hope

Story·Kara Peter, age 13 — In a drought-stricken African village where everything is brown, a girl searching for mythical blue wishing stones accidentally throws one into the muddy river, transforming it to crystal clear water.

Poetry·Emily Dexter, age 13 — A young poet imagines her future home painted paradise blue, with wind chimes, forsythia, and wandering aromas creating an oasis among city streets.

Story·Lily Hoelscher, age 13 — A girl having a terrible day meets a mysterious boy who shows her a hidden pond with lotus flowers growing from mud, teaching her about resilience.

Story·Nadezh Mulholland, age 13 — A girl discovers a mysterious book that transports her into its pages, where she finds reassurance that her comatose sister will recover.

Story·Joanna Calogero, age 13 — An elderly doll shop owner facing eviction finds a lottery ticket after a mysterious encounter with a homeless child who may or may not have been real.

Story·Huong Nguyen, age 11 — A Vietnamese girl recounts her family's escape by boat, surviving storms and death at sea, through refugee camps in Malaysia and Indonesia, to finally reach America.