lane — A zoo visitor observes how elephant shrews, overshadowed by elephants, still find their way into visitors' memories and diaries despite their smallness.