finding beauty in the ordinary

Story·Dennis Losett, age 11 — A family hiking near Sorrento encounters a brown dog they name Figadindi after local cactus pears, who accompanies them through changing landscapes before disappearing as quietly as he appeared.

Story·Rose Zimmerman, age 7 — A family camping on their way to Oregon encounters bears eating their leftovers under the stars, turning a routine stop into a magical moment.

Poetry·Charlotte Tigchelaar, age 11 — During a river cleanup, a father's joke about 'raking the river' sparks a daughter's recognition of poetry in everyday moments.

Poetry·Ari Martinez, age 9 — A playful exploration of mistakes through wordplay, comparing them to tissues on cake and balloons on garbage cans, then deconstructing the word itself.

Poetry·Stewart Hoelscher — A child's meditation on the moon's solitude and steadfast companionship with Earth, emphasizing its loneliness through repetition.

Poetry·Andy Wu, age 10 — A child's meditation on the moon's solitude, repeating and varying descriptions that emphasize its loneliness and unique relationship with Earth.

Poetry·Ashley Class, age 10 — A young writer reflects on how staring at an empty wall sparks imagination, claiming it as the source of stories known across the globe.

Story·Hannah Ferreira, age 11 — A girl escapes her stifling bedroom on a summer night to lie in the grass under moonlight, until her mother gently brings her back inside.

Story·Chappell Sargent, age 10 — A frustrated girl takes a bareback ride on her old horse when a crimson butterfly spooks the mare, throwing the rider and revealing unexpected beauty.

Poetry·Adair Brooks — Winter sunlight streaming through bare branches becomes a lesson about finding warmth in cold seasons, rendered in both English and Japanese.