loneliness

Story·Andrew Fine, age 11 — A boy ventures into a hostile winter storm, finding strange comfort in the desolate streets before retreating to the warmth of home.

Poetry·Brendan Grant, age 11 — A poem defines 'alone' through images of isolation: a homeless man at a grocery store, refugees fleeing, a mother who has lost her children, a turban among baseball caps.

Poetry·Brendan Grant, age 11 — A poem that defines 'alone' through images of isolation: a homeless man at a grocery store, refugees fleeing, a pillar in rubble, an Iraqi mother, a turban among baseball caps.

Story·Megan M. Gannett, age 13 — A girl watches her mysterious neighbor Rochelle for years before discovering she's created an elaborate kingdom from stones, each with names and personalities.

Poetry·Andrea Begin, age 12 — A speaker accidentally rips a map and imagines the torn paper could magically bring her closer to a distant friend she misses.

Story·Preston Craig, age 10 — A lonely girl at her father's wolf release center befriends an outcast wolf named Lupus, helping him rejoin a pack before his release into the wild.

Story·Christy Joy Frost, age 13 — A girl running her family's B&B feels isolated until an author guest shows her that her world contains many worlds, prompting her to reach out to a stranger.

Z

Story·Ayla Schultz, age 12 — A lonely rich girl befriends a mysterious park dweller named Z, discovering a hidden community that gathers at night, but Z vanishes with spring's arrival.

Story·Michael Scognamiglio, age 13 — A thirteen-year-old realizes his best friend and sister are falling for each other during a boat trip to a diner, then bikes to a neighbor's house seeking new friendship.

Story·Anna Currey, age 12 — Stranded on an island for five days after crashing her boat, Mae survives on crabs and snails while watching distant Fourth of July fireworks spark an epiphany about life's beauty.