Search results for ""Little Island""

Meet Madgie M. Cappock, also known as Mad Cap, of the Rent-a-Hero agency – no job too big or small. In this, the first book in the Mad Cap series, Madgie and her partner in crime Norbert Soup follow a series of clues to solve a mystery involving a missing butcher, an evil cat and weird old Mrs Mudrick across the road, who seems to have it in for them. On top of all this, Madgie’s mum’s been acting really strangely and – wait, why is Norbert wearing a giant yellow bunny suit? Can the young superheroes figure out what’s going on before it’s too late? Mad Cap forever and beyond!

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Uprooted from city life by the death of his father, Dark is beckoned into a rath as he wanders the fields near his new home. There, he meets people big and small whose magnificent stories of warriors, monsters and the fairy people provide an escape from his crumbling school and home life and take him deep into the world of Fionn Mac Cumhaill and the Fianna. O’Neill’s powerful new tales of adventure, heroism, treachery, weakness and redemption entwine with ancient Irish folklore as Dark realises that he, like his eccentric uncle Connie, belongs to two very different worlds.

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A book to help children and families cope with the loss of a baby. Matthew is excited about the new baby. But then, one day, something very sad happens. The doctor tells Matthew's mother that her baby isn't growing properly and it won't be strong enough to live outside her body. Matthew and his mother and father will always remember their baby. But as time goes by, they will not feel sad so often. The author wrote this story based on her own experience, to help her son cope with the loss of a baby. This child-centred book is intended to help children and families who experience miscarriage, stillbirth, perinatal death or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). A new edition of the first published book by Siobhán Parkinson, who later became Ireland's first Laureate na nÓg (Children's Laureate). It was writing this book that Parkinson found her voice as a children's writer, a gift she credits to the baby she lost all those years ago.

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Philip's mum has breast cancer. Philip wants to be a stand-up comedian like his hero, Harry Hill. Now he has to find the funny side of an unfunny subject, to help his mum – and himself. Philip is twelve years old and life is pretty good. He gets on with his mum and gets by pretty well at school – in spite of girl problems, teacher problems, bully problems and – er – poetry problems. Philip’s happy-go-lucky life is disrupted when his mother gets breast cancer. Bad enough that your mother is seriously ill – but could she not have developed a less embarrassing kind of cancer – toe cancer, maybe, or ear cancer? Philip’s attempts to cope with his situation are both hilarious and touching. Through it all, he’s writing letters to his hero, the comedian Harry Hill, looking for advice. A multi-award-winning and hilarious take on the unfunny subject of cancer; this book brings one of modern life’s most prevalent illnesses into the light and gives it a human face

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The blood Feeds the hunger That threatens everything It starts when Claudia offers her a yellow rose. Immy has been in love before – many times, across many lifetimes. But never as deeply, as intensely as this. Claudia has never been in love like this either. But then, this is her first time with a vampire. The forbidden thirst for blood runs deep in Immy. And within her mind clamour the voices, of all the others she has been, their desires, and their wrongs. A unique verse novel by the award-winning author of The Deepest Breath and The Space Between.

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The perfect Irish gift for the littlest one in your life. Learn to count with iconic symbols of Ireland: shamrocks, harps, hurleys, Irish dancers (and no snakes!) Colourful and fun, with gorgeous illustrations from Aoife Dooley, Ireland's favourite young artist and comedian (author of How to be Massive), this makes a perfect Irish gift for the littlest one in your life.

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A collection of thirteen dark, feminist retellings of traditional fairytales from one of Ireland's leading writers for young people. In the tradition of Angela Carter, stories such as Cinderella and Rumpelstiltskin are given a witchy makeover, not for the faint-hearted. Intricately illustrated with black and white line drawings, in the style of Aubrey Beardsley, by a new Irish illustrator.

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A fun and engaging story about the impossibility of perfection

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Covering historic and current figures from the worlds of the arts, sport, business, politics and social activism, Black and Irish will also find space to celebrate everyday heroes-lesser known figures making a difference in Irish communities today.

