seeing beauty in the ordinary

Story·Margaret Bryan, age 11 — On a winter drive to Prince Edward Island, thirteen-year-old Elsabeth discovers her lifelong devotion to the color blue while her family shares pomegranates and plays road games.

Story·Margaret Bryan, age 11 — During a winter drive to Prince Edward Island, thirteen-year-old Elsabeth becomes captivated by the color blue and its many shades while her family shares pomegranates.

Story·Michelle Grifka, age 12 — A self-conscious girl travels to Ireland to stay with relatives and discovers her pink-haired cousin Bridget is a talented artist dealing with her father's recent departure.

Poetry·Lauren MacGuidwin, age 12 — A night at a lake where moonlight transforms water into something magical, from skipping stones to being splashed with captured moonbeams.

Story·Shannon Keating, age 13 — A teenage girl and her toddler brother discover hundreds of stranded starfish on a beach, leading to reflections on life, death, and the power of small choices.

Poetry·Wujun Ke, age 13 — Dawn light travels through trees as birds find their perches and begin singing, while the speaker breathes in the ancient scents of maple and oak.

Story·Molly O'Neill, age 13 — A basketball tryout becomes a battleground when a rival sabotages the narrator's chances, but stealing a page from the rival's diary reveals unexpected vulnerability.

Poetry·Marissa Bergman, age 12 — A girl dismisses her younger sister's childish questions about color until the sister's drawing reveals how she sees their shared moment in pink-hearted wonder.

Poetry·Olivia Mulley — Dawn light travels through trees to open eyes as birds find their perches and begin singing, while ancient scents drift through an open window.

Poetry·Wujun Ke, age 13 — Standing on glossy rocks, a young observer contemplates the boundary-less unity of sea and sky, where murky greens and shadows merge into one living whole.