Dim's Write Stuff

-   I often describe my ideas as niggles, but a more accurate description would be having a giant billboard in my head with a sign that says, ‘Do this cool thing next’. Sometimes I metaphorically drive right past, knowing it’s not a detour I want to take. Other times I’m exiting early with a carload of craft supplies and paper. In the case of my debut graphic novel, it was a billboard that would not go away; it was lit up at night, nudging the corners of my days with whimsical little ideas, characters that would join the scenes playing in my head, and a loose storyline waiting impatiently to be written I made the turn towards my little gnomes early and with great excitement. As a collector of trinkets, my small-hatted friends have been companions in my garden for many years, and it brings me great joy to imagine their lives amongst the plants, playing survival of the fittest (the plants, not the gnomes). I knew there was a story there, but I didn’t know where it would lead me. As ...

Those that know me well know I have a thing for small cute reckless ungulates. My goat fetish began in childhood however, sadly has never bloomed into full-on ownership. How could one not love those rectangular pupils, devil-may-care attitudes and ability to eat anything in their line of vision? The real question here however is, how could one not love Peter Carnavas ' latest junior fiction, Kid.   Kid is a miniature baby goat; dial up the cuteness level. He is sweet natured and open-hearted; giving Wilbur the pig vibes. And he lives on the farm and sleeps with the hens because Kid is an orphan. After a dramatic midnight mission to chase off a marauding fox shortly after his birth, Kid's parents, Buck and Bess disappear into the wilds outside the safe confines of the farm, never to be heard from or seen again. Audrey, the chook literally left holding the baby, raises Kid like one of her own and because of his diminutive size, they share a close and confidential co-existence. ...

When an adult picks up a junior fiction chapter book and is transported back to a time when nothing else mattered but page turning until the end, you know you're on a winner. Why? Because for me, that time, when I was so utterly absorbed by books my surroundings, time and even food failed to penetrate my intense committment to story, was one of the most joyous in my life.  The Silver Series of chapter books aimed at youngsters between the ages of five to nine not only fuelled that transportation, it actually made me feel like one of those book-loving kids again; like I was nine. This cleverly curated ensemble of engaging stories for kids however is first and foremost that; for kids not a wannabe kid again! And it does so with carefully considered intelligence. So far, I've enjoyed the first three. All sport bright inviting covers, clear theme discriptions and ... joy of joys ... rounded edges! I'm not sure why I like that but feel sure kids with differing tactile sensitivi...

Look, it's true, I’m more of a dog person than someone with a fetish for felines, but Itty Bitty Kitty is so utterly adorbs and cute (although whatever you do, DON'T call her that), how could one not want to cuddle her up. Itty Bitty Kitty features in all three tales that appear in each of the four five books (latest in the series out November 2024!) in this junior fiction series. She is teeny tiny. Winsome and mischievous. But don’t let her size fool you. With her tigress attitude and feline smarts, Kitty is the penultimate adventurer, even if those adventures extend no further than her home with her Humans. Told in endearing first person cat-speak, each instalment is sweet and manageable for young newly independent and emerging readers. Engagingly illustrated chapters provide plenty of visual stimulation. Text is punctuated with bolded words that break up the text and signify significance. Typography aside, Kitty’s tales are full of playful fun and cheeky abandon, perf...

There's nothing to not like about Stanton's latest junior graphic fiction series, Fluff . Except maybe bullies, which Gilbert and his gigantic fluffy bunny buddy do, with a passion. In fact their borderline self-righteousness and desire to wreak revenge on their arch nemesis, Carl, becomes their soul purpose and the core of this cute and quirky tale which features tonnes of turtles, parmesan cheese, drones and undies in weird places. Kids will love the zaniness, the absurdity, the talking fish (I did) and the extremely brilliant illustrations swimming with motion and madness (the facial expressions alone are a crack up).  What makes a great graphic novel experience superlative are the touches of tenderness secreted amidst the crazy. Stanton does this quietly and with great effect beginning with the 'bit at the beginning' which is in fact the hook for book #2 right there (for me anyways). Along with the series's namesake of course.  We learn that Gilbert lost his f...

Bear and Bird are best friends and that is all you really need to know because the rest of this book and its counterpart, The Picnic and Other Stories , also by the uber talented, Jarvis, is simply a wonderful venture into the relationship between these two. Like the friendship of many small children, Bear and Bird’s is one of unrestrained candour and genuine purity of spirit. They share, care and yes, argue; sometimes over the most inane things, like a spoon. In this collection of four short and super sweet stories, the spoon causes a quaking rift between the two companions prompting Bear to write a letter looking for a new friend. Extreme reactions indeed, that result in a new connection with another lost soul also seeking a new confidant. Ironically, both end up anonymously describing all the wonderful things they cherish and have in common with the other, because of course, unbeknownst to themselves, they have been writing to each. This and the other stories about stars and ca...

