belonging

Story·Eri Mizobe, age 13 — A half-Japanese, half-Chinese girl struggles to fit in at her new Japanese school until her kindness toward a cruel classmate transforms their relationship during a school musical.

Story·Emina S. Sonnad, age 11 — A homesick Hawaiian girl meets an exuberant neighbor in an Oregon meadow who shows her a secret grove of cherry blossoms, where she glimpses their future friendship in a frozen...

Story·Caroline Lu, age 13 — After three years in Texas, a girl returns to North Carolina expecting everything unchanged, but discovers both she and her childhood friends have transformed while their bond endures.

Poetry·Emina S. Sonnad, age 12 — A girl reflects on her bond with her rescued dog as he sleeps in her lap, remembering their difficult first day together and recognizing their mutual need.

Story·Roya Alkamil, age 12 — A Jordanian girl who refuses to make friends at her new American school learns that preserving her identity doesn't require isolation when a classmate reaches out.

Story·Sydney Adedamola, age 10 — Rebecca learns she must move away from her three best friends, but three years later discovers she's moving back to her hometown.

Story·Bethany Grace Wade, age 12 — Emma befriends Tansy, a deaf girl visiting with her family, by writing notes back and forth, leading to horseback riding and a promise to be pen pals.

Story·Adanma Raymond, age 12 — A girl anxiously waits by the phone for news of her mother giving birth, then meets her new baby brother Zachary at the hospital.

Story·Ryan Gallof, age 13 — Two cousins bond over strawberry picking games after the older brother dismisses them, discovering their own friendship beyond the shadow of the eldest.

Story·Sophie Stid, age 13 — A thirteen-year-old experiences her first family Ski Day tradition, culminating in the discovery of a candlelit ice rink hidden in the wilderness under a diamond-bright winter sky.