ACARA Years 3-6

Story·Hannah Nami Gajcowski — In this installment of a fantasy novella, Elana cures Henry's paint-fainting sickness, recruits gingerbread workers for an army, and infiltrates Casey's castle using magical lightning rope.

Story·Harper Fortgang, age 11 — A girl faces sexist taunts when joining the Boys' Chess Club but wins over her teammates by reframing their shared experiences of exclusion and leading them to victory.

Poetry·Lilly-June Gordon, age 12 — A young writer explores the gap between how peers see her—aloof, friendless—and how she sees herself: kind, connected, surviving through writing.

Personal Narrative·Sara Heller, age 12 — After falling during pointe hops at Russian ballet camp, a shy dancer gains strength and confidence through a roommate's patient coaching and encouragement.

Story·Leon Antonov, age 12 — After a killer whale destroys his research ship, a marine biologist and his pet cormorant survive on a deserted island until they can build a raft to escape.

Poetry·Penelope Purchase, age 11 — A poem about the sudden, irresistible pull of nature that draws you outside to turn cartwheels under the moon and watch the world spin.

Poetry·Lauren Giglia, age 11 — A lake speaks through a young swimmer, revealing both its natural beauty—kingfishers, trout, pines—and the damage humans have inflicted upon it.

Poetry·Aiah Morris, age 12 — A crow flies free from troubles, basking in sun, her firm voice neither screaming nor complacent, taking only what's unwanted like vultures do.

Poetry·Zeke Braman, age 9 — A young poet climbs a mountain path, sensing ancestral footsteps and wanting to merge with the landscape's accumulated stories and secrets.

Story·Julia Hershon, age 11 — During an asteroid attack on her French village, a farm girl and her new classmate Clara rescue a young boy and flee to the mountains, where Evangeline reunites with her...