Fiction

The second collaboration between writer Julian Sedgwick and manga artist Chie Kutsuwada will grow on you. The deeper you wade into this collection of tales of kami gods and yokai spirits, the more attached you will grow to its characters, its décors, its language.

If there is one book you read this year let it be this one! Ice Children centres around brave 11-year-old Bianca’s quest to solve the mystery of her town’s frozen children, which includes Finn, her 5-year-old brother. Bianca’s rescue effort catapults us into the winter wonderland of Winterton which is full of winter spirit animals, funfair rides, skating rinks and hot chocolate fountains.

Wild Wonders is a gorgeous collection of short stories about nature by some of Ireland’s best children’s authors with illustrations by some extremely talented illustrators. Each story is a reminder to us to keep our eyes open to the beauty of the nature that surrounds us no matter where we live.

This book is a lovely, funny and (at times) heartbreaking story. It tells the story of Lola and Evie, from Lola’s perspective. The two girls are commencing secondary school and have been best friends forever. They have grown up together, going to the same primary school and living very close to each other. With great anticipation, the two girls start in the new school and to Lola’s horror, they are not in the same class and, to make it even worse, Evie makes a new friend called Cleo.

Tasha and her parents have moved to live with her grandfather in a remote valley. The novel opens with her experiencing her first snow and it is more wonderful than she had even imagined. The magic of snow is hard to imagine, but Anderson evokes it beautifully, spreading a chill throughout the pages of this wonderfully wintry tale.

In her introduction Jennifer Killick promises jump-scares, suspense and pure horror and my goodness, does she deliver! A truly terrifying collection of brand-new short stories, the title absolutely does what it says on the tin. These are spooky tales that you'll want to read again and again, share around campfires, and bring out each Halloween. Reader beware! You’re in for a treat! If you dare turn the first page …

Is there any better book combination of Irish mythology, folklore, and magic? If you are a fan of both, then The Harp of Power is for you! This is a follow up to Dunne’s first book The Book of Secrets following Cat who loves magic and has The Sight.

Fantasy and horror aficionados alike will thoroughly enjoy this creepy compilation of thirteen short stories, masterfully crafted by a selection of acclaimed authors of young adult fiction. From ancient woodlands housing monsters, to houses that are monstrous themselves, this anthology features a diverse selection of tales full of supernatural elements and suspenseful twists.