growing up

Story·Caitlin Peterson, age 13 — Two sisters create a secret midnight world for their stuffed animals in the woods, rebuild it after destruction, and return twenty years later with their own daughters.

Story·Molly Dektar, age 13 — A girl receives a mysterious package containing both an elf hat that once excluded her and her childhood Hanukkah hat, forcing her to reconsider identity and belonging.

Story·Bethany Johnsen, age 13 — Two cousins play an elaborate game of orphan sisters surviving in the jungle, transforming a suburban yard into a world of tigers and adventure.

Story·Katherine Roth, age 13 — A mother discovers her childhood photo album with her daughter, triggering memories of her last night with best friends before they were separated by different high schools.

Story·Esther Lyon, age 13 — A five-year-old's joy at her first ballet recital turns to tears when she's the only dancer without flowers, until her grandmother picks a makeshift bouquet from the grounds.

Story·Amy Xu, age 11 — An eleven-year-old recounts getting lost in a NYC subway station at age four, then discovers her grandmother remembers the incident differently, questioning memory itself.

Story·Sarah Jick, age 13 — A teenager planning to run away at dawn is discovered by her little sister, whose innocent love makes her reconsider and decide to stay.

Story·Elizabeth Halcomb, age 12 — A twelve-year-old girl resents her parents' decision to adopt a Romanian orphan until the younger girl offers her dead sister's ring, asking if Kate can take her place.

Story·Rachel Stanley, age 13 — A young diver conquers her fear of the 10-meter platform, discovering the exhilaration of flight in the moment she lets herself fall.

Poetry·Katie Ferman, age 12 — While learning to peel apples with her mother, a girl's mind drifts through memories of other first times, barely noticing when she achieves the perfect peel.