resilience

Story·Rachel Schneck, age 10 — A wild African horse is captured, shipped to America, and passed between owners until she escapes during a film shoot and returns to freedom on the African plains.

Story·Emily Villano, age 7 — A wild white mare evades capture through generations, teaching her foal survival before accepting her own mortality in the crystal mountains.

Story·Nina Painter, age 12 — A girl who loves ocean life runs away from home during a hurricane, is rescued by dolphins, and learns to appreciate what she has.

Story·Torey Bocast, age 13 — A girl in a wheelchair faces her fear during her first therapeutic horseback riding lesson, finding hope for both physical recovery and independence.

Story·Sarah Shissler, age 12 — A writer recalls her first trip to Alaska ten years ago, where she befriended a pack of wolves—Lakota, Pike, and Kepa—and witnessed their struggles to survive through a brutal winter.

Story·Alex Iyker, age 11 — A seven-year-old girl searches for her missing grandfather in a blizzard, guided by her dog to a cave where he lies injured, and brings him home on Christmas Eve.

Poetry·Adair Brooks — Winter sunlight streaming through bare branches becomes a lesson about finding warmth in cold seasons, rendered in both English and Japanese.

Poetry·Miyo Kurosaki, age 12 — Winter sunlight streaming through bare branches becomes a lesson about finding warmth in cold seasons, written in both English and Japanese.

Story·Alex Mifflin, age 12 — A 12-year-old recounts his family's devastating car crash in Australia, his role as the only uninjured member, and their long recovery together.

Story·Peter Swegart, age 10 — A foster brother recalls two years with Jack, an orphan boy who arrived scared and angry but slowly learned to play, trust, and eventually found adoptive parents.