self-discovery

Story·Aja Corliss, age 12 — A nervous ballerina at Nationals finds calm and rediscovers her love of dance when moonlight creates a private spotlight outside the auditorium.

Story·Hugh Cole, age 11 — A boy who can speak to animals flees with his wolf-dog when a monster called an Alarcon hunts him for his powers, ultimately escaping when a condor saves them from...

Poetry·Rhiannon Grodnik, age 12 — A twelve-year-old slips outside at night to lie in wet grass, listening to her watch tick and feeling the wind carry away time's demands.

Story·Richard Wang, age 13 — A newspaper delivery boy wrestles with his conscience on a brutally cold morning, ultimately choosing duty over comfort after reading about Andrew Carnegie.

Story·Iona Swift, age 12 — After losing a theater role, a girl flees to a creek where nature's calm gradually soothes her devastation and helps her find peace.

Poetry·Kym Goodsell, age 13 — A child chases a butterfly through morning grass, stumbling but persisting until one finger brushes its wing before it flies away.

Story·Sabrina Wong, age 10 — A young gymnast fails to complete her back walkover during competition but returns to the empty gym afterward and finally succeeds, finding meaning in the unwitnessed achievement.

Story·Rose Diltz, age 13 — A girl afraid of everything must rescue her best friend when a storm causes a riding accident, discovering courage she didn't know she had.

Poetry·Andrew Lee, age 13 — A speedcuber's hands fly over a Rubik's cube, colors sparking through the air, until the puzzle emerges whole again as the stopwatch beeps.

Poetry·Eddie Mansius, age 13 — A young surfer catches their first wave in Maui, experiencing the exhilaration of success after being tumbled by the ocean.