Congratulations to Mary Arrigan

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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 her friend         who set about reorganising Mallie’s mum’s love-life. Linking all the strands of the narrative together is a delicate sketch of a rabbit.
The novel has also been short-listed in England for the Calderdale Award and the Hillingdon Book Of the Year.

Mary, who has 42 books published so far, is no stranger to international recognition as many of her books have been translated into 10 languages. Past awards include The International White Raven (Munich) and the Bisto Merit Award. Her adult short stories have won The Hennessy Literary Award and the Sunday Times Crime Writers Award.

Extracts from reviews of The Rabbit Girl.:

Touching and cleverly crafted, how the stories different times are linked through a picture is ingenious and wholly absorbing. Julia Eccleshare (The Guardian UK)

 What a lovely book! Beautifully written, a cracking story, and a pleasure to read. I am so glad I came across this novel. (Goodreads UK)


The Rabbit Girl is a subdued tale that reverberates with human resilience overlaid her characteristic suspense. Mary Shine Thompson (The Irish Times)

In addition to The Rabbit Girl, Mary Arrigan has also written The Choclate Moon, Esty's Gold... and many, many other wonderful reads for young people.
Congratualtions, Mary!!!

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