A creative Halesowen student has become a published writer at the age of 10.

Amber Pickering’s story The Lost Rainbow was written while she was on a six-week creative writing course hosted by children’s author R A Powell via Facebook.

It was part of a Rainbow Writing Competition and now a collection of 58 rainbow-inspired tales written during lockdown by children aged from four to 15 have been included in the book Rainbows During Lockdown.

The book will raise money for charities helping vulnerable people during Covid-19.

Amber, a Year 6 student at Blackheath Primary School, joined children from as far afield as Australia in producing stories for the course.

The book is due for release on Tuesday, December 15, via Blossom Spring Publishing and will be available online at Amazon and Waterstones.

All the royalties go to ICUsteps, the UK’s only intensive care patient support charity, and School-Home Support, a charity which helps families living in poverty to ensure their children are in school and ready to learn.