Anthology
A student-edited and student-curated collection. Every piece represents a young person choosing to share their voice in a space that values free expression.
Page Not Found’s Anthology features selected work by students in grades 4–8 from across the country.
Each piece is chosen by our student editorial team and published to amplify young voices, ideas, and perspectives. The work in this collection reflects imagination, honesty, and creative courage. We value originality and thoughtful expression over polish or perfection. New selections are featured regularly. The most recent work appears first.
Sunset
by June E.
4th Grade
East Elementary School
Dreams
by Sadie R.
7th Grade
When you are tired you can escape to this land
A world with magic we can’t understand
It is the best way to know how you feel
Without your brain making your emotions more of an appeal
What you show on the outside can be controlled
But inside emotions are loud, proud, and bold
In this place, you’re subconsciously in complete control
As your body resets, so does your mind and your soul
This place is fantastic but also scary
It depends on how you’re feeling on the contrary
But most of the time 80%
You won’t remember them leaving you not content
So if you ever don’t understand how you feel sometimes
You can travel to an alternate reality, one of many kinds
You can escape the world and yet be in your own head
You get this sensation every night when you’re in bed
Outdoors
by Kate G.
Eastern Middle School
Grass whips and dips past my legs
Bugs and birds fly just shy from the sky
Flying. Electrifying the air.
Deers cheer
Hatchlings pop out of eggs
Nearby squirrels reply with chittering cries vibrating into the sky
Everywhere birds tend to the little ones’ welfare
I sit on a rock watching yellow legs appear on their twig beds
I sigh wondering when will I have to say good-bye
Goodbye, I say for tomorrow I will have to be elsewhere.
Alone
by Shaika H.
6th Grade
The rain beat down on the large leaf that the young orangutan held overhead. While holding the large elephant leaf in one hand the orangutan hugged himself with his free hand. The miserable, dark, and humid weather left an empty and unsatisfied feeling in the young orangutan. He sat hunched on top of a cold, wet, and rough log that gave him no comfort. His eyes wandered searching for a familiar face. This was to no avail, though, as it only fortified the feelings of loneliness he was already consumed by. He was alone.
Photo Credit: Andrew Suryono was about to take his camera away due to the rain until he noticed an orangutan using a leaf as an umbrella. He quickly snapped this amazing shot, which got him an honorable mention in a 2015 National Geographic Photo Contest.
Us
by Kiron T.
7th Grade
Greenwich Country Day School
Happy
by Charles B.
5th Grade
Ode To an Awesome Teacher
by Tolani T.
5th Grade
Oh the way you make me smile
I will remember you for a while
You make me smile all the time
Every poem you write it make a great rhyme
As happy I am to have you as my teacher
When ever I write a poetry book you will be the main feature
Whenever I look at you I just can't help to smile
That means that you will be in my brain a while
I love you so much and I always will
Because when it is writing time I get a thrill
You make everyone feel good about themselves
😀
When you always tell very funny stories
You are the best teacher ever
I will never forget you never never never ♥️♥️P
The Swim
by Karina B.
7th Grade
As I jump into the cool ocean water, I feel a wave of cold salty air surround me. In midair, time seems to pause as I take in my surroundings. Water crashing against the beach; seagulls and pelicans diving into the water for food. Then finally the cold water engulfs me. The chilling and tingling feeling washes over my whole body as it gets cooled at once. For a few seconds, I shiver from the water, till my body adjusts to the cool temperature. I lower my googles and place the snorkel in my mouth and dive under. All around me there are sky-blue fish bumping into my feet or hiding behind me. As I swim they follow me, everywhere I go, they are right behind me. I turn left they turn left almost like toddlers in a single file line following the leader. As I go over a coral reef I see small fish popping their heads out of rocks or dead coral. It was almost like they were looking out of their homes to see who knocked on their door. Many years ago I went snorkeling at this same spot exact same spot; before the coral reef was alive with fish every. Now there was only a small percentage of those fish still there. I had an uneasy feeling in my stomach from seeing all the coral dead and fish gone. I continued on with my snorkeling journey as I left I expected to see fish going out from their rock homes but none did. I went to a shallow area and caught my breath. I looked around to see where I wanted to go. I saw a family being bombarded by seagulls as they had a picnic at the beach. Being on the beach for that much time had made the salt on me harden. The sand somehow made its way up to my mouth and now I had the unpleasant gritty taste of sand in my mouth. I waddled over to my family when I realized that my family was the ones being bombarded by the seagulls!!!