ACARA Years 7-10

Story·Megan Little, age 13 — A girl overcomes her fear to confront bullies who are racially harassing her Filipino friend, discovering the power of standing up for what's right.

Story·Kika Kovaleski, age 10 — Eight-year-old Yuki experiences the upheaval of Japanese-American internment, losing herself in despair until a letter from her librarian and an unexpected kindness help her find hope again.

Story·Jenna Fields, age 13 — After her grandfather shares memories of her late grandmother during a rainstorm, a girl discovers the meaning of finding sunshine even on cloudy days when he passes away two days...

Story·David Vapnek, age 12 — A star running back plays through concussion symptoms with a cracked helmet in the championship game, scores the winning touchdown, but may never play football again.

Poetry·Genevieve Jacobs, age 12 — A bearded dragon observes its reflection in terrarium glass, mistaking it for another lizard until the heat lamp clicks off and the illusion vanishes.

Story·Lily Strauss, age 12 — Two girls repeatedly almost meet through various near-misses, until the narrator reveals their friendship would have diminished them both, making timing's failures a blessing.

Story·Mathilde Fox-Smith, age 11 — A teenage graffiti artist creates stunning murals on abandoned buildings while evading police, forming an unlikely friendship with a politician's daughter who discovers his work.

Poetry·Izzah Khairi, age 13 — Night transforms a mountain landscape into a cosmic performance where moon, wind, trees, and lake become musicians preparing for the stars' appearance.

Story·Ellie Woody, age 13 — An adopted Korean girl visits her birth village on Easter, confronting the life she might have lived before choosing the family who raised her.

Story·Natalia Dunyak, age 13 — Three Galactic Soldiers rebel against orders to annihilate the planet Enyo, escaping to broker peace and end an interplanetary war that threatens both civilizations.