Dim's Write Stuff

This book had me at its title, Paws : simple and unambiguous with a huge promise of something cleverly canine exciting the dog lover in me. Having woofed this middle grade fiction down faster than my dog can empty a bowl of kibble, I wonder though if author, Kate Foster had other implications in mind when naming her latest book; we authors are fond of layered meanings and wondrous wordplay after all. For me Paws is a story about self-identity and recognition, of ‘pausing’ for thought not just to give ourselves more time to process a particular situation or emotion but also to appreciate another’s; so much easier to write than do especially if you are 11-year-old Alex Freeman dealing with autism.   Alex’s most pressing life goal is to secure a true and proper friendship before he is obliged to set sail on the unnavigable social ocean of high school. He believes his best chances lie in winning a coveted PAWS Dog Show trophy so spends his mornings and afternoons training his constant