I'm a bit of a junior fiction fan, a genre I believe is almost as exacting as picture books to pen. They rely on just the right tempo, vocab choice and audience engagement with the added complexity of appealing to newly independent readers. The new Riz Chester series champions all these qualities. Here is my KBR review that appeared earlier this month. Riz is a 10-year-old primary schooler with a penchant for noticing the unnoticeable. She is reticent to share this phenomenon with others even her closest friends for fear of seeming odder than she already feels. Instead, Riz records her observations in her ‘Weird Stuff Log’ with enough detail and smattering of sass to make Miss Marple grin. And grin young readers will for Riz’s abilities are about to be stretched to the limit after she notices some faulty banknotes on a shopping expedition with her mum. Suspicions are raised. Police are engaged and for Riz, doubts set in. Has she done something wrong just because she has identified...

Holidays are the best. Christmas is up there as one of my favs and to celebrate my chapter junior novel title: PS WHO STOLE SANTA'S MAIL? is featured on SCBWI's 2022 December Reading List. Pop over to their site to explore the huge range of other celebratory titles of the season. To keep the merry going, PS WHO STOLE SANTA'S MAIL? is flying high with Santa at the crazy price of just $10! Click on the contact link, here to order yours and mention the Code: ReadingList2022 Please note: Postage and packaging rates apply both within Australia and internationally. Postage times may vary. No guarantees for arrival prior to Christmas 2022. 

Nerdy swerving, mind-bending mysteries have always been lightbulbs for my moth-like curiosity, so action orientated whodunnits like this new Eddie Woo? series have serious appeal. Breakneck bewilderment and equally rapid problem solving provide plenty of page-turning moments for fans of adventurous lateral thinking. And you don’t even have to be a whizz at numbers to appreciate the analytical aspects of these storylines … thank goodness! Maths genius and revered Australian maths teacher (shortlisted as one of the top ten teachers in the world!), Eddie Woo co-authors each story injecting the snappy storylines with intriguing maths equations, dilemmas and revealing details for fans of facts and factoids. He is also the self-named main character of these junior novels. Accompanying school-aged Eddie are his two valued sidekicks, DT and Rusty – a super sleuthing prerequisite. These three share a love of mathematical conundrums as well as a deep passion for their seaside suburb of Red H...

Experiencing a verse novel for young people is like discovering chocolate crackles are good for you. It’s a marvellous, heart-enveloping revelation, something you instantly want more of and know you’ll never be able to live without again. These two verse novels, one for juniors and the other for middle graders, by accomplished Aussie writers evoke the best chocolate crackle feels and more besides. You must experience them. Are You There, Buddha? Wise, satirical, poignant and alarmingly en pointe, Are You There, Buddha? reads with the ease and speed of a verse novel but involves the reader with so much immersive authenticity, you feel you have experienced something much greater. Bridget, aka, Bee is a tween wobbling on the precipice of teenage-hood, facing all the terrifying manifestations this transformation attracts. Her body is betraying her in increasingly alarming ways, morphing into a lumpy, bumpy, hairy hideous illusion of her former self. She has just started Year 7 and unlik...

Wild undiluted adventure is the theme throughout this set of exciting Choose Your Own Ending ! books by the unstoppable, Jack Heath . This series has been around for a few years now but it never grows less thrilling to experience. And that’s exactly what reading the Countdown To Danger series is – an experience, because like most great ‘ you choose’ adventures, YOU are the hero and responsible for everything that happens from the minute you begin your adventure. Similar in fast-paced style to Heath’s Danger … Minutes series for older readers, this collection rewards the reader with heart-stopping multiple ending scenarios that play out in a finite time frame, 30 minutes to be precise. That’s not a lot of time to save the world or your mates but it sure does ramp up the intensity of these stories. I love the multi-ending aspect of this style of storytelling because just like in real life, not every outcome is enjoyable or good or anticipated. I mean who wants to be eaten by a giant ...

