learning from mistakes

Story·Rachel Weary, age 10 — A girl regrets not defending her Korean classmate Marion when a popular boy makes a racist comment, learning a painful lesson about moral courage and complicity.

Story·Jessica Ro, age 11 — A girl who resents her difficult grandfather discovers her love for him only when he's hospitalized with a heart attack and gives her a locket containing a photo of them...

Story·Casey Tolan, age 11 — A young thief steals a sacred necklace to pay for his father's doctor, but when an innocent girl faces execution for his crime, he must choose between saving her life...

Story·Felix Zhang, age 13 — A father's harsh parenting drives his son away, and only as the son lies dying from an attack in India do they finally exchange the words 'good night' they never...

Story·Esther Lyon, age 13 — A five-year-old's joy at her first ballet recital turns to tears when she's the only dancer without flowers, until her grandmother picks a makeshift bouquet from the grounds.

Story·Joshua Mandell, age 10 — Three boys run away to sea after Tom fights with his parents, survive a shipwreck on separate islands, and reunite through ingenuity and courage before being rescued.

Story·Canyon Woodward, age 12 — An American family in Peru misjudges a tourist with many suitcases, later discovering she brings clothes for local children and supports Quechua weavers through fair trade.

Poetry·Katie Ferman, age 12 — While learning to peel apples with her mother, a girl's mind drifts through memories of other first times, barely noticing when she achieves the perfect peel.

Story·Hannah Mark, age 13 — A city boy reluctantly spends summer on his grandfather's Montana farm, initially resenting the work but gradually discovering satisfaction in farm life and connection with nature.

Story·Gracie Shapiro, age 12 — A girl searches for her grandfather and together they engineer a tree swing using a bow and arrow to get the rope over a high branch.