Stock your classroom with 20 copies of this powerhouse anthology and teaching tool. Or give it as a gift to a teacher or class! Even better — pair it with the Bright Before Us Inspiration Set!

Bright Before Us Like a Flame is available for preorder. The book will be shipped in October.

By the Young Writers of Shout Mouse Press

For ten years, Shout Mouse Press has championed the voices of young writers, publishing their authentic and necessary stories. Now, this landmark anthology of youth writing celebrates a decade of storytelling—and invites readers to pick up their pens and write the path ahead.

Spanning memoir, poetry, fiction, comics, and children’s literature, Bright Before Us, Like a Flame is more than a retrospective—it’s a creative writing resource and a call to action. Taking its title from Langston Hughes’ poem “Youth,” this collection ignites both hope for the future and the power to shape it. Through stories of immigration, identity, social justice, and resilience, young authors confront today’s most urgent topics with insight and empathy. Their words challenge, inspire, and invite readers to add their own voices to the conversation.

• ISBN: 978-1-950807-82-6

• Age: 12+

• Page Count: 304

• Coming Fall 2025