loss and grief
— In 1942 Philippines, a ten-year-old girl watches her family's sugar plantation burn as American forces evacuate them to prevent Japanese occupation of their home.
— Empty swings whisper in a park as a boy calls after Margaret, who has become a ghostly blur running away on stone paths.
— During a storm at an inn, a traveling storyteller tells of a mysterious Fisherwoman who died saving her child, whose return will bring rain back to drought-stricken Searain.
— A young immigrant mourns leaving Côte d'Ivoire, listing beloved foods, peoples, places, and memories of a father who called her 'cherie.'
— A boy recalls his friendship with Fraser through their shared obsession with Warhead candies, from second grade competitions to Fraser's move back to Australia.
— A wolf-dog named Shannon saves her musher from drowning in an icy lake but sacrifices herself in the process, appearing later as a ghostly figure in the mist.
— A girl recalls her last perfect day with her grandfather in Michigan, discovering a secret pond they called the Animal Kingdom, before he died of cancer months later.
— A shy girl visits a special oak tree at night where the ghost of her friend appears to tell her a cautionary tale about finding her voice.
— A grieving teenager from New Jersey struggles to adjust to life with her aunt in Alabama until a chance encounter at a lighthouse during a storm offers unexpected comfort.
— A girl traces her understanding of the Iraq War through three encounters: her aunt's photos, a returned care package marked DECEASED, and her grandmother holding a soldier's boots.