Fallen Star Stories

What an incredible day this was!!!! Nicola Pierce came all the way down to Galway to speak to 4 5th/6th year classes from local schools about her wonderful book Spirit of the Titanic . She shared a wealth of information about the Titanic and the lives of the people for ever changed or lost by that one fateful day. Told from a completely unique perspective, Spirit of the Titanic is one book you all must read. Many, many thanks to Nicola for an event none of us will ever forget!

At Dubray Books, Galway, it was another busy World Book Day event day, with 118 children from local schools coming through the shop. Today they were entertained by ...me! reading to two classes.  But even more exciting than that, the magnificent Patricia Forde read to two local class groups. She had some 'secret' new works that she shared with the children, helped them create their own stories and read from Binji , and great favourites, Frogs Do Not Like Dragons and Hedgehogs Do Not Like Heights. What a brilliant day!!!!

My favourite week begins... excited! Yes, day one of the World Book Day Extravaganza (Dubray Books, Galway) is done and dusted; and what a brilliant start to the week! Here's some photographic evidence.... Kevin Whelan reads his work to enthralled 3rd class students. A very animated Rab Swannock Fulton entertains... ... two local school classes with his scary tales.

A Monster Calls has been awarded  the Red House Children's Book Award 2012. The Red House Book award is unique in that it is voted for only by young readers from a shortlist drawn up by children's book groups across Britain. Over 80,000 votes were cast this year and the winners were announced at an awards ceremony at the South Bank centre as part of the 2012 Image Festival. Big congratulations to Patrick Ness! http://www.guardian.co.uk/childrens-books-site/2012/feb/18/red-house-award-2012

It's exactly two weeks until the actual World Book Day! (so ridiculously excited!) I'm pleased to report that, at Dubray Books, Galway, we're all set for a knock-out week! Five days, 18 sessions and a wonderful group of authors and story-tellers; not to mention the all-important and totally fabulous school classes who are all lined up and ready to go! We have the following wonderful people who have graciously donated their time to make this the most wonderful World Book Day extravaganza ever.... so many, many thanks in advance to: Rab Swannock Fulton Kevin Whelan Patricia Forde Nicola Pierce Dolores Keveaney and Maeve Friel..... This is going to be great! And to all of you out there... make sure your children have received their World Book Day €1.50 tokens from the schools. The tokens can be used to purchase one of the books specially produced for World Book Day; or they can be used against the cost of any other book. (One token per book) The tokens are val

Mary Arrigan has just received high praise indeed for her childrens' novel The Rabbit Girl . This beautiful, gentle and intriguing book has been selected as one of the Outstanding International Books 2012 by the Committee of the United States Board on Books for Young People. This is a wonderful read crossing generations with a surprise revelation; charming, literate and exquisitely written with both a fascinating plot line and memorable characters. But I'm just going to let you read the information for yourselves.   IRISH AUTHOR WINS INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM Author Mary Arrigan’s latest teen novel. The Rabbit Girl (published by Frances Lincoln UK), has been selected by the Committee of The United States Board on Books for Young People as one of the forty Outstanding International Books 2012 worldwide. The Rabbit Girl is set in three layers - thirties Ireland, World-War II in London and Windermere, and in modern day London which features the irrepressible Mallie and he

Young at Art presents the 14th annual Belfast Children's Festival! This is an oppotunity not to be missed. With so many workshops, performances and events for children of all ages available to take part in from the 9th to the 16th of March, you're sure to find something to enlighten, entertain and plain enjoy. But, try to book early. Loads of the events sold out in advance last year. The highlights this year will include: Garrett Carr (in association with No Alibis) on Friday March 16 at 6:30pm,  Once Upon A Time: Create your very childrens book on Saturday & Sunday March 10 and 11 for ages 7+,  Making Art in Public Spaces for ages 9 to 11 on Saturday March 10, the Festival In A Weekend on the Belfast Waterfront... so very much more! What are we waiting for? Here's the link for more information: http://www.belfastchildrensfestival.com/

Today is National Library Day in the UK, where the people have banded in support of public libraries. Children's Laureate and author, Julia Donaldson, has put pen to paper (of course!) and released a poem in praise of libraries and to make it very clear that the fate of the public libraries rests in people's need for them and the expression of that need... in a very light-hearted and fun way. (I'd love to see this become a picture book!)And here it is: Library Poem by Julia Donaldson Everyone is welcome to walk through the door. It really doesn't matter if you're rich or poor. There are books in boxes and books on shelves. They're free for you to borrow, so help yourselves. Come and meet your heroes, old and new, From William the Conqueror to Winnie the Pooh. You can look into the Mirror or read The Times, Or bring along a toddler to chant some rhymes. The librarian's a friend who loves to lend, So see if there

This year, the book, A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle is celebrating it's 50th year of publication. (I'm sure I mentioned this as upcoming sometime last year... and thanks to David Maybury for the blog reminder). A truly incredible journey of a book... if you haven't ever read it, you really should. Give it to your children, share it in the classroom... please, please pick up this book ASAP. If you have read it, read it again. It will amaze and enchant you all over again. Also, one of the best books of last year is Rebecca Stead's When You Reach Me , which was written (in part) as a tribute to Madeleine L'Engle's outstanding story. Happy 50th Birthday, A Wrinkle In Time . You gave me more years of joy than I could have imagined. (But that's what great books do!) p.s. I will also take the opportunity to remind you that another great childrens' contemporary classic The Phantom Tollbooth turned 50 last year! What a great time it was fo

On this chilly February morning (February 2nd...Happy Groundhog Day, by the way), here's a link for 'The Most Beautiful Bookshops in the World'. Pointed out by our good friends at Children's Books Ireland, they really are spectacular. If you're feeling particularly cold and dismal, check out the bookshop in Ojai, California (above and link via Book Chatter blog to more of Bart's Books 2nd below). It'll warm you right up! http://flavorwire.com/254434/the-20-most-beautiful-bookstores-in-the-world#20 http://bookchatter.net/2009/05/10/the-sunday-salon-barts-books/