ACARA Years 7-10

Story·Tristan Hui, age 12 — Thu loses his place as grandmother's favorite when his sickly sister is born, but journeys to save her life and learns what family truly means.

Story·Una Dorr, age 12 — After moving to Brooklyn, Kiera finally achieves popularity but must choose between her new friends and Claudia, who wears the same Hello Kitty shirt Kiera once loved.

Story·Isabel Swain, age 12 — A girl awaits her mother's return for a crucial school interview, only to learn her mother is hospitalized and she'll enter foster care.

Story·Vandana Ravi, age 12 — A girl who struggles to speak finds solace in a book about a unicorn and a friend, escaping into its world during lunch before returning to face school.

Story·Mia Fang, age 13 — After her father loses his job and joins the military, Lily struggles with anger and guilt until the day a messenger arrives with devastating news.

Story·Anna Shepherd, age 11 — During a tense car ride to visit relatives, two sisters play Twenty Questions, but when Jenny thinks she's solved Ula's puzzle, her sister refuses to confirm the answer.

Story·Sabrina Guo, age 12 — A young violinist tours China with the Joyous String Ensemble, performing alongside master musicians while discovering how music can literally save lives and connect memories across time and place.

Poetry·Anya Geist, age 12 — A nocturnal tour through a French vacation house moves from cicadas outside to bedrooms within, mapping the geography of temporary belonging through precise architectural detail.

Story·Claire Rinterknecht, age 13 — A travel writer who stopped traveling after his wife's death in a climbing accident has been faking his columns for years, until his niece discovers his secret.

Story·Aditya Singh, age 12 — Five vignettes explore identity through hands, chess defeat, a berry tree, a letter to younger self, and meditation on the narrator's name.