A jar of jelly beans

"A Jar of Jelly Beans" by Franklin Gregory is a science fiction story that shows us a troubled world in the year 2060, where too many people and not enough resources have caused a crisis. The main character, Justin Weatherby, is a bright scientist who comes up with a surprising idea to help control how many people there are - making people smaller. Justin works as an advisor to the President, trying to discover solutions while the space program struggles, and he realizes how serious the problems of Earth have become. His plan involves using a special hormone during pregnancy, so babies are born smaller, but still healthy. Justin must face tough choices about his work, his family, and what is right as he tries to convince the world about his plan. The story becomes very personal when his own child is born, which represents both his hopes and his worries about the future and how society might change.