ACARA Years 3-6

Poetry·Andrew Lee, age 13 — A speedcuber's hands fly over a Rubik's cube, colors sparking through the air, until the puzzle emerges whole again as the stopwatch beeps.

Story·Iona Swift, age 12 — After losing a theater role, a girl flees to a creek where nature's calm gradually soothes her devastation and helps her find peace.

Story·Madison Kwasny, age 12 — A girl returns to an unchanged room filled with soap collections, antique brushes, and family memorabilia, finding comfort in its familiar details and lake views.

Story·Timmi Ruth Kline, age 11 — A young Egyptian girl yearns to help build Pharaoh Cheops' pyramid while managing household duties and missing her parents, who return unexpectedly at story's end.

Story·Maureen Sullivan, age 12 — A girl reluctantly moves from Wisconsin to Ireland, loses her best friend's photo at the Cliffs of Moher, then discovers a hidden letter from a lonely local girl seeking friendship.

Story·Jordan Coble, age 12 — A girl disobeys her grandfather's warning and reads a magic book from his library, causing plants and animals to erupt from its pages until he rescues her.

Story·Lena Greenberg, age 11 — Two sisters who once shared an imaginary world called the Blueberry Family drift apart after moving to Connecticut, until a forgotten lunch brings understanding.

Poetry·Kym Goodsell, age 13 — A child chases a butterfly through morning grass, stumbling but persisting until one finger brushes its wing before it flies away.

Poetry·Eddie Mansius, age 13 — A young surfer catches their first wave in Maui, experiencing the exhilaration of success after being tumbled by the ocean.

Story·Sabrina Wong, age 10 — A young gymnast fails to complete her back walkover during competition but returns to the empty gym afterward and finally succeeds, finding meaning in the unwitnessed achievement.