Our final seasonal anthology, Autumn Stories, features pieces by kids between the ages of 8 and 14 who each submitted a truly unique short creative piece of approximately 800 words.
 
In these pieces, autumn is a time of magic, of rejuvenation, and of hope. Captured in the falling leaves of autumn are hints of trauma, the magic of childhood, and fantastical adventure, where trees hold iridescent power and families come together in times of grief. These short stories are exploding with heart-felt emotion, history and adventure (and the odd apocalypse), sophistication and nuance, and stuck to the theme in the most interesting and original of ways.
 
Some of the entrants have also entered other pieces into our previous writing competitions, so seeing how their writing has developed and been inspired by the opportunity provided by the Better Read Kids writing competitions is the biggest comfort this Sydney autumn has to offer. There are definitely some future authors within the pages of this anthology, and each one sings with a love for books, words, and storytelling.