Young Voices of Silver City 2014 is designed to encourage and support young scholars in their pursuit of literacy. Students from all across the area around Silver City, New Mexico, participated with poetry, personal and historical essays, and artistic renderings. From the compelling “Listen to the Voices,” an award-winning poem by Alyssa Shanley-Lenie, the words of this young group of writers spin vivid images of New Mexico, of scenes of home recalled by a young soldier serving in Iraq, of the magic inherent in an ordinary day of a young boy. You will love the bond between a dreaming girl and the glowing stars that warm he heart. These young writers have grasped some primary rules of good writing. They write of what they know best, and they write objectively, avoiding sentimentality. Kudos to them, to their teachers and to Literacy Alive, the program that showcased their work.