826 believes in amplifying and publishing youth voices. Browse our student writing collections for pieces that will inspire you and your students. Our students’ words will make you smile, think, sigh, cry so hard you laugh, and laugh so much you cry. Celebrate and honor their stories with us!
Our writing collections feature student writing on diverse topics from diverse authors. Browse, enjoy, and discover representative mentor texts to inspire your students to write. Find more student writing in our RESOURCE LIBRARY.
Rosman A., age 18, 826CHI
Smells swirl about a student walking around an ice cream shop.
Yamilet J., 826LA
A student reflects on the fear and wonder of becoming a mother.
Jerieliz Garcia & Jaiden Vinti, 826NYC
Two poets braid together their reflections on where they come from.
Dominick Contreras Rodriguez, age 9, 826 Valencia
A student traces his identity through food and family.
Virginia Walker, age 18, 826 Boston
A student writes to a grandmother she never met.
Jade Latiker, Grade 3, 826 New Orleans
A student introduces two ghoulish friends.
Check out these haunting pieces of spooky student writing!
A student paints two images, one of Halloween night, and the second of home.
"The fabric ghosts swoosh away, / Fake spiders scuttle on their webs, / And puppet witches cackle away."
A student describes the eeriness of liminal spaces.
"You’re hungry for the light to help your understanding of what’s around you. The sign attracts your main focus. The sign is quiet yet screams so loud in your face."
Discover the fearful T-Rex Koala--koala by day, monster by night!
"The evil T-Rex Koala is so bad! It has scratches on its fur and has vampire fangs made out of pickles."
A student bravely faces the first day of school.
"I like to summon / ghosts."
Our protagonist attempts to evade a boogieman invasion.
"Then someone ran out saying, 'That’s not a person, that’s the boogieman!'"
Follow Nightmare on an epic mission to help the mayor.
"The mutant beast attacked Zook, but Nightmare cast a witch bolt at it. The beast hit the ground steaming."
Students voice their hopes, fears, and calls to action in letters to the next U.S. President.
A student recounts their experience with a school shooting in a letter to the next U.S. President to reform gun control.
"But I do know, Mr. President, that now is our time to act. In the hopes that my words matter, A student dreaming of a better tomorrow"
A second grader's adorable list of demands to the future President.
"Please make more playgrounds, because I like playgrounds."
A plea to the next President to provide better access to mental health treatment for youth.
"President, I ask that you support my community by putting more money into helping children talk about what they have seen in their lives."
A poet imagines a better and more harmonious world.
"Imagine, if you will, this vision so grand,/ A realm of harmony, hand in hand."
A letter to the next President asking them to support immigration laws that will allow them to see their family.
"It would help me for my family to be able to travel here, because I could show them new things that they don’t know yet, like the rules that are different here."
In this letter, a student asks the next U.S. President to help the homeless.
"If you visit Los Angeles, I would like you to visit my house, and I’ll show you where the homeless people live. I will donate my own money to help."
A letter asking the next U.S. President to stop climate change and save our home.
"I’m writing to share my story about climate change that has been impacting me, my community, and the Earth."
A gender-fluid student's call to action to the next U.S. president to protect LGBTQIA+ rights.
"My family may have to move if more anti-LGBTQ+ laws are passed."
A poet speaks out as a voice for change and all those who cannot speak.
"My voice rings bells,/ for the change we need to make,"
When we publish our students’ writing, something magical happens. Students see their ideas reflected in something tangible and begin to see themselves as authors with words worth reading. See the magic in action by checking out 826-published books that will feel right at home on any bookshelf.
Our writing collections feature student writing on diverse topics from diverse authors. Browse, enjoy, and discover representative mentor texts to inspire your students to write. Find more student writing in our RESOURCE LIBRARY.
Dive into new worlds of student writing with these amazing short stories from 826 students.
A magical mountain quest to save a mermaid.
"I will go to the mountain so I can see a mermaid."
Inspired by Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid, this piece contains a series of journal entries and rules for a new sport by fictitious NASA operative Agent Smitty.
"I was wandering around Mars, looking for signs of life, when I saw something really creepy."
A story about a mysterious tunnel that leaves you on the edge of your seat!
"My head started to spin and my whole body was covered in goosebumps and chills."
The misadventures of finding a missing wallet.
"On this one particular Tuesday, Times Square was so busy, I could barely see two feet ahead of me."
Students creatively introduce themselves through personal essays.
A student recounts the epic highs and lows of high school track and cross country.
"The starting gun went off and everybody took off. I saw my own teammates ahead of me as well as those of the competing school. I felt the adrenaline rush pushing me to try and keep up and go even faster. "
The power of public speaking shines through this student's memoir.
"Public speaking has given me the opportunity to influence decisions, create connections with my community, and hold myself accountable."
A student reflects on how her relationship's with her parents has influenced her life.
"Your first heartbreak makes you want to build up walls with the world."
A student shares how they've uplifted their community.
"I am now proud, more than anything, of being a resident of the neighborhood because I am more in-tune with my identity. I will continue to advocate for this tender community I have come to love so dearly."
A young writer reconciles their sexuality with the beliefs of their community.
"Belonging to two cultures is difficult, especially when one is not inclusive of who I am."
A student recalls how he was able to take charge and turn his life around.a
"Even when this kid was warring internally, he found himself pushing himself ahead through the things he loves."
A student describes how volunteering saved him from his online prison.
" I was tired of this mandatory prison breaking me down physically and mentally. As the world recovered, I longed for a purpose beyond being indoors."
A student tells the story of how his family has influenced his life.
"The aroma of home-cooked delicacies, the warmth of familial bonds—these became the cornerstones of my upbringing, grounding me in a rich tapestry of culture and identity."