identity
— A girl questions the restrictions placed on her body and freedom—bound feet, hidden face, denied education—ultimately rejecting beauty that consumes a life.
— A child reflects on feeling overwhelmed by emotions and memories in a small space, concluding that the heart needs more room than the brain.
— A Black girl struggles with accepting her natural hair as beautiful while navigating classmates who treat it as exotic and touchable.
— A girl's obsessive attachment to a blue cookie jar leads to its loss at the beach during quarantine, forcing her to confront her dependence on the object.
— A young refugee uses nature metaphors to describe feeling different and new at school — a red bird among blue birds, a fish out of water.
— Swifty Appledoe, jealous of perfect classmate Stella, decides to become just like her by taking violin and ballet lessons, with disastrous but ultimately triumphant results.
— A pantoum explores the isolation of depression when others dismiss your pain, repeating lines that circle like the thoughts they describe.
— A struggling painter's work is stolen by a famous artist, leading to betrayal by her husband and society, ending in tragedy.
— In a genetically engineered society where roles are predetermined, a young Director-in-training discovers her forbidden passion for music during a symphony rehearsal.
— A boy constantly moving with his struggling immigrant family runs away in Brooklyn, only to realize through memories and reflection that he cannot escape his past or abandon those who...