By James Brissenden, age 10, New York

James bounded down the stairs of his school and leapt off when he got to the third stair from the bottom.

By Hannah Warner, age 17, Colorado

“Miss, Miss Harper?” said the clerk, Mr. Honeylucks, who was dressed in a pressed white dress shirt and pressed black slacks. Clare looked over at his polished shoes and then up at his bright aqua bow tie.

By Christina Monroe, age 18, Tipp City, Ohio

Scraaatch. Click.
“I’ve got it!”
Aura pulled out the bobby pin and opened the door to the closet and there, sitting on the floor, was a locked chest.

By Olivia Gordon, age 10, Oregon

Edward the pumpkin was flowered June 14, 1987. From the moment he started to take shape, his mother plant knew he had little chance.

By Rosemary, age 15, India

There is no beauty without some strangeness.

By Julia Melik, age 13, Prague

The next day it all started. The children’s trio with butterfly quietly slipped into the cave and through the winding passages that led into the Central hall.