loss and grief

Story·Fiona Clare Altschuler, age 11 — A boy with prophetic visions flees with his uncle to escape his mother's murderous revenge, but a wolf attack forces a reckoning with forgiveness.

Poetry·Peter Shuster-Raizberg, age 7 — A young poet observes the ocean's mysteries—fish, sharks, treasure—while lamenting that its population is disappearing.

Poetry·Ava Espinoza, age 12 — A word discovered in a box pursues the narrator, invading their mind and triggering painful memories whenever someone speaks it aloud.

Story·Chamonix Fernandes, age 11 — A World War II veteran visits his best friend's grave, triggering memories of the day Joseph died saving him in a jungle ambush.

Story·Charlotte Moore, age 12 — A lonely girl exploring a castle during a field trip gets trapped in a closet and meets Jane, a mysterious servant girl who wants to be best friends forever.

Story·Bea Hertzmark, age 10 — A girl writes to her absent friend Tom during a school day, memories of a lake and a letter breaking through her attempts to focus on lessons.

Story·Anya Geist, age 14 — A girl raised in the Land of the Clouds dreams of her forgotten parents on Earth, while learning about a prophecy and the dangerous Organization to Control Time.

Story·Avital Sagan, age 12 — A sentient radio watches helplessly as carnivorous moonflowers take over the island city of Floracion, turning its inhabitants into mindless carriers of the infection.

Poetry·Alisa Zou, age 12 — A young girl on a plane to America watches China disappear behind her, tears streaming as she realizes how far she is from home.

Story·Meital Fried, age 13 — A girl faces her aunt's terminal illness through the metaphor of a falling bomb while a mourning dove sits motionless on their roof, refusing to move.