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Sunday Times Children's Book of the Week, 21st of May 2023 Books for Keeps Book of the Year 2023 Featured in The Times Literary Supplement's Best Children's Books of 2023 Featured in The Telegraph Best Children's Books of the Year 2023 A child's desperate voice is calling to Meg Lewis from the garden of her new house. As her investigation leads to a knot of deceit, betrayal and cruelty, Meg discovers magical powers of her own. Mysteries abound: why is a shape-shifting vixen following her? And what secrets lie hidden in the Golden Tower? Meg finds herself embroiled in a centuries-old battle that threatens the very balance of the world itself.

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Kirkus Reviews: Best Young Adult Books of the Year 2023 Chicago Public Library: Best of the Best Books 2023 Wake up. Friday. Clara Hart hits my car. Go to class. Anthony rates the girls. House party. Anthony goes upstairs with Clara. Drink. Clara dies. Wake up. Friday again. Clara Hart hits my car. Why can’t I break this loop? A flicker in the fabric of time gives Spence a second chance. And a third. How many times will he watch the same girl die?

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Saoirse (18) can’t wait to leave school – but just before the Leaving Cert her ex-boyfriend dies by suicide. Everyone blames Saoirse – even Saoirse herself, who cheated on him with his best friend. She is shunned by her schoolmates and suffers unbearable levels of anxiety. Everything becomes too much, and on the night of the school Debs, Saoirse throws herself into the river – and wakes up in a psychiatric hospital. Slowly, painfully, with the support of a friendly hospital cleaner, her old best friend, her kind and hilarious grandmother, and even her irritating sister, Saoirse regains her sense of herself. Eventually she is ready for a new life at University.

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When Connie gets a letter from the dad she thought was dead, she sets out to discover why he left her, eight years ago, sitting in an airport café with only her pet chameleon for company. Since then she's lived with her foster mum, a cleaner at the airport, and dreams of seeing her dad again. With her new friend, a fearless, fossil-hunting boy called Thyo, she tracks her dad down. But as he reveals his true colours, Connie starts to wonder if she's made the biggest mistake of her life.

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What is Climate Change? How can it be stopped? And what can young people do to help the fight? Author Oisín McGann explains Climate Change science, and encourages young people to be part of positive change by getting involved in the global movement to fight humanity’s biggest challenge. Published in collaboration with Friends of the Earth, this might be the most eco-friendly children's book ever published! Vegan inks, all recycled materials and fully recyclable: this book is part of the solution.

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A dark, feminist retelling of The Children of Lir by the author of the multi-award-winning Tangleweed and Brine Included in Kirkus Reviews: Best Young Adult Books of the Year 2023 ‘No-one else writes like Deirdre Sullivan. She is lyrical, poetic and thoroughly intoxicating.’ Juno Dawson, author of Wonderland ‘Unsettling, haunting, and darkly lyrical, Savage Her Reply is a beautiful thing.’ Louise O’Neill, author of After The Silence A retelling of the favourite Irish fairytale The Children of Lir. Aífe marries Lir, a chieftain with four children by his previous wife. Jealous of his affection for his children, the witch Aífe turns them into swans for 900 years. Retold through the voice of Aífe, Savage Her Reply is unsettling and dark, feminist and fierce, yet nuanced in its exploration of the guilt of a complex character. A dark & witchy feminist retelling from the author of Tangleweed and Brine

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Shady snakes, thuggish pigs, a cat in a fur coat and a mystery to be solved. The Free Range Detective Agency is on the case! Seamus the private investigator is no chicken. He's a turkey. And after the disastrous case of the Rampaging Rhinoceros, his feathers are a little ruffled. This turkey always knew he shouldn’t trust a cat in a fur coat, but when Ms Ermine comes slinking in with a clawful of cash, he just can’t say no. Soon he’s up to his beak in a case involving a sinister snake, pigs with piercings and a meerkat called Elvis. 'I laughed so much I laid an egg. GENIUS.' Dustin the Turkey A playful and brilliantly funny take on detective noir fiction with an all-animal cast of characters.

