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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'What a wonderful website Creative Kids Tales is, supporting and helping Australian authors in their quest through the dark thorny forest of the publishing world. Georgie should be congratulated for all her hard work and fearless leadership!' - 
'I’m thrilled to be Creative Kids Tales author of the month.' 'I hope in some small way by me taking part, I might help and inspire young authors and artists to follow their own artistic path.' 'The key I believe is to seek to enjoy what you do. Even though doing your best is a constant challenge I find it is a worthwhile one. So, get drawing and / or writing.' Good luck ! - 
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'Creative Kids Tales is a unique and valuable online resource for new and established authors. The site provides a wealth of information and insight into the children's writing world.' 'Thanks for all your support, Georgie, and keep up the good work.' - 
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'If there's anything emerging authors struggle with (beyond the dreaded writer's block), it's receiving recognition or even acknowledgment of their work – battling for a slice of that incredibly elusive publishing pie. Georgie Donaghey has created a priceless promotional and networking station that allows new authors to not only share their work, but gain the courage and nous to take their work to a whole new level. Creative Kids Tales is a valuable addition to Australia's burgeoning children's book market.' - 
'Wow! Creative Kids Tales is a fantastic resource for writers, no matter what stage of their writing journey they are at. Congratulations, Georgie, on your attractive, easy-to-navigate website, your generosity to your fellow writers and your constantly evolving ideas. Thanks on behalf of all of us.' - 
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What a terrific, enthusiastic, informative and creative resource - of value and interest to so many people.
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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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