finding home

Story·Emmy J. X. Wong, age 11 — A girl searches for the perfect hospital gift for her grandmother and finds swan boat tickets from their beloved Boston Garden walks, along with a cherished book.

Story·William Gwaltney, age 13 — During WWI's Christmas truce of 1914, a young soldier gives his aunt's ugly sweater to a sick German soldier who returns it decades later on a lonely Christmas Eve.

Story·Jonathan Morris, age 13 — An eight-year-old boy breaks through his grandfather's emotional walls by building a model pirate ship together, transforming their relationship through shared imagination and craftsmanship.

Story·Sanjana Saxena, age 11 — A girl moves from Chicago to India during monsoon season, experiences two different schools, then relocates to California, carrying memories of both homes.

Story·Iona Swift, age 12 — After losing a theater role, a girl flees to a creek where nature's calm gradually soothes her devastation and helps her find peace.

Story·Akash Viswanath Mehta, age 10 — A 10-year-old chronicles his parents' divorce with remarkable emotional intelligence, tracing the journey from loss through fights over custody to unexpected gains including a stepfather and baby brother.

Story·Claudia Ross, age 12 — A girl races to catch waves on the last days of summer, gets tumbled by a big swell, then eagerly paddles back out for more.

Story·Elise Watt, age 13 — During community service punishment, Bailey watches ducks struggle free from thorns and finds hope for her parents battling her father's cancer.

Story·Emmy J. X. Wong, age 12 — A Newfoundland girl finds a mysterious bottle on the shore, launches it with a carved whale inside, and watches it travel the world collecting treasures from children in different countries.

Story·Madison Kwasny, age 12 — A girl returns to an unchanged room filled with soap collections, antique brushes, and family memorabilia, finding comfort in its familiar details and lake views.