memory

Story·Naomi Rowsell, age 12 — A girl recalls weekly trips with her father to meet the Nordic Express freight boat, sharing quiet moments of connection through held hands and vending machine treats.

Story·Joshua Maclean, age 13 — A son remembers his father's devotion through baseball games, lucky charms, and math lessons, then chronicles his battle with ALS and the lasting impact of his loss.

Poetry·Alice Baumgartner, age 12 — Sensory memories of a Mardi Gras dinner trigger vivid recollections of sounds, tastes, and a game of Truth or Dare on an unseasonably warm February evening.

Story·Cameron Mckeich, age 11 — A boy returns to his late grandfather's wilderness farm for the first time since his death, finding solace when sunlight breaks through storm clouds onto a magnolia tree.

Story·Katey Storey, age 13 — A girl recalls summers at her family's Maine house, exploring tide pools and climbing Cannon Rock, where she collected sea glass and dreamed of becoming a marine biologist.

Poetry·Mark Roberts, age 10 — A boy remembers his grandmother through the landscape she loved — hot air balloons, hilltop trees, vineyards — and the moment of scattering her ashes.

Poetry·Sam Brandis-Dann, age 11 — A prose poem traces summer wind through sensory moments — sweet taste, ruffled hair, fireflies — until winter arrives and only memory remains.

Poetry·Alexa Bryn, age 11 — A granddaughter observes her grandfather's dementia, as Holocaust memories resurface while present moments fade, yet his gentle spirit and their bond remain intact.

Story·Leah Sausjord Karlins, age 12 — Leaving her family's beach house for the last time this summer, a girl recalls memories of swimming, sailing, and sea turtles while dreading the return to school schedules.

Poetry·Mark Roberts, age 11 — A wooden treasure box carved from Australian jarrah wood tells its centuries-long journey from forest to sailing ship ballast to African railroad ties, now holding memories.