Book excerpt: The New Paper Trails is a lively and provocative collection of 24 short-short stories suitable for upper primary and lower secondary students of English. These lesson-sized stories from Australian and international authors cover a range of themes, styles and genres, and introduce students to writing techniques and the skills of critical literacy. This new edition of the original anthology includes a completely new set of stories, activities and exercises, along a bold and engaging design and illustrations. It features work from well-known authors such as Garth Nix, Angela Carter and Carmel Bird, and alongside authors just starting their literary careers.