US Common Core ELA

Story·Alexandra Steyn — A woman with failing memory navigates her empty house, discovers something terrible on her street, and forgets both the horror and that her husband is dead.

Poetry·Holly Jane Doyle — A walk through winter woods reveals tiny mushrooms listening to every sound — from robins hopping to rooks cawing to human footsteps.

Poetry·Holly Jane Doyle — Men with feathered heads descend to a berry bar, dollar in hand, seeking berries the size of bunny tails in this surreal prose poem.

Poetry·Oola Breen-Ryan — A morning walk reveals birds like phoenixes and dahlias like fireballs, ending with the burial of a bumblebee and hope for its resurrection.

Story·Kamalama Mick — A peasant mistakes the quarter moon for a silver bowl filled with riches and seeks a magician's help to pull it from the sky, only to discover true wealth lies...

Poetry·Anna Weinberg — A child mistakes an airplane for a star while making a wish, then decides the plane will carry the wish across the world instead.

Personal Narrative·Eloïse de Larquier — A girl falls from monkey bars during backyard play, fractures her arm, and finds courage at the hospital after initial fear about getting a cast.

Poetry·Oisin Stephens — Trees gain fiery autumn cloaks while evergreens envy their beauty, not knowing the burden it carries—a meditation on transformation and permanence.

Story·Cecilia Hodgman — A brainy fifteen-year-old plans her escape from a witch-ruled kingdom after being offered an apprenticeship she can't accept, discovering she has magic when crossing the border.

Poetry·Jasmine Manderson-Arnott — A walk through a rainforest path leads to a creek where the narrator finds peace and sees their reflection in the water.