learning from mistakes

Story·Alan Tu, age 11 — A boy spends his summer earning money for a BMX bike, falling just short until his best friend arrives with the final dollar he needs.

Story·Matteo Wong, age 12 — A boy who steals from his father's rent money jar learns the consequences when their landlord threatens eviction, prompting him to get his first job.

Story·Hannah Fern Pollard, age 13 — A boy finds his rival's lost championship kite before a competition and must decide whether to return it or keep it to ensure his own victory.

Story·Isabel Folger, age 12 — A girl shovels snow to earn money for Christmas presents, then must choose between a bracelet she wants and a gift for her sister.

Story·Alexander Freed, age 12 — A teenage boy struggles to get his four-year-old sister to bed during a foggy night, finally outsmarting her with a clever intercom trick after she hides.

Story·Natalia F. Lanzoni, age 13 — A competitive swimmer struggles with body image after overhearing teammates discuss restrictive eating, until a teammate's collapse at a meet forces her to reconsider her choices.

Story·Lauren Vanden Bosch, age 12 — A girl abandons her best friend when she moves away, then learns about friendship and priorities when she helps an injured competitor during a cross-country race.

Story·Chloe Montague, age 11 — A girl loses her cherished bracelet in the ocean and learns to value her cousin's happiness over material possessions when she imagines a fish wearing it.

Story·Trentin Lyle Stalnaker, age 11 — A boy accidentally shoots a squirrel with his BB gun, then desperately tries to save it, confronting his guilt and the reality of what he's done.

Story·Samuel Campopiano, age 13 — A young pickpocket at the Eiffel Tower steals an old man's gold pocket watch, but returns it after hearing the man cry 'I lost my watch! I lost my father!'