connection to nature

Story·Montanna Harling, age 13 — A lonely girl who spends afternoons in the forest rescues a drowning kitten from the river and finds the friend she's been missing.

Poetry·Pearl Tulay, age 12 — Sisters collect shells and sea glass at the beach, but discover the treasures lose their magic when brought home, separated from ocean and memory.

Story·Aiwen L. Desai, age 12 — A girl searching for an elusive albino mare on her family's ranch is swept away by a flooded river, then rescued by the wild horse band she sought.

Poetry·Meghan Waldron, age 13 — A summer evening unfolds through sensory details — grass brushing knees, bats circling overhead, bullfrogs calling goodnight as day turns to twilight.

Story·Mathilde Fox-Smith, age 11 — A teenage graffiti artist creates stunning murals on abandoned buildings while evading police, forming an unlikely friendship with a politician's daughter who discovers his work.

Poetry·Izzah Khairi, age 13 — Night transforms a mountain landscape into a cosmic performance where moon, wind, trees, and lake become musicians preparing for the stars' appearance.

Poetry·Bethany Duff, age 11 — A meditation on wordless connection between living beings — running with dogs, dancing, holding babies — and how we lose this silent language as we grow older.

Poetry·Claire Yoon MacDonald, age 10 — A young poet steps outside into winter, capturing the immediate sensory impact of cold air, snow, ice, and bare trees swaying in the wind.

Poetry·Jordan Guberman, age 12 — A child and grandmother bake bread together in an old kitchen, sharing laughter, sneaking batter, and talking about life while waiting for the loaf to rise.

Poetry·Katherine Shock, age 12 — Morning light filters through as a girl and her cat share a quiet moment of connection, curling together in the gray-gold dawn.