ACARA Years 7-10

Story·Kyle Eichner, age 13 — A young wife in 1896 South Carolina cares for her husband dying of consumption, their memories of courtship interweaving with his final days and the birth of their daughter.

Story·Megan M. Gannett, age 13 — A girl climbs her favorite tree at dawn to witness spring's arrival, reflecting on nature's renewal and the wisdom found in stillness versus society's constant rush.

Story·Devin McKissic, age 11 — During the Russian Revolution, a young aristocrat works in a hospital while worrying about her brother at war and witnessing her family's changing views on the Tsar.

Story·Hannah Postel, age 12 — An actor playing Romeo navigates pre-show tension with her Juliet, finding reconciliation and deeper understanding of her character through performance.

Story·Anastasia M. Apostoleris, age 12 — A ten-year-old boy experiences November 22, 1963, through the lens of his baby brother named after President Kennedy, capturing the moment childhood innocence meets national tragedy.

Story·Veronica Engler, age 15 — A young woman becomes the first female bull rider to attempt the Championships, facing down Widow Maker, a bull unridden for seven years.

Poetry·Rosemary Engelfried, age 13 — A Pacific Northwest autumn storm transforms Douglas firs and ocean cliffs into a world of fog, rain, and distant waves.

Story·Olivia Grugan, age 13 — A teenage girl recounts the day her family's beloved pond became the site of tragedy when a six-year-old Amish boy drowned during a gathering.

Story·Marian Homans-Turnbull, age 13 — A girl's last morning on a Nova Scotia island turns into a fog-bound adventure when their boat gets lost, leading to an unexpected sail on a schooner.

Poetry·Nicole Guenther, age 12 — A young poet confronts mortality by imagining flight beyond Earth's gravity, transforming the fear of nothingness into an invitation to soar through unnamed universes.