change

Poetry·Yutia Li, age 9 — A playful cosmic origin story traces from a tiny speck's explosion through the Big Bang to Earth's formation and the first single-celled life.

Story·Thomas Faulhaber, age 13 — In a world where middlenames determine destiny, a boy named Robin Burke struggles with his musical heritage until riots against the naming system expose its fundamental flaw.

Poetry·Carly Vermillion, age 10 — A child experiences shifting light and darkness through ordinary moments — feeding fish, eating dinner, waking up — each scene marked by sudden changes in illumination.

Story·Sabrina Feldberg, age 12 — A Chicago teen resenting her family's move to San Francisco transforms into a fish at the beach, navigating dangers before accepting her new home.

Story·Melina Ahmad, age 11 — Two six-year-old best friends spend a perfect day together at a street fair, unaware that boxes in one girl's apartment signal an impending move to California.

Poetry·Atlas William Iacobucci, age 9 — A surreal dream sequence where thunder and chaos transform New York City, ending with whale-like creatures becoming morning doves in the restored calm.

Poetry·Morgan Lane, age 12 — A mirror poem captures the dual nature of listening to music—the same notes can bring magnificence or screeching, beauty or pain, depending on perspective.

Poetry·Sheila Northrup, age 10 — Winter arrives with drifting snowflakes, golden sunlight on snow, and the cold creeping into houses where hot chocolate warms waiting families.

Poetry·Danica Lee — Winter arrives with soft snowflakes, harsh cold, and hot chocolate as snow swallows trees and warmth battles the bitter air.

Poetry·Ilya Ivanović, age 10 — A child traces identity from birth through curiosity and danger to the sadness of moving away, wondering if they'll return to have fun again.