ACARA Years 7-10

Story·Nate Sheehan, age 12 — A Japanese boy moves to America in 1956 and faces bullying until a friend named Conrad stands up for him, ultimately getting expelled for defending him in a fight.

Story·Ermeen Choudhury, age 12 — Five years after her twin sister Grace falls to her death from their treehouse, twelve-year-old Chloë returns to find Grace's spirit waiting to play pirates one last time.

Story·Morgan Biagioni, age 13 — After a fight with her mother about fitness, a girl flees to her rooftop refuge and realizes that having a mother, even an imperfect one, is a gift.

Story·Emily Stevens, age 13 — A girl searches desperately for her beloved lesson horse Judah after he's retired without warning, finally finding him at a distant stable.

Poetry·Keslee Peterson, age 13 — A swimmer's race unfolds from nervous anticipation through the explosive start, underwater glide, flip turn, and triumphant finish in lane seven.

Story·Lukas Bacho, age 12 — A businesswoman at San Francisco airport reluctantly agrees to deliver a mysterious package from a deaf stranger to his daughter in New York.

Story·Ethan Archibald, age 13 — A son profiles his mother, a Chinese immigrant who expresses herself through cooking, weaving together her Beijing childhood, American journey, and culinary mastery.

Poetry·Daniel Fawcett, age 12 — A young person reflects on feeling different and alone despite family love, finding solace in writing and stories while navigating an uncertain world.

Story·Ellanora Lerner, age 12 — A volunteer meal deliverer meets an elderly man who asks her to write about his deceased son so he'll be remembered, then receives the son's funeral tape after the father...

Story·Katherine Tung, age 11 — A seven-year-old Taiwanese immigrant girl chases a boy who steals her five-dollar bill at the market, learning hard lessons about trust and resilience in her new country.