loss and grief

Story·Molly Morabito, age 11 — A girl discovers her passion for racing horses, wins local competitions with her horse Cherish, but during a crucial race, Cherish breaks her leg on a shortcut, ending both their...

Story·William Gwaltney, age 10 — A girl searches for the perfect apple in her grandfather's orchard, remembering her grandmother who died last year, and discovers a new way forward through shared grief.

Story·Meg Bradley, age 13 — A twelve-year-old girl, alone in an empty house after her father left, discovers that writing poetry can be its own form of comfort when traditional lullabies are gone.

Poetry·Sayre White, age 13 — A granddaughter remembers intimate morning rituals with her grandmother—hot water, waffles, hair combing—and wishes she could share her grown self with the woman who died too soon.

Story·Alice Mar-Abe, age 11 — A girl's beloved neighborhood market closes, teaching her through the owner's wisdom about accepting change while cherishing memories.

Story·Manuel Anderson, age 12 — A boy remembers his fearless best friend Luis Manuel from Catholic school in Caracas—the youngest but undisputed leader of their trio, who ate floor Cheetos and never cried.

Story·Sariel Nana Friedman, age 10 — A girl visits the family's summer cottage while her father is at war, discovering she can feel joy even amid sadness when her brother lifts her over the waves.

Story·Emily Livaudais, age 11 — A girl moves to Iceland after her parents die, discovers her grandmother once lived there, and finds comfort in a special doll her grandmother arranged for her to receive.

Story·Erik Dinardo, age 13 — A grieving man revisits places he shared with a lost child, finding each location abandoned or changed, until a ray of light breaks through.

Story·Isabel Folger — A grieving man revisits places he once shared with a child, finding them empty and changed, until a ray of light breaks through.