Australian Children’s Laureate for 2020 / 2021, Ursula Dubosarsky , has penned another absorbing junior fiction tale that embraces imagination and compassion. Dubosarsky’s work is generally infused with wonderment and just enough magical conjecture to keep young minds guessing. Pierre’s Not There is no exception.   Fast paced and alluring, Pierre’s Not There begins in a harbour side suburb of Sydney. While Lara’s mother is tasked with cleaning the house, Lara explores the grounds and meets a beguiling little lad named, Pierre. His odd dress and exuberant manner does not dissuade Lara from befriending him especially after he reveals his strange and terrible story to her about his family who were eaten by wolves! Lara is intrigued and moved to help this boy seemingly all alone in the world who proclaims he must find his grandmother. But how? Pierre convinces her to join him in his quest the only way he knows how to, via a beautiful antique puppet theatre. If she agrees to ...

We are all different in some way. Those differences may be indiscernible, as tiny as the smallest birds on earth, or as with Alba, immediately noticeable and something she has had to drag around since birth. Alba was born with what is commonly referred to as a club foot. Twisted in the wrong way and subject to a brace for most of her life, Alba refers to her physical affliction as, Cleo and can’t wait to banish Cleo for a life more normal. Alba’s asthmatic, science-loving best friend, Levi has a desire of his own, to uncover the mystery of their disappearing school librarian and confirm the location of a wormhole that might lead into another region of the universe. For Alba, normal translates into a chance to run in the school’s cross country race, a two kilometre opportunity for her to not just be part of the race but to be in the race . Only trouble is, she has just two weeks between getting her cast off and Cleo into shape before the race. No one believes she can do it, not even...

Bjorn is a bear who lives in a cave. It meets all his needs and even sports a mailbox out front where letters sometimes arrive . Bjorn is not the sort of bear to boast about his various wins in life, like his acquisition of a three-seater sofa. His responses are always considered and calm. In fact, Bjorn thinks a sofa may actually take up more room than it's worth in his tidy compact cave. This is quite the opposite to his woodland friends who think a three-seater sofa is their ticket to comfort and happiness. They quickly assume full sitting rights, which crowds the cave even more until Bjorn cannot think about the sofa without feeling unhappy. To him, the sofa is not great so he decides to give it away. After Rabbit declares that it would make an ideal woodland sofa for everyone to share, Bjorn retires to his cave without it, and is happy. This is just one of the handful of introspective, wickedly playful chapters about Bjorn and his buddies. Through regular deliveries to his m...

It would take me approximately the equivalent of six school holiday periods to get through every recommended reading title. There is simply an ocean of brilliant titles bobbing around at the moment or soon to be released. It's often the last thing you read that resounds most loudly in your head, so with that resolutely in mind, I refrained from 'going overboard' with Kristy Reading as she probed me for a list of children's books that will entertain both kids and their parents these holidays. Click on the image below to listen to the ones featured on Monday 29 June 2020 for  ABC New England NorthWest radio's breakfast show : Morning Book Club with Kristy Reading.  Scroll forward to the 2 hour 50 minute mark to hear my segment or grab a comforting beverage and settle back to enjoy the whole show! Monday Morning Book Club chat with Kristy Reading 29 June 2020 Here's the not-quite-full list (not full because there are a zillion other great titles to enjoy of course...

Hattie is six and has been waiting forever for school to start. Interestingly, I picked up this novel, first published in Sweden in 2005, at the height of the Covid-19 lockdown when many a young pupil was itching to get back into their own classroom. Hattie however, an only child living on the edge of nowhere with just a dog and two outdoor cats for company, has never set foot in a real classroom and can't wait to exchange her wild, gloriously unstructured days spent among her mother's flowerbeds for the adventure of cutting and pasting and forming friendships. Having survived the bus ride to school, Hattie attempts friendship with Linda, a girl with little blue eyes and a disposition so timid, Hattie initially mistakes her for a stuck-up angry girl instead of the sweet little princess she really is. Linda's cautious but caring personality is the perfect counterfoil to Hattie's torrent of unregulated candour and cheek. Barely a moment passes that Hattie isn...

This graphic junior novel is a tactile and visual pleasure. Kids will hoot with pleasure at the antics of our seriously flawed, emotionally fragile main character, Vognox and his ever faithful fearless side kick, Drax, the Arctic fox. Despite his Viking heritage and rocking Viking helmet, Vognox has a strong aversion for adventure. He detests it and wants to avoid it at all costs because adventure makes you sick in the tummy with fear and dread and could get you killed! He'd much rather stay home for tea and retire early to bed. Despite Drax's diminutive size, he is the cleverest fox in all of Midgard and devotes his life to bailing Vognox out of tricky situations. Life wouldn't be so tricky if it wasn't for Awful Awfa, the surreptitious hand who repeatedly causes mayhem and madness by sketching Vognox and Drax in increasingly desperate situations as they pursue the Awfa's missing pencil. Without it, they may cease to exist. And if that happens, there'll...