Dim's Write Stuff

I read What We All Saw some months ago and what I can’t remember of the storyline is better ingrained in the intense feeling of creepy spinechilling awe that distilled to pure enjoyment. So much so, I want to re-read it and have recommended it as Book Club read. Mike Lucas is no stranger to books and curating stories however this, his first foray into YA, is astonishing. Swift moving narrative is gilt with historic horror, suspense-filled seesawing moments and just enough humour to keep the whole thing real. References for this tale involving four tweens embarking on a nightmarish summer of terror and its resemblances to The Body (Stand By M e) and IT are many but I honestly didn’t make these initial comparisons because Lucas’ writing is so assured and vivid, I was never not in the cul de sac or by Hags Drop with Sam and his mates. In fact, for me, there are more imbued elements of Yann Mantel’s, Life Of Pi in terms of surreal reality. There is no mistaking the premise of this ...

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...

I recall the grim news reports back in winter 2018 of a group of boys trapped in a complex cave system somewhere in Thailand with the same shocked yet useless curiosity that so many other harrowing headlines elicit. We are moved for an instant yet our attention is inexorably pushed onto the next plight until it’s time to serve dinner. Distance, a deficit of understanding, edited media content and an inability to do anything meaningful in response can cause a wane in empathy, which I confess, I am not immune to. So, when I received a copy of Craig Challen and Richard Harris’, Against All Odds – young readers’ edition , I pounced on the opportunity to learn more. Against All Odds sits beside a small slew of titles covering this subject along with a couple of stirring motion pictures and Netflix series, but this edition, especially edited for younger readers, is by the two Aussies who helped make a significant difference to the outcome of this drama involving: Twelve boys. One coac...

Of the many literary lures to entice kids to page turn into the wee hours of the night, the thrill of a mystery is one of the strongest. Give them great characters with plenty of purpose and pacy plotlines that they can adventure with more than once and well, you might not see said kids for weeks or months. My 34 copies of the Trixie Beldon mystery series are testimony to the power of a good series and Nicki Greenberg’s latest middle grade literary escapades harness that power in the most appealing way. Meshing the past with adventure, Greenberg takes primary readers on an exhilarating tour from London, across the Atlantic and through one of America’s most bedazzling cities. Mystery and a slapdash of mayhem are never too far away. The cast of tween teen characters is led by robustly intelligent 13-year-old Pepper Stark whose heart tugging family backstory is neatly woven through each book. The extravagances in Pepper’s life are extreme and jaw dropping yet she exudes a down-to-eart...

One would think illustrating and describing a seemingly lifeless world cloaked in ink would be an exercise in futility. Unless of course you are an inhabitant of the fathomless depths. Or Andrew Plant. Plant’s latest author illustrated title, Stardiving is more than a clever oxymoron. It is a foray into the unknown. A daring and sublime exploration of a world visited by but a few, all rendered in a rigorously limited yet serenely darkened colour palette. The front cover endpapers of this inspired picture book begin with a stunning visual and expository breakdown of the great sperm whale. Don’t be tempted to skip this read through. We are introduced to terminology and several unique attributes of this mighty mammal before moving through an ocean of blues and teals to young Fluke’s story and thanks to this brief exposition, it feels as though we are already better acquainted with Fluke’s beguiling ways. Plant gives you a moment to ponder that which you’ve just learnt with a wordless sp...

Fans of Tristan Bancks’ pacy action-orientated middle grade novels will be lunging for his latest serving of thrills and spills, Cop & Robber . The incongruous grouping of nouns as a title was enough to whet my appetite but the opening paragraph literally haunted me for days in a ‘this feels so real, must keep reading’ kinda way. Bancks is master at creating authentic suspense with a mere sprinkling of words, teasing the reader in like an experienced fly fisherman. And chapter one certainly hooks. Nash witnesses his dad, commit a robbery from the local Broken Ridge service station. It’s not the smoothest of criminal operations and yields very little if you don’t count the mounting dread and colossal sense of shame that chokes Nash. He knows his dad, Lyle is a decent sort of bloke deep down, the type who models himself on historic bushrangers with a will to stand up for the little guy. Dad is an ex-boxing champ with no other bankable skills other than an urge to rob banks to make ...

Aside from the groovy sounding title, the thing that strikes you first about debut author, Alison Stegert’s Boogie Woogie Bird , is the jaw dropping detail of Sandra Severgnini’s illustrations. I have known and lived with curlews, notably, the Bush stone aka the Thick-knee curlew for some time and am gobsmacked by the level of exactness both of these creators have imbued within their adorable character, Curlew. Curlew cries his plaintive call, alone and forlorn, night after night. He needs a friend, more than a friend in fact. A mate. Someone to share his random pile of leaves with. But his yearning cries aren’t cutting it, at least not for Fairywren who insists that fancy dancing is what he needs to win someone’s heart. In a priceless, side-splitting promenade of boogie woogie moves, tangled legs and knocked knees, Curlew finally concedes that curlews can’t dance in spite of the detailed instructions bestowed upon him by some of the best ‘dancing’ birds in the business aka Aussie bus...