belonging

Story·Anya Geist, age 14 — A girl raised in the Land of the Clouds dreams of her forgotten parents on Earth, while learning about a prophecy and the dangerous Organization to Control Time.

Story·Fiona Clare Altschuler, age 11 — Poor mouse twins receive a visit from the wealthy royal family, whose scorn prompts their mother to declare she's richer in joy than they are in gold.

Story·Annabelle Vaughan, age 9 — A girl who saved a cat finds herself followed by street cats everywhere, leading to chaos when she tries to help them make her mother happy so they won't have...

Poetry·Alisa Zou, age 12 — A young girl on a plane to America watches China disappear behind her, tears streaming as she realizes how far she is from home.

Personal Narrative·Michelle Wang, age 12 — A Chinese immigrant child's first day of American school transforms from terror to tentative hope when a classmate extends a gentle hand of friendship.

Poetry·Avery Lakomy, age 12 — A young poet questions why we divide the world into regions when their eyes see only one unified place where all people belong together.

Story·Chloe Leng, age 12 — In a post-COVID dystopia where rich and poor are segregated, a lonely delivery boy discovers an underground society of 'Peacebreakers' who refuse to wear masks or social distance.

Oak

Poetry·Graham TerBeek, age 10 — An oak tree discovers purpose through seasons of loss and renewal, finding meaning not in being special but in providing shade, shelter, and friendship.

Poetry·Summer Loh, age 8 — Through a fogged window, a child observes city life: a girl with her dog, a street musician, an old couple, and a flower growing through concrete cracks.

Personal Narrative·Violet Lou, age 10 — A kindergartener watches classmates play piano until her mother finally asks if she wants to learn, leading to the arrival of her own piano.