family bonds

Poetry·Nastassja Carusetta, age 13 — A granddaughter and grandfather share quiet tea on the back porch, watching the sunset and listening to the world together in companionable silence.

Story·Namrata Ramya Balasingam, age 13 — A Sri Lankan tea plucker works through pain and betrayal to earn enough money to buy her orphaned brother a birthday cake, discovering true friendship along the way.

Story·Michele Younger, age 12 — A younger sister struggles with jealousy when her talented older sister enters a prestigious surfing competition, but when disaster strikes, she rushes to save her.

Story·Cammie Keel, age 13 — Sisters embark on an Easter morning scavenger hunt after the younger one pranks the older with a wind-up rabbit, celebrating spring's arrival together.

Story·Maya Martin, age 12 — A girl reluctantly visits her Japanese American great-grandmother and learns about her imprisonment in internment camps during World War II, discovering untold history.

Story·Risa Askerooth, age 12 — A grueling hike through Hawaiian wilderness nearly ends in defeat before revealing hidden pools, where exhaustion transforms into pure joy.

Poetry·Candace Huntington, age 13 — Three cousins play Monster Tag in overgrown summer fields, transforming into predator and prey as they chase through bushes and around corners.

Story·Ruby Dietz, age 12 — A girl panics when her younger brother doesn't board the school bus, only to discover he had permission to go to a friend's house instead.

Story·Katherine E. All, age 12 — A girl chosen as a dragon sacrifice discovers that her brother's lily hair clip, given as a farewell gift, becomes the weapon that defeats the beast.

Story·Ella Staats, age 11 — A tomboy daughter discovers her mother's insistence on frilly dresses stems from her own deprived childhood, leading to mutual understanding and acceptance.