Fallen Star Stories

Yes, thats right. Today is the day so many of us have been waiting for...the release of the eighth in the Skulduggery Pleasant series; The Last Stand of Dead Men . And it's darker, funnier and more exciting than ever before. War has finally come... but it isn't the war between good and evil that we're all so concerned about. It's the war between the Sanctuaries. As the Irish Sanctuary teeters on the edge of world-annihilating disaster, the rest of the Sanctuaries have had more than enough! Skulduggery and Valkire have to side with the other Dead Men if there is any chance of maintaining balance, reason and...heh-em...sanity and get to the cause of all the chaos. But it is a vast and dark conspiracy with many twists and turns and danger afoot. And what about Valkire? What about her powerful and consuming alter-ego, Darquesse who seeks release in order to destroy the world and, well, everything? You are going to LOVE this one, all you Skulduggery-heads out there. (Shal...

Here a just a few more photos being used as evidence to show you who is actually Mad About Books.... Our manager, Penny is Mad About Books! Rab Fulton is absolutely Mad About Books! Sadie Cramer is definitely Mad About Books! And as for the Dubray Books Children's Booksellers.... (photo taken by & 'borrowed' from the incredible Conor Hackett... thank you Conor! We are all ludicrously Mad About Books!

 Today, we marked the end of Dubray Books Summer Readathon with a bit of a party. This was combined with our in-shop launch of our brand new guide to children's books... .Mad About Books 2 . First, we presented our super summer readers with their certificates and prizes. So, congratulations to 1st prize winner: Nathan Fahy (age 10) 2nd prize: Alyssa Fahy (age 8) 3rd prize: Fiona Macaskill (age 7) While all 19 of the Readathon participants showed great enthusiasm and just chewed through the books that they wanted to read; one of the readers stood out for his joy, humour and desire to read. He didn't read the most books, but he really grasped the spirit of the Readathon from the very first. A special merit prize went to: Gavin Ford (also age 7). A big congratulations to all the readers ... you guys were absolutely great!!!! To further the celebratory atmosphere, we were joined by Rab Fulton, who regaled the readathon readers, Dubray Books staff and the many, many ...

After months of waiting, it's out now! Mad About Books (the second edition) is being launched this Thursday evening, with every Dubray Books Shop holding a special Launch Day on Saturday, 24th August! There will be activities of all sorts... and in Galway, we are also celebrating our Super Summer Readathon Readers on the day as well. Beginning at 12 noon, we will be giving the Super-Readers their certificates and prizes, with activities, goodies, storytelling...all because kids love reading, and we are absolutely sure you will love our new guide to children's books, Mad About Books! I am so proud of this publication. Inside it's covers you'll find over 400 reviews of books suitable for children and young adults of all ages and interests, written by our children's booksellers, along with author interviews and special advice for children's book clubs . We've all worked very hard to bring you the best of the best and for €2, it's a steal! I also nee...

A fantastically huge congratulations goes out to Elaina O'Neill, who has been announced as CBI's new director! Elaina is joining CBI in mid-September, taking over the position from the brilliant Mags Walsh. Elaina is currently the Managing Editor of Little Island Publishers a.d has proved herself to be an incredible advocate for children's literature. She is currently Vice-President of IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) Ireland, a member of the organising committee of the Dublin Book Festival and Publishing Ireland International Marketing Committee. And, if that isn't enough, she is also a volunteer Fighting Words (centre for creative writing) and a reviewer for Inis Magazine. Busy, busy lady... Elaina, you've just become even busier! On her incoming appointment, Elaina has said: “I am honoured and delighted to have been appointed as Director of Children’s Books Ireland. The fresh challenge of leading CBI through the next stage of its develo...

The brilliant longlist for this year's coveted Guardians Childrens Fiction Prize has been weighed, measured, and slimmed down to the final four. And it looks like a battle between the US and the UK, with 2 exceptional contenders in each camp! First, we have John Green, listed for the outstanding The Fault In Our Stars.  And along with John, another of my favourite writers from the States; Rebecca Stead has been listed for her third wonderful children's novel; Liar & Spy . Then in the UK camp, we find a really strong, much-loved and incredible author; David Almond has been shortlisted for the amazing The Boy Who Swam With Piranhas . And last, be most assuredly not least; Katherine Rundell has made the grade with her second novel, Rooftoppers . We wait breathlessly for the announcement, of course. But in the meantime, I'm going to read them all again! http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/aug/11/guardian-childrens-fiction-prize-2013-shortlist

This particular post puts me in great danger of going on for hours. I am a huge fan of picture books. I happen to believe that we push our young children away from picture books and into 'chapter books' far too early, or at least that we expect them to leave picture books behind in favour of 'proper reading' at too young an age. You are never too old for a really good picture book. So, I'll try to be concise, if possible. So it was off to the bookshelf to find a few of my favourites for the summer months. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE author/illustrator: Maurice Sendak It needs no introduction. It needs no explanation. This is a lifelong favourite and is one I think should be read over and over again. This book has everything; love, loyalty, facing your fears, being who you really are, having a great adventure, dreaming big dreams and coming home 'where someone loved him best of all.' Where the Wild Things Are is a book for life. FLOTSAM author/illust...

I am so proud! My review of Arthur Quinn and Hell's Keeper by Alan Early is up on The Bookbag NOW! This is the third and final in The Father of Lies Chronicles. And it's the best one yet. Pulling together all the adventure, all the drama in the previous books, this last installment answers the question that has been plaguing me from the very beginning... why Arthur Quinn? What is it about this kid that has made him the target of all of Loki's wrath? And why is it all up to Arthur to save the world... to stop Ragnarok, the ultimate end promised by Loki? You won't see it coming! This one sees Arthur whisked away to Asgard and then plummeted back into a world in which he has never existed..... brilliant stuff! Here's the link for The Bookbag review and of course, it's printed in it's entirety on the Irish Authors... page of this blog! Enjoy! http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/index.php?title=Arthur_Quinn_and_Hell%27s_Keeper_%28The_Father_of_Lies_Chronicle...

Well, August is upon us now, and we've just a month left before we start thinking about busier days. With back to school thoughts looming large, don't forget to relax a bit more; celebrate those great summer days a bit longer... and don't forget to read whatever you want! I thought I'd add some my favourite Irish published and authored (?) books to the list. Again, some are old, some are new, but all are great summer reads. THE SUMMER OF LILY AND ESME author: John Quinn Alan has lived all of his life in Dublin. But this summer, he and his family have moved to the country...which doesn't seem very promising to him. And when he discovers that his next door neighbors are two little, very old ladies, his mood is not much improved. When Lily and Esme start calling him Albert and Alan discovers a locked room on the top floor of his house and the story of a young boy who died tragically, he begins to worry. But Alan is determined to solve this mystery. With new friend...