Dim's Write Stuff

How does one grow something, from nothing at all, into one's dream no less? Bella, the new little cutie on the block has worked out a way. Bella's dream is no easy peasy desire either. It's her very first bicycle. And like many youngsters, the 'getting' of one's ultimate wish becomes the ultimate fixation. In Bella Grows a Bicycle , Bella has to work hard to realise her heart's desire. Creative duo, Lellie Lopter and Chiara Franceschetti show us how she does so while embracing a backyard bursting with thought provoking implications. Financial empathy and marketing savvy might not be first and foremost on the minds of primary schoolers, however their sense of cause and effect, if ... then concepts and personal gain are almost instinctive. Building on this, Lopter introduces us to a typical family scenario of, "I want ...!" versus, the almost shameful admission, of "It's too expensive". I still utter this to the family at large, solvi...

It's interesting the number of kids' stories I'm encountering of late addressing social issues surrounding AI and tech advancements. It's little wonder actualisation of this concerning reality is becoming more subject-worthy in kids' lit. Ask any older Gen Alpha or Gen Zer how they feel about the advent of these often-invasive AI platforms and you might be surprised by their response. Middle grade and young adult author, Emily Gale takes this premise and massages it into an action pumped adventure taking us into The Wild Unknown . Incredulously, some 11 or so years ago, I penned a virtual reality YA short story set in 2040. That date seemed eons away at the time but it's the exact decade Eddie and his mate Kit find themselves in The Wild Unknown;  2045 to be precise, but a skip and hiccup around the future corner! It's an interesting future, too. Sophisticated AI tech dominates human existence, dictating outcomes wherever possible, guiding humans who appare...

Several years ago, one of the punchiest, high-powered middle grade fictions I've ever encountered fuelled my interest and reading appetite. Two Wolves by Tristan Bancks gave young readers a crime-based thriller firmly centred around two young children, Ben and his seven-year-old little sister, Olive. Roll forward five years (12 real life ones) and another action infused, edge-of-your-seat drama that will keep kids reading long into the night punches in with,   Raised By Wolves . Although featuring the same Silver family members , Raised By Wolves reads successfully as a stand-alone novel with only a smattering of discreet references to the former that never slacken the pace. Olive is now 12 and fighting her own inner two wolves; the need to know if her errant, criminal father loves her or not with the urge to cut him loose forever. Ben meanwhile is on the precipice of graduating Police Academy fulfilling his desire to fight crime; an ironic twist of fate considering his family m...

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a mum. I had a younger sister, my bestie but to fill the sibling gap (and several years before motherhood would be a reality), I had a backyard of furred, feathered and finned buddies. Much like Little A, (my own moniker for him) our main character in Maura Pierlot and A Yi's latest picture book, Our Family Zoo . This little boy's backyard, and kitchen and bedroom are filled to bursting with animals of every description. There are your run of the mill domestic moggies and doggies, the old chook, plenty of questionable reptiles and amphibians not to mention a host of native pet rescues. It's exactly the kind of animal menagerie I yearned for as a youngster, although I did manage to rack up a loft full of pigeons, quails, budgies, ducks, chooks, mice, dogs, cats, rosellas, a galah named Freddie, and at one point, a ping pong eating giant oscar fish. Little A would have been proud. But where my parents drew the line at an Arabian stallion, Li...

We're all guilty. Spurred by an impulse too intense to ignore. Rationale and logic shoved to the backseat in favour of letting impetuousness drive. Despite knowing better, validation for such behaviours is often reduced to a dismissive, all encompassing, we did it anyway, which is the haunting underlying premise of Carla Salmon's latest young teen novel, We Did It Anyway. Hot on the heels of our first encounter with the youths of the coastal Red Sands community, this racy adventure focuses on other erstwhile members of the friendship circle; Alex, Otto and Jasper. The spotlight doesn't just rest on the boys however with Luna and best mate, Milly, firmly lending narrative nouse and balance. Set on the rugged island of Talmar, the group gather to partake in an Easter holiday life-saving club training camp. Opinions oscillate wildly about this; the boys are all up for a bit of freedom. Luna is less convinced about the camping vibe but with the twins' dad there to supervi...

One of the most seemingly benign 'firsts' a parent and their child have to face - the first hair cut ... in a salon - is often fraught with some of the most intense emotions. Fear, confusion, grief, all the indescribable fears toddlers and youngsters encounter are distilled into this gorgeously rendered picture book, Max And The Haircut . The title sets the premise straight away, suggesting that the act of getting a hair cut assumes an entity too overwhelming to name.  By his own admission, Max's mane needs taming and at first a trip to Wendy's Hair Salon with his mum seems a fun interesting outing. The trouble is, the salon is too bright and noisy and full of sharp, spiky objects . Doubt grows faster than Max's curls. What is normal and accepted for us from learned experience, the odd smells, curious sounds and intrusive atmosphere, quickly overwhelm Max as they do many young children. Despite Wendy's gentle assurances that the all-encompassing aprons and shar...