At Children’s Books Ireland we champion diverse and inclusive books that best reflect the world, with characters of all genders and sexualities and families of all kinds. We believe that everyone deserves to see their story within the pages of an excellent book.
The Read with Pride reading guide 2026 contains 100 LGBTQ+ inclusive stories for young readers aged 0–18 with 100 recommended ‘read also’ titles for further reading.
When April is invited to spend the weekend in a remote country house with the handsome Carl and his wealthy friends, the offer seems too good to refuse – even with a spate of recent killings making headlines in Cork. But when a masked killer shows up at their door and begins to hunt her new friends for sport, April will have to rely on everything she’s learned from horror films to survive the night.
In her latest picturebook, Shona Shirley Macdonald serves up a gloriously whimsical celebration of imagination, music, and creative play. Following Grub, a travelling musician whose impromptu jam-making experiment unexpectedly springs to life, the story revels in absurdity while gently reminding young readers that the greatest rewards often come from shared joy rather than winning.
Squad Girls follows four besties as they navigate their dream of playing sport and athletics professionally. Tara, Ríona, Sam and Penny each are passionate and driven about different pursuits, from swimming to dance, and they must face obstacles in putting in the dedication needed alongside school and other commitments.
Paying homage to some of Dublin’s greatest characters (O’Casey’s fictional Juno and the real-life Lugs Branigan) and America’s literary and film icons (Harper Lee’s fictional Jem and the actual child movie stars Shirley Temple and Judy Garland), Nolan has created a high-octane escapade that is a love letter to the Golden Age of Cinema.
This is the story of one very tired little ghost and her search for a place to take a snooze. Little Ghost tries lots of different spots and meets a host of characters, but no one will let her land and have a rest. They are all frightened and much too wary of the Little Ghost, even though she hasn’t given them any reason to be.
In the latest instalment of this hugely popular series Milly sets up a dog walking business to convince her mam and dad that she is responsible enough for a dog of her own! So begins Operation Get Milly a Furry Friend, and what could go wrong? In fact, as with many of Milly’s adventures, it all begins very well, soon Milly’s new clients are calling her the Dog Whisper and bookings are flying in. But as the inevitable canine chaos ensues and Milly’s best laid plans begin to unravel into a laugh-out-loud read.
This compelling début novel follows Hope as she journeys from Dublin to the renowned Pavlovgrad Ballet School, to learn from some of the best teachers Russia has to offer. While this trip is a dream come true, it also brings many new challenges – language and culture differences, strict teachers, homesickness, and a great deal of uncertainty.
Aggie is very excited. She is going witch finding for the very first time. Her father, Daddy Witchfinder, is the best witch finder of all and he is going to show Aggie exactly how it is done. The pair set off happily into the forest and Daddy shares his wisdom setting tasty traps and playing music that witches can’t help but dance to. While no witches make an appearance, Aggie enjoys tasting his delicacies and grooving to his tunes. Maybe there’s a witch closer by then they think?
Amy Devereux’s début picturebook, A Wexford Fairytale, is aptly named. Not only is it a beautifully illustrated fairytale with a touching message, but it is also a sincere tribute to the County of Wexford and those who call it home.
