growing up
— An eleven-year-old meticulously plans to run away from her three younger brothers and endless family picnics, but when teenagers invade her hideout, she races home to find unexpected comfort.
— A boy who steals from his father's rent money jar learns the consequences when their landlord threatens eviction, prompting him to get his first job.
— A poem of lost childhood intimacy between cousins or friends, marked by shared memories of orchards, butterfly funerals, and the gulf that opens when one becomes a teenager.
— A girl shovels snow to earn money for Christmas presents, then must choose between a bracelet she wants and a gift for her sister.
— A teenage boy struggles to get his four-year-old sister to bed during a foggy night, finally outsmarting her with a clever intercom trick after she hides.
— Two friends climb an abandoned water tower at night, where one confronts his fear of heights while discovering his fearless friend has her own hidden fear.
— A competitive swimmer struggles with body image after overhearing teammates discuss restrictive eating, until a teammate's collapse at a meet forces her to reconsider her choices.
— Two sisters left home alone escalate from bickering to a kitchen accident that brings them together when the older sister rushes the younger to the hospital.
— A child builds an elaborate fairy house with writing materials for messages, abandons belief when no note appears, missing signs that fairies visited but cannot write.
— A second-grader's world shifts when her beloved teacher announces his retirement, sending her through grief, illness, and eventual acceptance over the course of a school year.