connection to nature

Story·Anna J. Mickle, age 12 — A girl finds comfort in Green Lake, moving from cliff to water to cabin, observing nature's details and remembering boat rides with her brother.

Poetry·Rebecca Mitkus Wishnie, age 10 — Night at a dock becomes a symphony of metallic clangs, wave sounds, and boat thuds, while stars spark like kindling in the black sky.

Story·Grace Euphrat Weston, age 12 — A girl with a sore throat communicates through charades with her sister, discovering that laughter and connection transcend words.

Story·Emma T. Capps, age 12 — A girl discovers her late grandfather's unfinished charcoal drawing of a court jester and secretly completes it in watercolor, connecting with him through art across time.

Story·Nina Lampert, age 12 — A girl delivering Christmas cake to her elderly neighbor discovers eight snow globes on the mantle, each holding a story from the woman's adventurous past.

Poetry·Olivia Smit, age 12 — A red fox crosses dewy ground at dawn, joined by his mate and kits who play in wet grass before vanishing, leaving only footprints as proof.

Story·Emily Grant, age 11 — A girl discovers a magical black horse that transforms into a ghost, learning his true name is Leeto before he gallops away to freedom.

Story·Ethan Joel Biller, age 12 — A girl facing yet another move finds comfort in her grandfather's mints, facts, and a farewell gift that promises connection across distance.

Story·Noa Wang, age 11 — A girl gets lost in the forest at dusk and follows a mysterious great horned owl through the darkness back to her parents' campsite.

Poetry·Kayla Walsh, age 13 — A young writer celebrates the simple pleasures of a family camp by a lake—sailboats, loons, hammocks, and the feeling of being protected from the world.