loss and grief

Story·Eliana Vitti — A red hen stops laying eggs to prevent them from being stolen, leading to her selection for the farmer's New Year's Eve dinner.

Story·Natasha Dolinsky — A girl attends therapy sessions for her 'imaginary friend' Emma, who turns out to be the sister who died in the car crash that killed their parents.

Poetry·Madeline Male — A child watches their old house disappear through the car window as the family drives away to a new home, capturing the moment of leaving.

Personal Narrative·Micki Mermelstein, age 11 — Alone at her family's Country House, once filled with cousins' laughter, an 11-year-old reflects on how growing up has emptied the summer gathering place of its magic.

Story·Emily Chang — A girl helping her elderly neighbor organize her attic discovers a French horn that triggers memories and leads to a medical emergency, forcing her to confront family tensions.

Story·Clara Gluzdov — A cat named Ivy wishes to become human to play piano with her beloved owner Dahlia, but when her wish comes true, she discovers the painful cost of transformation and...

Personal Narrative·Amber Zhao — A skeptical traveler discovers unexpected beauty on Australia's Sunshine Coast, finding solace in wild seas, storm-lit skies, and a memorial grove that transforms her perspective.

Personal Narrative·Gabrielle McCaskill — A girl reluctantly moves from Bellevue to New York, clinging to memories of her neighborhood, best friend, and the places that shaped her childhood.

Story·Kana Shackelford — A four-year-old befriends a dryad living in the lilac bushes, but on her eighth birthday discovers she's grown too old to see her magical friend anymore.

Story·Alexandra Steyn — A woman with failing memory navigates her empty house, discovers something terrible on her street, and forgets both the horror and that her husband is dead.