hope

Poetry·Nicole Guenther, age 12 — A young poet confronts mortality by imagining flight beyond Earth's gravity, transforming the fear of nothingness into an invitation to soar through unnamed universes.

Story·Katherine Roth, age 13 — A girl looking after a neighbor's dog discovers the dog has escaped to find their missing cat, injured but alive in the woods after a snowstorm.

Story·Hannah Mayerfield, age 10 — A reincarnated blue jay, now human, returns to a fountain where they once drank as a bird, mourning lost flight until moonlight brings new hope.

Story·Saira Licht, age 10 — After falling from a boat in Georgia waters where her father drowned, Maria meets him in an underwater grotto and receives a magical necklace before returning safely.

Poetry·Sylvia Gibson, age 13 — A teenager contemplating suicide finds reasons to live in small miracles like birds taking flight and children's first steps, offering her words as a gift.

Story·Edie Koehlert and Chloe Weber — Three young cats journey to find a new home after their dying mother sends them away, guided by their deceased father's cryptic message about believing in possibilities.

Story·Sandra Detweiler, age 12 — Two sisters saying goodbye to their favorite cloud-watching spot before moving discover a bird-shaped cloud at their new home by the ocean.

Story·Joshua Heaps, age 11 — During the Civil War, young Tom struggles to support his mother while his father and brother fight, until a Confederate raid brings an unexpected reunion.

Story·Sariel Nana Friedman, age 10 — A girl visits the family's summer cottage while her father is at war, discovering she can feel joy even amid sadness when her brother lifts her over the waves.

Story·Kiyomi Wilks, age 12 — A folk healer summons a mystical owl to save a dying girl when traditional remedies fail, then quietly departs after her recovery.