ACARA Years 7-10

Story·Simon Reis, age 11 — A boy encounters a mysterious neighbor who claims to be Beethoven reincarnated, offering musical genius in exchange for sharing his deafness and suffering.

Story·Torey Bocast, age 13 — A girl in a wheelchair faces her fear during her first therapeutic horseback riding lesson, finding hope for both physical recovery and independence.

Story·Sarah Shissler, age 12 — A writer recalls her first trip to Alaska ten years ago, where she befriended a pack of wolves—Lakota, Pike, and Kepa—and witnessed their struggles to survive through a brutal winter.

Story·Jason Lee, age 13 — A nervous 13-year-old rappels down a 200-foot cliff, transforming from panic to exhilaration as he discovers the beauty of the panoramic view and his own courage.

Story·Kirsten Moon, age 13 — A girl visits her mother's grave before moving across the country, bringing roses and struggling to say goodbye until a mysterious breeze brings comfort.

Story·Annie Strother, age 13 — A thirteen-year-old reflects on her nomadic life in her parents' van, arriving in their thirty-second town while longing for the stability of a real home.

Story·Leah Karker, age 12 — A girl raised on a farm discovers she's a wolf when she finds her birth mother among a wolf pack and transforms to join them.

Story·Laurel Lathrop, age 13 — A girl on the social outskirts is chosen as the healer's apprentice, severing ties with family and friends to begin her new life in the forest.

Story·Hana Bieliauskas — A white girl in art class gradually befriends Tammy, a Black student who faces racist bullying, culminating when she witnesses an attack and offers help.

Story·Valerie Gill, age 13 — During a power outage, a girl discovers her computer mysteriously working and receives cryptic messages about Earth, humanity as parasites, and her role in learning everything.