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Bewitched retellings of classic fairy-tales with brave and resilient heroines. WINNER: Book of the Year 2018 (CBI Awards) WINNER: YA Book of the Year 2017 (Irish Book Awards) WINNER: Reader's Choice Award for YA Fiction 2017 (Irish Times Ticket Awards) A multi-award winning collection of twelve dark, feminist retellings of traditional fairytales from one of Ireland’s leading writers for young people. In the tradition of Angela Carter, stories such as Cinderella and Rumpelstiltskin are given a witchy makeover. Intricately illustrated with black and white line drawings. ‘Exquisitely written and powerful – I’m enchanted by it.’ — Marian Keyes ‘Deirdre Sullivan’s writing is beguiling, bewitching and poetic. Her prose is almost dreamlike, reminiscent of Angela Carter.’ – Juno Dawson, author of The Gender Games ‘Sullivan’s prose is delicate and masterful.’ – Dave Rudden, author of Knights of the Borrowed Dark ‘Witchy, eerie and beautiful. These thirteen fairytale retellings already feel like feminist classics.’ – Claire Hennessy, author of Like Other Girls Dark, feminist retellings of traditional fairytales for a teen audience – not for the faint-hearted

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Stevie is eleven and loves reading and sea-creatures. She lives with her mum, and she’s been best friends with Andrew since forever. Stevie’s mum teases her that someday they’ll get married, but Stevie knows that won’t ever happen. There’s a girl at school that she likes more. A lot more. Actually, she’s a bit confused about how much she likes her. It’s nothing like the way she likes Andrew. It makes her fizz inside. That’s a new feeling, one she doesn’t understand. Stevie needs to find out if girls can like girls — love them, even – but it’s hard to get any information, and she’s too shy to ask out loud about it. But maybe she can find an answer in a book. With the help of a librarian, Stevie finds stories of girls loving girls, and builds up her courage to share the truth with her mum. Written in accessible verse `chapters’ and in a warm and reassuring style, The Deepest Breath will be of special relevance to young girls who are starting to realise that they are attracted to other girls, but it is also a story for any young reader with an open mind who wants to understand how people’s emotions affect their lives.

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A touching story of unlikely friendship and the redemptive power of love. The last thing either Jana (13) or Louise (17) is looking for on this hot and boring summer is a friend of totally the wrong age. But then one day, they abandon their responsibilities and irritating families, and head off in a ‘borrowed’ car for a day by the lake. Their adventure is simple — beer, ice-cream, swimming, singing — but the friendship it forges between them turns out to be profound. When Jana experiences loss, it is only Louise’s tender and funny postcards that can haul her out of depression — right out of her bedroom window and off on another adventure. Written in a light, amusing style, and in the alternating voices of its two heroines, this is a touching story of the redemptive power of love. 'Wherever It Is Summer deftly explores the no-man's-land between childhood and adulthood and the power of female friendship, in language that is subtle and surprising.' - Deirdre Sullivan, author of Tangleweed and Brine

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An black Iraq war veteran and an Iraqi-American Muslim teenager form an unlikely friendship through their shared love of John Coltrane. A supreme coming-of-age story of friendship, forgiveness — and jazz. Tariq is is a young Iraqi-American Muslim man, beset by danger on the streets and conflict at home. Music is his only consolation. When he forms a friendship with the volatile but intriguing record-store owner and Iraq war veteran, Jamal, Tariq discovers the world of jazz — and the man he could become. Jamal is exciting, eloquent, and troubled. He suffers from PTSD, is always on edge. Tariq wants to learn from Jamal's knowledge of music, but can he afford to get close to this volatile veteran? When violence that has long threatened finally erupts, things suddenly clarify for Tariq. He takes the ultimate risk — not on behalf of his friend but his enemy — and the disparate worlds of modern America and traditional Islam come together in an unexpected and gripping resolution.

