Rich and Rare, an Anthology Edited by Paul Collins
Published by Ford Street Publishing
Rich and Rare is a collection of short stories, poetry and artwork by an impressive group of children’s authors, including award winners Libby Hathorn and Gary Crew, and new Australian Children’s Laureate, Leigh Hobbs.
Grouped into genres such as horror, humour, romance, ghost and poetry, over forty otherwise unrelated offerings are given a cohesion by Editor Paul Collins, and a warm introduction by Sophie Masson.
It must be said that not all contributions in this anthology carry the same appeal and unfortunately it is often times the most engaging stories that finish just as they start to really kick in. By the same token though, the purpose of a good short story is to leave you wanting more, and in the majority of cases, this is what Rich and Rare delivers.
With enough diversity to cater to a broad range of tastes, Ford St’s collection of seasoned authors dish up some real gems for the discerning young adult reader.
The ‘Contemporary’ section opens strongly with the story of a possessed violin that brings its former owner Luisa back to life, followed by a thought-provoking analysis of the modern day culture of materialism in Thingless. Reaching a peak in the nail biting Trapped, the anthology changes pace with consecutive genres of adventure, crime, fantasy and science fiction. Standouts include the haunting story of a teenager’s disappearance in I Can’t Sleep, the culturally-rich Lion Heart, the morality tale of The Two-Faced Boy and the striking illustrated fantasy The Black Sorrows.
Overall though, the stories that resonate most are the ones that represent their genres the most faithfully. From the touching teenage romance Sugar is Sweet to The Ghost in the Stereoscope’s tale of a vengeful spirit, to the brilliant humour of Masters of Chefery, a thinly-veiled parody of a television show we all know and ‘love’.
As the reader, I found the experience most enjoyable when I could identify an author’s work to the particular genre to which it has been matched. All of the works in this anthology could justifiably be called rare but this was when it was at its most rich.
A who’s who of Australian children’s authors, poets and illustrators, Rich and Rare offers originality at every turn and some truly memorable offerings of short prose.
CKT Book Reviewer
Author/Illustrator: Various
Title: Rich and Rare
Publisher: Ford Street Publishing
ISBN: 9781925272116
Published: October 2015
Age: 9+
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'The long-distance marathon of writing, illustrating and publishing usually begins along a very foggy road, in the dark, shoeless. But wait! What's that light on the horizon? A glowing little cafe, full of a bunch other runners plotting out mud-maps on napkins and exchanging anecdotes, warning about ditches and praising short-cuts. Stop for a while, have a cup of tea, maybe even a shoe-fitting, then get yourself back on the road for the long slog to sunrise.' - 
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'This site is such a wonderful resource for writers and illustrators at every stage of the journey. I've learned more about some of my favourite people in children's literature here, but also had the joy of discovering whole new worlds of talent.' - 
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'Emerging from one's chrysalis of anonymity into the prodigious world of creative children's writing and publishing is a daunting prospect. Georgie Donaghey's Creative Kids Tales is a superlative source of inspiration and information for the bourgeoning writer and illustrator. She has created an invaluable platform from which writers, both developing and established, can view, promote and share each other's work, and most importantly aspirations. A fun, friendly, and informative forum that everyone in the kids' lit industry can benefit from.' Keep it up Georgie! - 
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Creative Kids Tales offers a brilliant platform for established and emerging creators to keep in touch and learn from each other. That is a great thing for this most isolated of all professions (apart from On-site Antarctic Penguin Imitators). - 
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Writing can be a lonely profession. By necessity, you need to work alone much of the time. But it is wonderful to have a website which eases that by connecting creators with each other and with a wealth of information and resources.
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'Creative Kids Tales is a great forum for people who spend most of their working time alone. It is interesting and inspiring to see and hear what other authors and illustrators have to say.' - 
What a terrific, enthusiastic, informative and creative resource - of value and interest to so many people.
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