Animal Stories by Young Writers

Edited by William Rubel and Gerry Mandel, this Stone Soup anthology collects animal stories written by children aged 9 to 13 — tales of beloved pets, wild creatures, and narratives told from the animal's own point of view. Stone Soup has published authentic young-author work since 1973, and that credibility shows: these are real voices, not sanitised imitations of what adults think children write. The collection is wholesome and genuinely encouraging, particularly for young readers who might see themselves in the contributors. The unavoidable caveat is that any anthology of developing writers carries uneven quality, and this is no exception. The book is also out of print and difficult to find. Worth the effort for educators, librarians, and parents who want to show a young reader that writers their own age have already put their stories into the world.