courage

Poetry·Benjamin Firsick, age 11 — A boy raking leaves watches migrating birds, imagining one small bird who flies the opposite way eventually saves the flock from hawks in Costa Rica.

Story·Sage Behr, age 12 — An elderly woman in the 1850s recalls how witnessing a slave auction led her to become a conductor on the Underground Railroad, risking everything to help families escape.

Story·Kevin Wang, age 11 — Two boys visit their favorite river where one confronts his pain over his parents' divorce, leading to a dramatic rescue and deepened friendship.

Story·Caitlin Miller, age 13 — Two best friends drift apart when one becomes popular in seventh grade, but reconnect at a summer party where apologies and a leap into the lake restore their bond.

Story·Bailey Bergmann, age 12 — After being attacked by a dog as a toddler, Asa struggles with her fear until a friend's puppy needs adoption following a tragic accident.

Story·Colin Johnson, age 13 — A young surfer struggles with aggressive locals at Trestles surf break, learns the unspoken rules of lineup hierarchy, and finally earns respect by catching a twelve-foot wave.

Story·Casey Tolan, age 13 — During a blizzard, a boy herding sheep on his uncle's poor farm rescues a nobleman trapped under a fallen stone at Stonehenge, potentially saving the family's fortunes.

Story·Hayley Jones, age 10 — A jockey races her horse Rose for the last time before retirement, losing a stirrup mid-race but recovering to win by a nose against rival Angel.

Story·Bailey Bergmann, age 12 — A girl struggles with her rebellious golden retriever until he falls through ice into a river, and she jumps in to save him, realizing she loves him as he is.

Story·William Gwaltney, age 12 — A young man becomes a rodeo bullfighter on the anniversary of his best friend's death, facing the same bull that killed him a year earlier.