growing up
— A girl flying alone for the first time finds courage through recorded messages from her parents on her iPod, transforming fear into pride as the plane prepares for takeoff.
— A 12-year-old encounters hundreds of college students dressed as Santa flooding the NYC subway during an annual flash mob tradition, much to her embarrassment and her family's delight.
— A boy transforms his backyard into an epic racetrack where he finally defeats his rival, the 'Dashing Devil,' in an imagined footrace through fall leaves and mud.
— After her parents' death, a girl living with her grandmother discovers she can honor memories without being trapped by them when she transforms her mother's journals into a scrapbook.
— Two friends share their last summer night together, walking under stars and seeing a shooting star before saying goodbye until next year.
— A fifth-grader reflects on the finality of elementary school's last day, from yearbook signings to the bell's final ring that marks the end of childhood routines.
— A spoiled girl hiding in a hayloft discovers old photos and dreams herself into her grandfather's wartime Dresden, returning with new understanding and respect.
— An eleven-year-old reflects on how her relationship with her older brother has changed as they've grown up, remembering their imaginative games and missing their closeness.
— A spoiled girl working at her uncle's horse ranch to earn money for a laptop discovers an abandoned horse and unexpectedly bonds with him, changing her attitude.
— An older sister shares a quiet moment with her three-year-old sibling, watching a woolly bear caterpillar uncurl and explore while reflecting on their bond.