courage

Story·Miya Lin, age 10 — A girl reads about a catnapped cat in the newspaper, then sneaks out at night to search for and successfully reunite the missing cat with its owner.

Personal Narrative·Augusta Koch-Cochrane, age 12 — A nervous rider at a Halloween Horse Show discovers that personal accomplishment and encouraging others matters more than winning first place.

Poetry·Woody Szydlik, age 12 — A meditation on escaping into TV shows versus facing the messy reality of life, ending with the speaker choosing to walk into 'fresh, impure air.'

Story·Lydia Young, age 11 — Four friends venture through Star Forest to save the Tree of Life from the Eternal Cloud of Doom, discovering Mother Nature needs help protecting the environment.

Story·Judy Chen, age 13 — On the first day of sixth grade, a studious boy partners with a new girl for a math competition, then awkwardly defends classmates from bullies.

Personal Narrative·Kelly Chan, age 11 — During a science class discussion, Kelly's fear of speaking up becomes overwhelming when asked to explain her answer about a frozen water bottle.

Story·Fiona Clare Altschuler, age 11 — A boy with prophetic visions flees with his uncle to escape his mother's murderous revenge, but a wolf attack forces a reckoning with forgiveness.

Story·Chamonix Fernandes, age 11 — A World War II veteran visits his best friend's grave, triggering memories of the day Joseph died saving him in a jungle ambush.

Story·Oren Milgrom-Dorfman, age 12 — A girl escapes her parents on a forest hike, then later that night returns to the woods alone to weep in a moonlit clearing.

Story·Harper Fortgang, age 13 — A Purple courier delivering documents in the Forbidden Strip—where Purple and Green people live together—meets Unum, whose greyish-brown skin and perspective challenge everything she's been taught about segregation.