seeing beauty in the ordinary

Story·Ben Hayes, age 13 — A young angler describes the meditative ritual of dusk fishing on a quiet lake, from paddling out to the explosive moment of catching a keeper.

Story·Melissa Birchfield, age 13 — A girl obsessed with reading 200 books to become a novelist discovers through her younger cousin that living life provides better inspiration than hiding in stories.

Poetry·Ava Persinger, age 12 — A young observer discovers the ocean's hidden music — from crashing waves to a tiny crab's clicking claws to shells clinking in the depths.

Story·Elizabeth Surman, age 10 — A daughter celebrates her father through vivid portraits of his loud presence, humor, work ethic, and creative cooking experiments, declaring him the 'King of San Marino.'

Poetry·Sonia Bhaskaran, age 9 — Two birds chase through the air, forming a brief circular pattern in their acrobatic flight before landing and returning the world to its usual sounds.

Story·Alahna Harrison, age 13 — A girl moves from Seattle to rural Idaho, finds a favorite spot under a tree to sketch the landscape, and appreciates the peace of country living.

Story·Sophia Catalan, age 11 — A girl races into the ocean on a hot day, gets tumbled by a surprise second wave, and makes her friend laugh with silly antics on the beach.

Story·Sammy Westfall, age 13 — A Filipino girl accompanies her mother to clean a wealthy American family's mansion and discovers that despite their poverty, her family has something the rich family lacks.

Story·Natalia F. Lanzoni, age 13 — A competitive swimmer struggles with body image after overhearing teammates discuss restrictive eating, until a teammate's collapse at a meet forces her to reconsider her choices.

Poetry·Lucy Hoak, age 13 — A child builds an elaborate fairy house with writing materials for messages, abandons belief when no note appears, missing signs that fairies visited but cannot write.