Illness

‘We caught our breath at our ability to do this thing, at the extraordinary lightness of our load. I closed my eyes for a moment. I imagined that this is a dream. I told myself that anything was possible in a dream.’

When Michael moves to an old house with an over-grown garden and a dilapidated garage, he makes a shocking a discovery. At first, he can’t believe his eyes, but soon his encounter with an incredible soul develops into a profound bond. With the help of his new neighbour, Mina, they join forces and a remarkable and moving adventure begins.

How do you come of age in a body that is old before its time? After a sudden onset and long adjustment period, Ven is answering that question day by day, living with the dynamic complications of chronic illness, and reckoning with the loss of her ability to dance. Luckily, she has other passions. Bossing her A level music group into peak performance, finding gorgeous second hand boots (all the better for bossing in), and the way the new boy’s hair falls just so …

Eric and Finn have always been best friends and a perfect match. While Eric is anxious and fearful of trying new things, Finn often bravely dives headfirst into adventure, dragging Eric along for the memories. Finn’s lively joie de vivre mean that it is difficult for Eric to process when Finn becomes ill and passes away – or has he?

The Lorikeet Tree is a tale of family dynamics, love and loss, against a backdrop of ecological concerns. Emily and Alex are 15-year-old twins, who live with their terminally ill, widowed father in a reforested property in Australia. Emily is passionate about safeguarding the indigenous species in their forest, whereas Alex is enthralled by a feral kitten that he adopts, providing the central conflict in the book.

Aistriúchán é seo ar ‘Your Little Sleep’. Leabhar an-fiúntach é a chuideoidh le tuismitheoirí a bhfuil páistí dá gcuid ag dul faoi ainéistéiseach ginearálta (ain-éis-téis-each). Míníonn an t-údar cad a tharlaíonn nuair a théann tú isteach in ospidéal na bpáistí le haghaidh obráide nó chun scanadh a fháil. Taispeántar cuid de na daoine agus na rudaí a fheictear san ospidéal (máinlianna agus masc ocsaigine, mar shampla).

Orla Carson has closed herself off from the world when her Ma died. All she wants is to be left alone in her garden with her horse and the plants whose whispers she understands. But when a mysterious illness comes to the village of Thorn Creek and the blame is cast on nature and the wild, she must leave and embark on a journey in search of a cure. With only her Ma’s book of plants and remedies as a guide, she must begrudgingly team up with Idris and Ariana, who are hunting for the cure for their own reasons.

Over the Bar is the third book in the Declan Kirby: GAA Star series and straight away, the author's passion for the GAA is obvious. A coach himself, Egan captures the excitement of the sport and the camaraderie of the players.

Birdsong by Katya Balen truly offers a treat for all readers lucky enough to follow the story of our young protagonist Annie, as she is thrust suddenly into a life unknown. We meet Annie as she moves from her home to a new flat in the suburban jungle, as she and her mother recover from a car crash that recently threw their lives into turbulence.

From penne to spaghetti, Rigatoni loves every kind of pasta. His owners, Ruth and Tina, make sure to serve him pasta at least once every day, and if by chance they ever forget, Rigatoni has a special pasta miaow to remind them. He likes to be stroked and tickled; he has his favourite spot on the couch to relax and a special dish to eat his pasta out of. All in all, Rigatoni has a pretty great life.