ACARA Years 7-10
— A speaker deliberately ignores the decay around them—dirty dishes, holes in walls, a broken fishbowl—because noticing would make it feel less like home.
— A boy learns his parents are divorcing, finds solace in his golden retriever Lucky, and escapes into baseball—both through books and a Giants game.
— Dawn breaks through trees as birds find their perches, while the speaker breathes in the ancient scents of maple and oak between dreams and waking.
— A young woman finds solace in morning rituals and simple pleasures before heading to the beach to write, savoring solitude before crowds arrive.
— During a sleepover, thirteen-year-olds play Truth or Dare with their Magic Manatee, discussing fears, philosophy, and crushes until dawn breaks.
— In 1942 Philippines, a ten-year-old girl watches her family's sugar plantation burn as American forces evacuate them to prevent Japanese occupation of their home.
— Dawn breaks through trees as birds find their perches, while the speaker breathes in the ancient scents of maple and oak between dreams and waking.
— A teenage girl and her toddler brother discover hundreds of stranded starfish on a beach, leading to reflections on life, death, and the power of small choices.
— During a storm at an inn, a traveling storyteller tells of a mysterious Fisherwoman who died saving her child, whose return will bring rain back to drought-stricken Searain.
— A girl escapes to a secret garden after fighting with her mother, where memories of visiting the same garden as a child help her find forgiveness.