Dianne Wolfer facts for kids

Dianne Wolfer, born in 1961, is an Australian author who writes amazing books for kids and young adults. She lives on the beautiful south coast of Western Australia.

Dianne Wolfer's Writing Journey

Award-Winning Stories for Young Readers

Dianne Wolfer is well-known for her captivating stories, many of which have won important awards. Her books often explore history, adventure, and the lives of animals.

In 2009, Dianne published Lighthouse Girl. This book won the 2010 West Australian Young Readers' Book Award for Picture Books. It was also a finalist for the 2009 New South Wales Premier's History Awards. The story is based on the real-life experiences of Fay Howe. Fay was the daughter of the lighthouse keeper on Breaksea Island. She helped send messages to the ANZAC troops leaving for war in 1914.

Lighthouse Girl even helped inspire a giant puppet show called The Giants at the 2015 Perth International Arts Festival. It was also turned into a play by the Black Swan Theatre company. This play toured around Western Australia in 2018.

The Light Series: A Historical Trilogy

Light Horse Boy is a companion book to Lighthouse Girl. It won the Children's Book Category of the 2014 Western Australian Premier's Book Awards. It was also honored at the 2014 Children's Book Council of Australia Awards.

The third book in this series, In the Lamplight, came out in 2018. It was launched in Western Australia and in Harefield, UK. These three books together form Dianne Wolfer's special Light series.

Picture Books and More

Dianne's first picture book was Photographs in the Mud. She got the idea for this book after a research trip along the Kokoda Track. This book is used in workshops around the world to help people talk about peace. It has even been published in Japanese!

Her second picture book, Granny Grommet and Me, was a finalist for the 2014 Children's Book Council of Australia Awards. Another popular picture book, Nanna's Button Tin, was first published in Australia in 2017 and then in the USA in 2018.

Novels for Young Adults

Dianne also writes novels for young adult (YA) readers. She studied at the University of Western Australia and focused on how animals are shown as characters in children's books. As part of her studies, she wrote two YA novels: The Shark Caller and The Dog with Seven Names. Both were published by Penguin Random House.

The Shark Caller was a finalist for the 2016 West Australian Young Readers' Book Awards. It was also a notable book for the Children's Book Council of Australia in 2017. The Dog with Seven Names was a finalist for the 2019 NSW Premier's Literary Awards.

An earlier YA book, Choices, was praised for the Family Therapists Children's Literature Award. It has also been published in Polish.

From 2006 to 2012, Dianne was an advisor for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) in Western Australia. This group helps authors and illustrators who create books for kids.

In 2024, her book Scout and the Rescue Dogs won the Premier's Prize for Children's Book of the Year at the WA Premier's Book Awards.

Dianne Wolfer's Books

Here is a list of some of Dianne Wolfer's books:

• Scout and the Rescue Dogs (2023) Walker Books Australia ISBN: 9781760655860
• Mia (2022) Allen & Unwin ISBN: 9781760877026
• Aussie STEM Stars : Skye Blackburn-Lang (2022) Wild Dingo Press ISBN: 9781925893694
• Aussie STEM Stars : Munjed Al Muderis (2020) Wild Dingo Press ISBN: 9781925893373
• Nanna's Button Tin (2018) Candlewick Press ISBN: 9780763680961
• The Dog with Seven Names (2018) Penguin Random House ISBN: 9780143787457
• In the Lamplight (2018) Fremantle Press ISBN: 9781925591224
• Nanna's Button Tin (2017) Walker Books Australia
• The Shark Caller (2016) Penguin Random House, ISBN: 978-0-14-378055-7
• Annie's Snails (2014)
• Granny Grommet and Me (2013)
• Light Horse Boy (2013)
• Lighthouse Girl (2009)
• The Kid Whose Mum Kept Possums in Her Bra (2006)
• Photographs in the Mud (2005)
• Horse Mad (2005)
• Scuba Kid (2004)
• Iron Kid (2003)
• Being Billy (2003)
• Jungle Trek (2003)
• Butterfly Notes (2002)
• Choices (2001)
• Border Line (1998)
• Dolphin Song (1995)