Alex Dunne has created a sense of mystery and suspense in her debut novel, The Book of Secrets. Her descriptive language paints a clear picture of the town of Clonbridge, which comes alive at night when the fairies seamlessly drift into town to prepare for a celebration which coincides with Halloween. Then, night turns to day and with daylight the reader is cast back into the human world where we are introduced to the main character, Cat.
Fox & Son Tailers is an institution in the busy little town of Ballybrush. It has been passed down from generation to generation, creating tails for creatures tall and small. Rory’s father, Fox, is successfully leading the shop when the story begins; animals from all over visit to have their tails made by him. Rory helps in the shop but grows tired of making the same tails day in and day out.
This non-fiction picturebook captures life in modern Ireland, giving snapshots of events and places all over the island. The selection of the scenes themselves is a great strength of this charming book; each one is carefully chosen so that we can all relate to them. Whether we’ve visited the exact place depicted, such as the English Market in Cork, or one similar, the text carefully avoids being too particular or specific so as not to alienate.
A Spooktacular Place to Be is Úna Woods’ follow up to her popular Have You Seen the Dublin Vampire from last year. In the book, the Dublin vampire (does he have a name?) and his bat friend journey around Ireland in search of spookier places to live than his Dublin park. They hit all the spooky and haunted destinations across the country such as Newgrange, St Michans church, Fastnet Lighthouse and others, but do any of them feel as homely as his spooky and familiar old tree?
This is the third book in the series about Molly and Beth, the thirteen-year-old best friends and latterly step-sisters who travel back in time. Molly is worried that her dad – who is separated from her mum – is too lonely. He’s recently returned from Africa to be near his daughter and it’s tough for him living alone, especially compared to how happy Molly is in her new extended family of Beth and her dad (who’s in a relationship with Molly’s mum).
The story of the tenement houses on Henrietta Street in Dublin is one which will interest children in mid-upper primary school. For those children who are aware of the current issue of homelessness, it serves as a reminder of the ongoing nature of this societal issue. For those who are not, this story could be a catalyst for discussion and reflection.
Young fans of Irish author Erika McGann will be delighted with the second in the series of Cass and the Bubble Street Gang mysteries, Making Millions.
Cass, Lex and Nicholas are crime-fighting, mystery-solving detectives, and are also known as the Bubble Street gang. Together they are working on a new mission: Operation Catch the Wicked Writer. When the team find an old diary full of wicked deeds, they aim to find out who the diary belongs to, all while trying to overturn the harsh new rules of the Resident’s Association.
This cheerful board book introduces young readers to the very basics of gaelic football and hurling. Photos of equipment and athletes are shown on block-coloured backgrounds, with single word descriptions included to explain the pictures. We see helmets, hurleys, boots and balls. A team photo demonstrates the size of a GAA squad, while simple images explain the difference between a point and a goal.
Gallagher strikes again! Spies, like many of Gallagher’s other works, can be described as a thrilling, utterly delectable journey into the past. The reader is plunged head first out of the frying pan and into the fire from page one, and the fast-paced action-packed story continues from there.
