ACARA Years 3-6

Story·Tiffanie Goh, age 11 — A mute girl who finds solace in nature discovers she can communicate telepathically with a mountain cat, then runs away when her divorcing parents abandon her.

Story·Amy Zhou, age 11 — During a summer visit to China, a girl who hates bugs learns from her butterfly-loving aunt to see the beauty and purpose in all living things.

Story·Amy Zhou, age 11 — A girl who hates bugs learns to care for butterflies with her aunt in China, discovering that all life has meaning and purpose.

Poetry·Callen Bailey, age 12 — A five-year-old battles wind and waves in a canoe during an Adirondack storm, discovering strength and joy amid the chaos.

Story·Justin Le Veness, age 11 — An eight-year-old boy faces his fear when his father dares him to go outside during Hurricane Matthew, discovering both the storm's power and his father's protective nature.

Story·Evelyn Fitzpatrick, age 11 — When her best friend announces she's moving to Korea in two days, a girl's anger gives way to understanding that true friendship can survive any distance.

Poetry·Christiana Joiner, age 11 — A girl flees anger and homework to climb her beloved tree, where rough bark and height transform fury into tears and finally clarity.

Story·Katie Dillon, age 12 — During a sixth-grade math test, a perfectionist student spirals into panic until a photo of her baby cousin reminds her that love doesn't depend on being perfect.

Poetry·Kate Choi, age 12 — A morning meditation in an oak tree by a brook, where the listener discovers that silence is filled with nature's whispered wisdom and calls to action.

Poetry·Sabrina Guo, age 11 — A money tree in the living room becomes a meditation on luck, family traditions, and whether fortune is given or made.