Stepping Forward: Six short stories about growing up and treasuring childhood

by Haniah Avery, Bethany Snow, Hannah Ramirez

From a story about an action figure in a purple top hat brought to life to a tale of a girl who dreams of becoming a great warrior, these six stories of growing up and treasuring childhood are great for all ages and written in small, easy to read pieces.

Genres: Middle Grade

252 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2025

About the author

Haniah Avery, of small town Kansas, has been telling stories since before she could read. When she's not writing, you can find her curled up with a good book, watching a movie with her family, or perhaps singing all too loudly to show tunes and Christian music from the year she was born.

Reviews

[Haniah Avery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Orphan Train to Home by Haniah Avery

Edith Kronewitz doesn’t have a family, not since she was dropped off at a New York orphanage as a baby with only a pair of shoes.

Once she gets to Kansas, however, a kind man comes and takes her home to his family. But she’ll never be able to stay, will she? Not after so many others have come back to the train. She won’t even need to unpack.

This is the story that I wrote for the anthology, so I won't add anything else except that this particular story has no content warnings and is great for sensitive readers. (:

Whacky Wednesday by Jessie Childress

When Evan Young realizes, with some resentment, that he doesn't want to play with his action figures anymore, he feels as if he’ll have to throw away all of his creativity just to grow up. Then one of his action figures comes to life!

Now Evan is faced with having to keep Whacky Wednesday, the craziest figure on his shelf, out of trouble while also finding out the bittersweet truth of staying young and growing up.

This story is wonderful and filled with whimsy. I love the Whackiness of it and all the delightful romps and problems that the characters find themselves in.
Content Warning: bullying, magic, and referring to the school bus as the "Hell Express"

Goodnight Moon by Sophia Hope Coleman

Fourteen-year-old Abby thought the mansion would be a new beginning. Instead, it becomes a trap. Her sister’s in danger, her mother’s dying, and the house has its own rules. To save them all, she must beat a ghost at his own game—before the home that was meant to save them tears them apart.

This story is a sweet sister story filled with...ghosts! It's a very fun story for kids who love spooky stories, but it's not so scary that kids who don't won't enjoy it.
Content Warning: ghosts

A Perfectly Imperfect Christmas by Margaret Pierce

It’s two days before Christmas, and 12-year-old Olive is busy as an elf creating a masterpiece to enter in an exciting art contest, all while helping her mom prepare for an important event and trying unsuccessfully to escape the chaos of her six siblings. But when disaster strikes on Christmas Eve, a Christmas choir and a special fundraiser help Olive discover the true meaning of Christmas.

Adorable story filled big family vibes, the coziness of Christmas, and a dash of art. There are no content warnings.

Yesterday's Stars by Hannah Ramirez

Ninth grade has arrived, and the only one who isn’t excited is Melody. High school means more work. High school means getting older. And getting older means forgetting.

When her parents suddenly start hosting garage sales to get rid of “useless clutter,” Melody tries to rescue as many of her childhood things as possible. But between that and trying to adjust to her new school, she feels like she’s drowning. And when a shocking announcement rocks her world, she must decide whether or not she’s ready to grow up.

Grief and growing up are explored here in such a beautiful way and I loved it so much!
Content Warnings: none

Don't Be So Quick, Little One by Bethany Snow

Pasha’s dream is to be a warrior like the ones that pass through her quiet town, bringing stories of the monsters they kill to keep the common folk safe. Specifically, the youngest ever. Everyone keeps telling her that she’s too young, that she needs to wait, but Pasha believes she is ready. Driven to a head, Pasha decides to take matters into her own hands when her favorite warriors stop at her town for a visit. But the life of a warrior is nothing what she expected…

Such a sweet story filled with adventure and learning. I loved Pasha dearly.
Content Warnings: creature violence

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All in all, I loved this anthology so much and am so happy to have been a part of it. All of the stories were phenomenal. <3

[Hannah Ramirez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is it weird to give my own book a five-star review?

Probably. :P

But I am not the only author featured in this anthology, and I happen to think that my fellow writers' stories 100% deserve the five stars!

From a girl trying to save her family from ghosts, to an orphan who thinks she'll never find a home, to an action figure showing a boy his creative side, to an older sibling trying to orchestrate the perfect Christmas with her large family, to a twelve-year-old who wants to be a warrior, to a girl facing the reality of growing up, these six stories are all written by teens, for children--because we're still growing up, too.

But that doesn't mean we have to throw away our childhoods.

All of these short stories are clean and child-friendly, and perfect for kids (or adults!) who enjoy characters in the throes of growing up, the joy of everyday life, haunted houses, loving families, brave warriors, whacky (yes, I spelled that wrong ;)) humor, and stargazing in the desert.

I hope you love all these stories as much as I do. :)

[Emma Reckeweg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is wonderful!
It has quite a bit of humor, which makes the child in you love it, while also having warmth and applicable lessons that appeal to the grown up side of you.
I 100% recommend it for any pre-teen/teen as they are figuring out the transition from child to adult!
May it help and impact you as much as it did me!