finding one's voice

Story·Amy Zhou, age 11 — A girl who hates bugs learns to care for butterflies with her aunt in China, discovering that all life has meaning and purpose.

Poetry·Callen Bailey, age 12 — A five-year-old battles wind and waves in a canoe during an Adirondack storm, discovering strength and joy amid the chaos.

Poetry·Kate Choi, age 12 — A morning meditation in an oak tree by a brook, where the listener discovers that silence is filled with nature's whispered wisdom and calls to action.

Poetry·Zoe Lynch, age 10 — A 10-year-old observes her parents working at their desks and discovers that hard work and joy can coexist when you find what you love.

Story·Fiona Mulley, age 13 — A young actress playing Marmee in Little Women draws on her longing for her best friend who moved away to deliver a powerful performance on opening night.

Poetry·Solana Ordonez, age 11 — A young musician celebrates the daily joy of orchestra class, from unpacking instruments to playing together as an ensemble creating harmonious music.

Story·Noelia M. Colón, age 13 — A girl inherits a magic fiddle from a mysterious man in the woods, and when she plays it by candlelight, shadows come alive and dance on moonbeams.

Story·Meg Simpson, age 10 — A twelve-year-old faces peer pressure when her best friend Lauren shoplifts and tries to involve her, leading to difficult choices about friendship and integrity.

Story·Francie Neukorn, age 13 — A sixth-grader watches her imaginative pioneer game fall apart when popular kids mock it, realizing she and her friends are growing up and leaving childhood behind.

Story·Arielle Gorin, age 12 — A young artist who draws the sunrise every morning struggles with her mother's acting ambitions for her, then finds hope after losing an art contest when her grandmother offers to...