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Bright Futures 2025 (Paperback)

Bright Futures 2025 brings together a stunning new collection of stories from the talented young authors of Acre Hall Primary School in Flixton.

Each tale began as part of the school’s annual writing competition, before being professionally edited to help these incredible imaginations shine even brighter.

Description

Meet LXA-38, the stargazing cyborg who crash-lands on Earth. Discover the Half Tree, split by lightning and steeped in mystery. Swim with mermaids beneath the waves in The Call of the Deep.

Join Poppy and Tommy as they uncover the secret of the All-Season Blossom Tree. Escape with Super Tinker, the superhero cat with a legacy to protect. Face the Shrouded Ghost with Captain Marrow and his unforgettable pirate crew.

Cheer for Clara as she scores the goal that changes everything. Walk beside Zoe as she finds her voice and dances again. Laugh, dream, and travel through time, portals, forests, oceans — and even outer space.

With 32 stories written by young authors from Acre Hall Primary School — each one professionally edited and lovingly crafted — Bright Futures 2025 is a rich celebration of imagination, resilience, and the joy of storytelling.

Featuring guest stories from Jeffrey Pennyfeather, this year’s collection proves once again that the brightest stories often come from the youngest voices.

  • Jake and the Glitched Portal

    Jake only wanted to install a mod. He didn’t mean to trap his mum inside Minecraft. Now, with time running differently and danger lurking in the Nether, they’ll have to survive the game — and maybe he'll grow up a little along the way.

  • Jess and the Disappearing Pencil

    When Jess finds a mysterious golden pencil, everything she draws becomes real. Cookies. Money. Shoes. But as the pencil shrinks with each wish, Jess must decide: what do you do with a magic that’s running out — and who deserves it most?

  • the Half Tree

    In 1825, a bolt of lightning split an ancient oak — and a young woman vanished. Centuries later, four friends explore the legend of the Half Tree and uncover a ghostly love story trapped between worlds. Some trees remember… and some promises never die.

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The Challenge

Stories matter. But in today’s world, they’re often rushed through — skimmed on screens, squeezed between notifications, devoured like snacks. The magic of getting lost in a great story, of wandering through imaginary worlds and feeling what characters feel, is fading. So how do we tempt children back into the pages of books, when there’s so much else competing for their attention?

The Solution

The best writers are great readers. That’s why, alongside their continuing library project, Acre Hall Primary School has continued their writing competition — to spark a love of reading and inspire their junior pupils to become storytellers themselves.

The Heroes

Thirty-two talented pupils from Year 3 to Year 6 took up the challenge — and every one of their stories is collected here. Each tale has been professionally edited to help it shine, ready for you to enjoy and celebrate!

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