Friday First Chapters #32: Brenton Cullen reads ‘The Prime Minister Problem’

May 8, 2026

In this episode of the Your Kid’s Next Read Friday First Chapters series:

Brenton Cullen reads ‘The Prime Minister Problem’

Brenton Cullen reads from his debut middle-grade novel ‘The Prime Minister Problem’

About Brenton Cullen

Brenton Cullen writes stories from the heart for children and young adults. He is a bookseller, interviewer, children’s literature advocate, reviewer and 2023 May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust Fellowship Recipient and 2024 Winner of the Just Write for Kids Pitch It! Competition (Middle-Grade Category).

Brenton lives between the bush and the beach with his partner, a quartet of fish named The Supremes, five terrariums, eight house plants and an ever-growing picture book collection.

Find out more.

About ‘The Prime Minister Problem’

When a lonely boy’s mission to save his grandmother goes viral, it sparks a movement that reshapes his country town — and everyone in it.

Ten-year-old Wren has always felt invisible. Mum is busy working two jobs, his brother has his own life, and at school, Wren hides in the library with the books his grandmother taught him to love. Grandma is the only person who truly sees him — until she has a stroke and is forced to move away to a nursing home in the city.

Lonelier than ever, Wren writes to the Prime Minister for help. When no reply comes, his small act of hope takes on a life of its own — and Wren discovers he isn’t the only one who feels forgotten.

As his town rallies around him, Wren learns that real solutions don’t come from politicians, but from the people who call the town home. A moving story about isolation, connection, and how one quiet voice can make a difference.

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Published by Riveted Press