Brightest Wild

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2025 READINGS CHILDREN'S FICTION PRIZEA gently lyrical story about discovering Country and the importance of family, friendship and the magic of the bush, from an emerging Indigenous talent and winner of a black&write! Fellowship. When eleven-year-old Alex moves to Adelaide from London after her mother gets engaged to a man across the globe, Alex must negotiate a new country, a new school, and (most difficult of all) a new stepbrother, the prickly teenaged Koen. What sustains Alex in this strange new world is the wonder of the natural world around her, particularly a magnificent tree that comes to represent magic, resilience and strength. Alex discovers the mystery of the bush, the true impact of climate change and a passion to fight for what is right.