ACARA Years 3-6

Story·Emina S. Sonnad, age 11 — A homesick Hawaiian girl meets an exuberant neighbor in an Oregon meadow who shows her a secret grove of cherry blossoms, where she glimpses their future friendship in a frozen...

Poetry·Marissa Bergman, age 12 — A girl dismisses her younger sister's childish questions about color until the sister's drawing reveals how she sees their shared moment in pink-hearted wonder.

Story·Erin Bennett, age 11 — A shy girl visits a special oak tree at night where the ghost of her friend appears to tell her a cautionary tale about finding her voice.

Story·Andreas Freund, age 11 — A boy visiting Nicaragua is confronted by child street vendors and gives his souvenir money to a five-year-old selling flowers outside a restaurant.

Story·William Gwaltney, age 10 — A German Shepherd named Jack leaves his Connecticut family to serve as a scout dog in WWII Morocco, saves soldiers' lives, and returns home changed but loved.

Poetry·Jennifer Hu, age 13 — A summer night in the fields where fireflies transform into earthbound stars, creating a moment where heaven and earth meet through tiny lights.

Story·Molly Morabito, age 11 — A girl discovers her passion for racing horses, wins local competitions with her horse Cherish, but during a crucial race, Cherish breaks her leg on a shortcut, ending both their...

Poetry·Julia Lipkis, age 12 — A meadow scene unfolds through precise natural imagery — wilting wildflowers, grazing deer, gossiping birds, and wind whispering secrets over bent corn.

Story·William Gwaltney, age 10 — A girl searches for the perfect apple in her grandfather's orchard, remembering her grandmother who died last year, and discovers a new way forward through shared grief.

Poetry·Taylor Nelsen, age 11 — A red leaf falls from a tree in autumn twilight and becomes caught in a spider's web, their patterns intertwining in the dawn light.