Dim's Write Stuff

Well, The Fix-It Man may have slipped through a few award nets recently but ... we still managed to MAKE A LIST. 😀 I am heartened and humbled beyond measure to be included in this very significant and important collection of picture books addressing the huge subject of death, loss and grief and ultimately ...hope. Just check out who our wee book is sharing the same book shelf with: Wolf Elbruch, Oliver Jeffers Margaret Wise Brown, Debi Gliori, Joy Cowley, Margaret Wild, Freya Blackwood Michael Rosen and many other brilliant picture book creators. Informative picture book blog, Picture Book Den , recently included The Fix-It Man on their comprehensive list of picture books from around the world that deal with the confronting topic of death and dying. These books are often hard to write, harder to sell and sometimes, difficult to share but as Dr Sarah Mitchell GP states, they all share a few key common elements; they are stor(ies) of hope, that the pain experi...

I spend an awful lot of time banging on about all the brilliant books available for kids by other people. Well, it so happens, I have penned one or two worthy reads myself and in case you've been chained up in a chest in Hogwarts and have missed my many new releases, here's a recap. ALL the titles listed below are available now for Christmas or Easter or your child's next birthday or ... well you don't need an occasion to enjoy a great read now, do you? Here are my top Dimity Powell recommendations conveniently grouped for you by theme and age. (Either one or two of my short stories appear in each of the anthologies listed below). Fantasy / Christmas   PS Who Stole Santa's Mail? - junior novel Christmas themed urban fantasy for 7 - 10 years  A SEASONAL FAVOURITE Magic Day - fantasy themed anthology for readers 7 - 12 years NEW RELEASE The Toy Chest - toy themed anthology collection for younger readers 4 - 10 years NEW RELEAS E Lodestone: A Magnetic Jou...

  When ABC Radio Gold Coast asked if I'd be interested in sharing some book recommendations with their listeners, I didn't have to think too hard and long about the answer - YOU BET. I mean, after a bowlful of fruit mince pies slathered in brandy custard, it's practically what I live for - sharing great stories for kids with as many people as possible. Angela Sunde and Dimity chatting up a storm on ABC Radio Teaming up with fellow Gold Coast author and illustrator, Angela Sunde , was the cherry on the pudding for me. What better way to spend an hour or two chatting about books and ... for our first segment - yes, there will be more to follow 😀 - CHRISTMAS. We aren't quite Hamish and Andy but we LOVE BOOKS and we can't wait to share more of our recommendations with you all. Dim & Ang's Drivetime Radio session Click on the radio image above to hear our first drive time session with Matt , aired last month. You might even pick up a great ...

The single most important thing in cultivating a love of reading in children is to engage them in the story. How this is done, through which ever medium, is almost inconsequential for the key to full engagement, I believe, will always lie within the story itself. Kindergo Avartar excited about being in my Pet Island blog post If the heart of the story is strong and purposeful, if it reads true and speaks directly to the age group it is written for, then it will be a winner no matter how it is relayed. Forever mindful of this, I have been adapting a few picture book stories, written over the last decade or so, as creative content for the Kindergo app found at Kindergo Kids . Kindergo Avatar brought to life with AR Kindergo Kids is a safe, curated digital storytelling platform that delivers enhanced reading experiences for 2 - 5 year-olds. They provide quality, immersive, entertaining stories grouped on a variety of themed islands. These archipelagos of creative content o...

When you go down to the woods today... SURPRISE It's spring time and we've been having a bit of a spruce up at Kids' Book Review . I can bearly contain my delight at having these beaut little bears (and one Koala) on board as our logo and on our new look banner. We owe our furry new look to KBR founder and editor-in-chief, Tania McCartney .  And even though KBR now has a bear or two in there, we are still the same superlative, one stop reviewing site for all things in Kids' Literature. So why not pop in one day and visit me* and my fabulous team of contributors to discover what the bears are reading.   * I am Kids' Book Review's Managing Editor and therefore the biggest kid on the team who loves to while away her days in the wonderful, wacky, written world of words for kids. 

I've been tootling around writers' groups for over eight years or so now. They are always seeping with new knowledge, eager scribes and unbridled passion to pen something wonderful which often spills over into exciting writing projects.   The Ten Penners is a group of dedicated writers that encompasses all these elements of story telling and more. Today I welcome one of the founding members of this group, M arion Martineer to discuss more about their latest project, Mystery, Mayhem and Magic!   Ten Penners Co-ordinator and children's author, Marion Martineer Come with us as we launch into their Blog Tour.  

I was chuffed as monkeys with brass bells on to have been invited along to the studios of ABC Radio Gold Coast to chat with Matt Webber. Matt Webber courtesy ABC Radio I was also six weeks into a bout of this season's awful flu onslaught and feeling less like a chipper little monkey ready to chatter as I did something someone might find in their kitty litter tray. But chat I had to so off I hauled myself to ABC's delightfully located Gold Coast studios. ABC Radio GC Headquarters, not quite beach front but a short amble from here My stories were not complete strangers to Matt's weekly Drive Time shows ; my digital narrative for Story City, The Chapel of Unlove being featured there back in 2016. This time I was able to discuss the inspirations and motivations behind my picture book, The Fix-It Man and its implications with death and dying, this being a segment series topic featuring regularly on Matt's Drive Time. I could not have asked for a better host...