loss and grief

Personal Narrative·Viviana Perez — A girl says goodbye to her great-grandmother's apartment in Michigan, cataloging memories of family gatherings, walks to the lake, and the feeling of having a family home.

Story·Nate Varga — A lost British soldier stumbles upon a Bedouin camp in the Arabian desert and is led to witness the rare blooming of the Queen of the Night flower, triggering memories...

Story·Emily Chang — A year after accidentally injuring her best friend on a snow day, Anna struggles with loneliness until a wounded bird helps her find a path toward healing and reconnection.

Poetry·Enni Harlan — Siblings build a twig house in a clover field after rain, only to find their creation destroyed by gardeners the next day.

Personal Narrative·Maya Hooda, age 10 — A girl mourns her grandmother who ran a bookshop, remembering her generosity to a barefoot child and the patient way she taught her to bake.

Personal Narrative·Ia Sofocleous, age 11 — On the last day of fourth grade, a girl says goodbye to her best friend who is moving to Israel, clinging to the promise they'll be pen pals.

Poetry·Sonia Teodorescu, age 13 — Light and shadow, seasons and elements carry memories through abandoned spaces—a house no longer lived in, paths no longer walked, games no longer played.

Story·Ellie Wang, age 9 — A cat named Mayhem creates a magical name-guessing game in a water glass to find a new owner after her beloved human dies, testing each person's true character.

Story·Myiesha Jain, age 11 — A girl climbs a hill at sunset to throw a pebble into the sky for her dead mother, then returns to an empty house and her absent father's note.

Story·T. Max Crowe, age 12 — A lonely man in ancient Greece trades his dog to a god to resurrect his dead son, but Hades punishes him for breaking the laws of death.