Fallen Star Stories

World Book Day 2018 is very near! This Thursday, 1st March marks the 22nd annual World Book Day. I know you are all used to me going on about this for months ahead of time (well, it is my favourite day/week/month of the year) and may have noticed I have been noticeably quiet this year. Ordinarily I would have been pestering authors, illustrators and storytellers and packing the shop out with school classes to bring in as many local school children as I possibly could fit (my record is 690) to share the joy and excitement of books and reading and to try to make clear the difference that books can make in the lives of children of every age. It is with sorrow that I tell you that due to circumstances, I will not be holding my World Book Day Extravaganza this year. I have a few events planned myself and will let you know what's happening. But I want to hear all about yours! What wonderful events do you have planned? And let's not forget the fabulous World Book Day Books...

I am incredibly excited about this book! As we celebrate 100 years of Womens' Suffrage and honour the fantastic and inspirational women throughout history, Rocking the System by Siobhan Parkinson (illustrated by Bren Luke) has been released into the wild recently and I think it's publisher, Little Island have every right to be extremely proud. This exceptional book is a collection of twenty essays on Irish women, both historical and contemporary who have bucked the trends, defied cultural norms and brought forth great change in the social structure in Ireland and across the globe through their determination, resourcefulness, intrepid nature and intelligence. The lives of these brave and bold Irish women from all realms of life; politicians, artists, writers, social activists, rebels; are brought forth in a publication that is suitable for ages 10 to 100 years. From the legendary Queen Mebh through to Mary Robinson to Sonia O'Sullivan, each of these women is given a v...

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With the current celebration of the strong, confident, brave and intelligent women and girls through the BOLD GIRLS incentive driven by Childrens Books Ireland, I started thinking about the BOLD GIRLS in the literature of my own past. Being completely enchanted by books from a very young age, I was given free range to chose and read whatever I liked. (Not every child has this opportunity and I am completely grateful to the grown-ups of my world for providing this.) Among my favourites, there were quite a few BOLD GIRLS. Of course, there were the classics. Mary in The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, whose cross disposition I read (seemingly)in a completely different way to those around me; she just wanted a life that spoke of her own nature and not to have to 'behave as a young lady should' like she was being told. The books of Louisa May Alcott that spoke to me of following your own heart. Heidi and the freedom and happiness she found in the mountains...the list is ...

This year, 2018, is the year of the BOLD GIRLS!  At Childrens' Books Ireland, a resolution was made to be bold and all across the country, those of us in the book world have resolved to join in. On 8 March, we celebrate International Womens' Day worldwide. On this day, CBI will launch the BOLD GIRLS reading guide and campaign to mark one hundred years of womens' suffrage in Ireland and to celebrate the strong, magnificent and brave women and girls in childrens' books. Be it wonderful histories and biographies of those great women in times gone by or fictional female characters that defy social convention and the odds to bring a unique and exciting perspective, this guide will point you in the right direction. We saw this literary movement truly emerging with GOOD NIGHT STORIES FOR REBEL GIRLS by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo; a wondrous collection of one page stories, each about a different woman from the past and present who has made an innovative contri...

Hi everyone, I've been away from the blog for a while. Apologies and thank you for continuing to check in with me while I had a bit of a hiatus. Of course I have to open this New Year with pointing out the great childrens' new books that are coming your way. Some have already been released and are waiting for you at your favourite bookshop. (Hint: If you don't see them on the shelf, just ask a knowledgeable member of staff. They will be happy to order it for you. And there is generally no delivery charge, unlike most online services.) Here's a taster of some of the books I am particularly excited about...coming soon to a bookshop near you. LB and a taster of great 2018 releases

The teen and YA books can be difficult to chose. But here are some of my choices for these books from the enormous number of great books for older readers (and by 'older readers, I'm referring to 11years+) this year. (Okay, there is a lot of discussion about what constitutes YA fiction and where you draw that line. Let's not discuss that at this time. I'm just going to say that, for our purposes here, YA books begin at age 14...depending on the reader.) One of the best additions to this group came later this year with Sheena Wilkinsons' wonderful historical novel, Star By Star. Taking place in 1918, this book covers the end of World War 1, the flu pandemic sweeping the world and, most significantly the moment when women first had been given the right to vote. Though not lengthy, it has a great impact on the reader and is fascinating and inspirational. Another high impact novel for 12+ is A Dangerous Crossing by Jane Mitchell. This is the extremely realistic and...