family bonds

Story·Lydia Taverne, age 13 — An older sister shares a quiet moment with her three-year-old sibling, watching a woolly bear caterpillar uncurl and explore while reflecting on their bond.

Story·Lucy Tantum, age 12 — A reluctant twelve-year-old discovers a beautiful conch shell at the beach with her younger sister, rekindling warm memories of childhood beach visits.

Story·Shyla DeLand, age 10 — A girl's beloved hunting dog Fern is fatally injured and crawls away to die among the sweet ferns, where a mysterious pink flower later blooms.

Story·Isabel Won, age 11 — A brother and sister have a water gun fight on a hot day while their parents are out, ending when the sister gets too cold and the brother makes her...

Story·Allison Armstrong, age 13 — Eight-year-old Suzy discovers a calico kitten at the Humane Society and works doing chores to prove she's responsible enough to adopt it.

Story·Genevieve Anderle, age 13 — A family's annual Jersey Shore tradition of catching, killing, and cooking crabs becomes a multigenerational ritual of teasing, swimming, and feasting on homemade Italian gravy.

Poetry·Ella Csuros, age 8 — A bilingual poem where water becomes the island where grandmother lives, with bears, ocean lullabies, and uncle's fishing boat.

Story·Eve Driver, age 13 — During a thunderstorm, a thirteen-year-old searches for his younger brother who ran away after a cruel argument, finding him at the tree where their parents met.

Story·Rachel Keirstead, age 13 — After her grandmother's death, Addie receives a mysterious locket and coded letter that reveal her grandmother's love story and a message about happiness.

Story·Freya Trefonides, age 12 — A teenager watches her four-year-old cousin Rose repeatedly climb things she shouldn't, capturing a perfect photo of Rose in her special apple tree before realizing this moment might be forgotten.