change
— A fifth-grader reflects on the finality of elementary school's last day, from yearbook signings to the bell's final ring that marks the end of childhood routines.
— A reluctant twelve-year-old discovers a beautiful conch shell at the beach with her younger sister, rekindling warm memories of childhood beach visits.
— A girl devastated by moving from Ohio to New Jersey finds hope when she discovers an outdoor club at her new school and makes a friend who shares her love...
— An eleven-year-old reflects on how her relationship with her older brother has changed as they've grown up, remembering their imaginative games and missing their closeness.
— A spoiled girl working at her uncle's horse ranch to earn money for a laptop discovers an abandoned horse and unexpectedly bonds with him, changing her attitude.
— A sudden storm transforms a sunny afternoon in the park, sending a child running and slipping on raindrops as darkness overtakes the day.
— An 11-year-old processes her parents' divorce through a poem that moves from suppressed tears to overwhelming grief, cataloging each source of pain.
— A single daffodil pushes through snow and mud to bloom, becoming spring's first herald among the winter browns and grays.
— A girl tries to save her family's ancient oak tree by climbing into its branches, but fails; later finds solace when a cat makes a home in the fallen logs.
— A poem captures the last night before a friend moves to Ireland, from joyful evening to tearful goodbye as she disappears in the rain.