Kinglake had one day of disaster with far-reaching effects; Kabul has endured 30 years of war. In this remarkable collection of young people's writing, students from schools in Kinglake and Kabul share their stories of resilience, courage and hope.

Students from Diamond Valley College and the International School of Kabul share their stories:

'There is dirt on my face. I do not care about anything else in the world except for what I am writing.' Paige Dwyer

'After twenty-five years, my father and uncle have moved back to Afghanistan. My father says, You are going to build this country again."' Shaheer

'My family had to run on foot because, although we had a car, my dad just had a learner's permit and he dared not drive.' My Nguyen and Thuy Nguyen

'I am an Afghan and I am proud of it.' Rahiba

'We had one terrible day in February 2009, Afghanistan has had 30 years of war. This is not a book of remembrance or a book that desires to shock, it is a book about what is best about human nature.' Neil Grant "