Margaret Nevinski

My middle-grade short story, "Birches," appeared in Soundings Review from the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts.

Read the story by going to my page for "Birches."

When sixth-grader Becca gets a school assignment to visit the local senior care facility, she wonders, Why me? But when she meets Olivia Browne, a painter who sees life her own way, Becca begins to see things differently, too.

My YA short story, "The Eve of St. Agnes," appeared in the online literary journal, Hunger Mountain.

Seventeen-year-old Courtney dreams about her future husband on January 20th, the Eve of St. Agnes. One problem: he's the geekiest guy in her school. Can one girl on her own fight against the power of dreams?

What other writers are saying about "The Eve of St. Agnes":

Tim Wynne-Jones: "I love this story. I love the dreamlike, pell mell pace of it, the falling down a snowy-hillside fantasy of it, all wrapped around in wintery warmth. Such a shiny polished gem."

Julie Larios: "Keats and The Wart – two names you might not expect to see in the same story!!"

Frances Lee Hall: "The St. Agnes connections give the story a fascinating and fun twist. Every poetic detail is carefully crafted with its place and significance well shown. I love the pins."

From a slinky salamander to a dancing dolphin, “Animal Acrostics,” published in R.E.A.L. The Canadian Kids’ Magazine, form poems using the letters of the animals’ names. 

When Elena's friend Angie convinces her to take swimming lessons, Elena knows she'd rather be anywhere else than the pool. As the other "Pollywogs" shout and splash, Elena stands rigid in the water. She thinks back to the time at Lake Nina when her Uncle Roy, not knowing she couldn't swim, pushed her off the dock. Elena vowed then she'd never forgive him. Now, as Ms. Waters gently teaches Elena how to float, Elena learns something else. She finds a way to triumph and discover friendship, trust, and forgiveness.

Do you remember the Greek myth about Icarus, who flies too close to the sun? That’s only half the story. Icarus has a twin sister named Iris, and her dream is to fly. In this humorous retelling of the myth, Iris--not your typical Greek goddess--pursues her dream.

Nine-year-old Lily Kato keeps a journal of her last year at Minidoka, an internment camp for Japanese Americans during World War II. She questions why she and her family must live behind barbed wire. They have done nothing wrong. Why do people see them as the enemy?

In 1960, protected by U.S. marshals, first-grader Ruby Bridges faces mobs and taunts when she walks up the steps of the all-white William Frantz Public School. When white parents remove their children from Ruby's classroom, Ruby studies alone with her teacher. As the first African-American student to integrate New Orleans schools, Ruby paves the way for generations of students.