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Imagine a boy living all alone in a large old house with only a sky-blue bike (who thinks he's a horse) for company. After his great-aunt dies (of dachshund poisoning - what else?) Fennymore sets off with his new friend Fizzy to find his parents, who have disappeared. They fall foul of a silvery grey gentleman and an evil doctor who wants to get his hands on a mysterious invention, but Fennymoire finds a maybe-dad. And a brumella. Whatever that is. A zany adventure story with a touch of fantasy. Great fun and superb black and white illustrations by David Roberts of Dirty Bertie fame.

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Did you ever hear that telling a nightmare makes it fade away? It doesn’t. Not here anyway. Welcome to the Nightmare Club’s Halloween Sleepover. You might not last till morning. Glen is a nasty little boy who always moans and lies. After a strange encounter in the woods, he suddenly disappears, and the only one who seems to know what happened to him is a dog. And everyone knows that dogs can’t talk. Right?

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Aria lives on a well-ordered planet whose people have eradicated illness and even death. Earth is their ‘shadow planet’ which they populated with humans centuries ago so they could study them and learn from their experiences. Now the experiment is coming to an end and Aria must go to Earth with her scientist father to set off a train of events which will destroy its people. Brought up to believe that humans are inferior, Aria is shocked to discover that she is herself half human, and amazed to find that Earth-dwellers live life to the full and feel love for each other, even though they are mortal. But once she understands this, how can she save them, and herself, from destruction?

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The other kids in Sonny's class have cool things to bring into school. Not Sonny. He can't think of anything really good. But then Uncle Jim takes Sonny on an amazing road trip – in a horse-drawn wagon. Sonny learns loads of exciting stuff with Uncle Jim, real grown-up skills. And that's not all. Sonny's uncle has made something very special for him. Sonny can't wait to bring it into school.

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"The best animal adventure since Watership Down" — The Times Named as a 2023 Outstanding International Book by the US Board on Books for Young People The children's debut by Booker-longlisted author Sam Thompson is an engrossing, thoughtful, beautifully written story about humans and animals, voice and power, neurodiversity and acceptance. Silas is bullied at school because his words will not come. He wishes he could live in silence as animals do. Deep in the Forest, the foxes live in an underground city built by their wolf slaves. The foxes' leader Reynard controls everything with his clever talk. One day, Silas helps an injured wolf. Then he enters the secret world of the Forest, where the last remaining wolves fight to survive. But even there, language is power. Can Silas find his voice in time to help his wolf friends – can he become the Wolfstongue? Selected for the Outstanding International Books by the US Board on Books for Young People List "Each creature has its own character and I love how by having names they feel real and I have been naming creatures when I see them out on my walks." — Oscar, aged 9, child reviewer "Has all the makings of a modern classic." — Alex O'Connell, The Times

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Sonia, Pedro and their classmates are baffled. Mysterious messages keep popping up on their computers, on their mobile phones, on websites they visit, even on a radio programme they listen to. It is a voice from the past – but who is trying to contact them from out of history, and why? Follow the clues from their school in modern-day Brazil through the ages to ancient Egypt, to a medieval wizard’s castle laboratory and to the ships that sailed from Europe to discover the New World. Can you solve the History Mystery?

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That's not me. I'm just hidden in this body.A powerful, compassionate YA story about a trans teenager, by an advocate for trans issues

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Irish language edition of The Slug and the Snail Drawn from the Irish Traveller storytelling tradition, DeBhairduin’s tale is a gentle allegory about difference, self-acceptance and different ways of seeing the world. Two slugs travel happily together as brothers, until they meet a crow who shows them that they have no home.Ashamed, one of the slugs decides to make himself a home, and calls himself snail. The brothers grow apart andbecome suspicious of each other. The slug with no shell-house feels ashamed until he learns to see that the very road he travels is his home, and so he shall never be homeless. The happy slug no longer sees himself through the judging eyes of others, but proudly asserts his place in the world.

