ACARA Years 3-6

Personal Narrative·Carys Kim — A girl overcomes her fear to shave her head in solidarity with her grandmother who has cancer, discovering unexpected strength in the act.

Poetry·Ian Maduff — A car journey through an Indiana wind farm becomes a meditation on movement, shadows, and the hypnotic rhythm of spinning turbines.

Poetry·Mirabel Sandler — A poem contrasts natural elements with human infrastructure, calling for a shift in how we see and treat the earth's beauty.

Poetry·Hazel Grace — A stone travels through the world, shrinking from road to boot to child's hand, until it becomes a skipping stone dancing across water.

Poetry·Sascha Deal-Lessin — A lament for lost beauty — stars replaced by planes, fish by empty oceans, trees by barren ground — asking where the world's wonder has gone.

Poetry·Mary G. Lane — A zoo visitor observes how elephant shrews, overshadowed by elephants, still find their way into visitors' memories and diaries despite their smallness.

Poetry·Anthony Halkos — A boy traces his identity through objects and memories connecting his Greek heritage to his American present, from teddy bears to spanakopita.

Story·Chris Yihan Ye — During extreme seasons—windy spring, scorching summer, cool fall, freezing winter—various animals struggle with weather challenges while their companions offer practical solutions they refuse.

Story·Eliana Vitti — A red hen stops laying eggs to prevent them from being stolen, leading to her selection for the farmer's New Year's Eve dinner.

Poetry·Madeline Male — A child watches their old house disappear through the car window as the family drives away to a new home, capturing the moment of leaving.