National award for local author

West Gippsland author Shahron Ameer has claimed the gold prize in the Children's Book category at the national ABLE Golden Book Awards with her recently released title "The Paddock Bomb!"
The award-winning book is from Shahron's Caboodle Farm series. The book offers a humorous and heartfelt glimpse into the daily lives of country kids, filled with imagination, mishaps, and good old-fashioned teamwork.
Set on a working family farm, "The Paddock Bomb!" highlights unbridled excitement after dad brings home an old clunker car from a clearing sale.
With help from the farm kids next door and a few loyal farm dogs, the story unfolds into a humorous tale of car refurbishment, muddy chaos, imaginative adventures and realistic farm antics - including dad's battle of will with a wily old cow intent on a gate escape and a younger brother tied to the bumper with hay twine to keep him from running off.
"I didn't think there'd be much interest outside of country people for a book about farm life" Shahron said, "but one of the judges even told me through the finalist interview process, 'I'm sure the kids will like it but I completely loved reading this book myself.'"
It's a reaction she has come to expect. Despite being categorised as children's picture books, Shahron said about 40 per cent of her readers were adults (particularly grandparents) drawn to the authentic portrayal of rural life.
"With shows like Clarkson's Farm making farming cool, a broader spectrum of people seem to enjoying these stories of farm life" she said.
"The Paddock Bomb!" is part of Shahron's Caboodle Farm series which captures the quirks and charm of everyday farm life - from finding the perfect stick, a runaway pig causing havoc at the local agricultural show, to wool clothing making a fashion comeback. Each book is a celebration of country culture, told with warmth, humour, and a genuine love for the land.
Shahron, who has a small farm near Neerim South, chose the self-publishing route after finding traditional publishers unwilling to embrace the reality of rural life.
"Kids using sticks as swords or driving tractors at an early age just doesn't fit today's publishing trends - even if it's the reality of everyday farm life.
"Self-publishing isn't profitable, but it's incredibly rewarding to share real stories that reflect how we grow up and live."
Shahron also chose to use watercolour artist Caroline Webb to hand paint the book's stunning illustrations who she worked with on her first series about horse life (The Adventures of Moonbeam).
"I drive Caroline crazy creating minute details that are farm life accurate with lots of little Easter eggs so that the reader can recognise themselves on the page or go investigating – it's a big part of the story telling process.
"I'm currently working on trying to bring the books to life in a TV series and hopefully, we'll make farming even more appealing to the next generation. After all, once you're a farm kid, you're a farm kid for life."
The Paddock Bomb! and the full Caboodle Farm series are available now at caboodlefarm.com