finding one's voice

Story·Erin Trefny, age 11 — A middle school boy who loves dance faces relentless bullying until he decides to perform in the school talent show to show his classmates what dance truly means to him.

Poetry·Brooke Gillman, age 13 — A young writer climbs her favorite oak tree overlooking dark water, finding solitude and inspiration in the worn branches where she writes.

Story·Nadia Suben, age 10 — A grieving boy resists joining band after his jazz musician father's death, until a compassionate teacher helps him find healing through music.

Story·Nikitha Raju, age 11 — During a storm in Revolutionary War-era America, a girl defies her mother to fetch a doctor for her sick baby brother, evading horse thieves along the way.

Story·Tatum Schutt, age 13 — A twelve-year-old actress faces her final audition before a year-long ban on performing, negotiated with her doctor parents who want her to pursue medicine instead.

Story·Elia Smith, age 10 — A girl volunteers at a nursing home, collecting words and stories from residents who share their memories, imagination, and a precious dictionary with her.

Story·Lily Strauss, age 12 — Two girls repeatedly almost meet through various near-misses, until the narrator reveals their friendship would have diminished them both, making timing's failures a blessing.

Story·Mathilde Fox-Smith, age 11 — A teenage graffiti artist creates stunning murals on abandoned buildings while evading police, forming an unlikely friendship with a politician's daughter who discovers his work.

Story·Molly O'Toole, age 12 — A girl finally gets her turn to be Lucia in her Swedish family's St. Lucia Day celebration, but forgets the words to the traditional song at the crucial moment.

Story·Natalia Dunyak, age 13 — Three Galactic Soldiers rebel against orders to annihilate the planet Enyo, escaping to broker peace and end an interplanetary war that threatens both civilizations.