change

Poetry·Isabelle Zeaske, age 10 — A spring walk reveals birch shadows, a fern sprout, and a plastic bag caught in a pine tree, its snap drowned out by a distant chickadee's song.

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·Marika Massey-Bierman, age 13 — A girl torn between joining the spring musical with friends or trying track discovers new friendship when she chooses the unfamiliar path.

Story·Isabella Reyes, age 13 — A six-year-old watches her parents' marriage dissolve on a summer day in Iowa and must choose which parent to leave with when her mother packs for Chicago.

Story·Samuel Campopiano, age 13 — A young pickpocket at the Eiffel Tower steals an old man's gold pocket watch, but returns it after hearing the man cry 'I lost my watch! I lost my father!'

Story·Siena DeBenedittis, age 13 — A girl sneaks out for a midnight swim in the pool the night before moving away, finding solace in the underwater light and the stars above.