growing up
— A boy shoots an arrow into the sky during a bow-making activity, gets it stuck in a tree, and learns to think before acting through elaborate attempts to retrieve it.
— A young aspiring animal rescuer brings home a worm that dies overnight, teaching her that wild creatures belong in their natural habitats, not bedrooms.
— A child addresses a cedar tree, remembering climbing its branches, building a swing, sharing secrets, and hanging Christmas ornaments that catch the light.
— During COVID lockdown, a mother and son each make wishes on matching copper bracelets that transport them through time, teaching them what they've taken for granted.
— Two best friends in a small Florida town face their first real conflict when Oscar starts hanging out with the popular boys instead of taking their daily walks together.
— Five vignettes explore monsoon rain in India, questions of faith and atheism, becoming an older sister, a medical emergency, and reflections on friendship and the pandemic.
— A girl traces her evolving understanding of clouds from childhood fantasies of cotton candy and fairies to learning the water cycle in school, finding wonder in scientific truth.
— A thirteen-year-old discovers her first white hair and spirals through denial, envy, and fear before finding acceptance and a renewed sense of purpose.
— Katrina's life changes when she befriends Mr. McCumber, a lonely old man, and later finds herself in an orphanage where she forms a chosen family with other orphaned girls.
— A girl tries to become like her perfect classmate Stella by copying her activities, but discovers her own talents and identity along the way.