By Amelia F. Barnum, New York

She is tall and strong, and she could pull a cart well, until now. She caught pneumonia one week ago. My best horse gone ill. Her name is Gretchen.

By Aoife Fitzpatrick, age 11, Ireland

I am a dog. This is my story.

By Jimena Valdivia, age 11, California

On a scorching hot sunny summer afternoon, inside a red and white farmhouse, lived a greedy pig named Piggles Worth Snort with all his other barn friends, and several birds which just came to eat and drink food inside the barn.

By Kate Duplantis, age 12, Louisiana

I raced from left to right, trying to escape the man chasing me. I feared I would not find shelter, but I dashed into a junkyard, hoping I would not be seen.

By Elysse Leclerc, age 11, Canada

Brrring! Before I could take a breath, people were pushing through the cramped door that led out of the classroom. I followed them out the door.

By Sharath Chandra Kandlakunta, Texas

Once upon a time, there lived a poor old woman, Lara, in a village bordering the woods, and she was a woodcutter.