identity

Poetry·Bo-Violet Vig, age 13 — A girl recalls being praised as 'a little angel' throughout childhood, while her mother's poetry quotation hints at the impermanence of such perfection.

Story·Ava Isabella Angeles, age 11 — Three children discover they've been trapped in a virtual reality 'perfect world' experiment since infancy and must escape with help from a psychologist's daughter.

Story·Aoife O'Connell, age 11 — A homeless orphan girl in Paris meets a mysterious old woman who turns out to be a pirate captain, and after stealing her ring, is invited to join the crew.

Story·Vandana Ravi, age 12 — A girl's morning bike ride to school becomes a meditation on class differences and gratitude, finding beauty in her modest neighborhood despite glimpses of wealth.

Story·Alex Berman, age 13 — A whimsical origin story explains how the floating, two-eyed giiants of Chocolate Lemon island became the one-eyed cyclopes we know today.

Poetry·Genesis Lee, age 12 — A young person processes grief after a funeral, watching her sister's breakdown, feeling her heart chip away, and struggling to reconnect with life afterward.

Story·Alina Samarasan, age 12 — During morning hair-braiding, Carlita reflects on her Cuban heritage, school discrimination, and her absent brother who's been arrested.

Story·Una Dorr, age 12 — After moving to Brooklyn, Kiera finally achieves popularity but must choose between her new friends and Claudia, who wears the same Hello Kitty shirt Kiera once loved.

Story·Anna Shepherd, age 11 — During a tense car ride to visit relatives, two sisters play Twenty Questions, but when Jenny thinks she's solved Ula's puzzle, her sister refuses to confirm the answer.

Story·Lia Taylor, age 12 — A prince sent to find a bride falls for her brother instead, leading them to flee their kingdoms and establish a new land where love can flourish freely.