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Queen Maeve’s army is marching north to steal the great brown bull, the pride of Ulster. But one man stands in their way. Cúchulainn, the Hound of Ulster, vowed in boyhood to protect his homeland – even if it means taking on an invading army himself. One by one Maeve’s warriors challenge the hero, and one by one they fall. Can Cúchulainn hold out until reinforcements arrive – and how will he fare against the one man in Ireland he doesn’t want to fight? Ireland’s most important myth is retold in English for children by the great scholar of Old Ireland, Alan Titley. Titley goes back to the source material and his translation sparkles with the wit and humour, as well as the thrill and battle, of the ancient tale. Illustrations by artist Eoin Coveney lend a modern feel. This is Irish myth as you haven’t read it before.

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Little Big Sister tells the story of Starr, a girl with dwarfism who lives with her mum and younger sister, Babs. As the girls get older and Babs overtakes Starr’s height, Starr understands there is something different about her. When Starr starts primary school she is at first upset by being shorter than the other children. But with help from her mum and teacher, Starr finds the courage to shine. A fun and gentle story about disability, family and fitting in, told by a major children’s author and illustrated by an artist with dwarfism.

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Willow’s dad has disappeared: stolen by foxes in the night. To find him, Willow must enter the secret world of the Forest. There she will speak with wolves and find the magical Tower where the foxes are ruled by their silver tongued leader, Reynard. In the Tower, Willow sees wonders: statues walking the streets, spires reaching to the stars, and a lion who wants to be king. But disaster is near. The magic is running out and soon the Tower will fall. Can Willow save her dad and find a way out of the Fox’s Tower?

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The fourth installment of a sweet and funny series about a young girl and her magical wolfish best friend Libby is furious that Veronika wants to sell their family home – but that doesn't seem so important when Veronika washes Libby's best friend Wulfie down the drain with a power hose! Scared and alone, a tiny Wulfie tries to get home through the pipes, producing strange noises inside the walls of the house... Veronika, thinking the house is haunted, invites a TV crew to investigate. If the house becomes famous, Veronika won’t want to sell it – but what if the camera crew discover the ‘ghost’ is actually a shape-shifting wulfen? Can Libby and Wulfie keep their secret and save her home? Well, with a best friend like Wulfie, anything can happen!

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Christmas is coming, and Evie can hardly wait. As she rehearses for the school play, decorates the tree, wraps presents, writes to Santa, she is wishing, wishing ...

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Milo is thrilled to be starting at the country’s fanciest, shiniest, most prestigious school. But it soon becomes clear that something sinister is going on. The headmaster, Dr Pummelcrush, is bent on brainwashing the students and turning them into mindless, unthinking human robots. When Milo stumbles across a bright and colourful secret garden and meets its joyous gardener, he and his friends begin to open their minds to a whole new way of thinking: philosophy. Can the Philosophy Resistance Squad use their new questioning skills to resist Pummelcrush’s evil project and save their classmates from being zombified?

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Aidan has spent most of his life keeping a low profile because his mum has a terrible secret - one that he can't be trusted to keep if he mixes too much with other kids or goes to school. You see, Aidan's mum is part-dragon. She has scales and claws and can breathe fire. But she is terrified of anyone finding out. When Aidan's mum suddenly disappears, Aidan and his best friend Charlotte set out on a dangerous adventure to find her. They track her to a murky research laboratory on the other side of the country, and there they find several other part-mythic-beast `freaks' all in the thrall of an evil scientist who is hell-bent on stealing their special powers for himself. Aidan and Charlotte have to find a way to rescue Dr Krinksky's victims from the horrors of his lab and bring his mum back home safe and sound.

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We are in Ireland and it's an awfully long time ago. Centuries and centuries. The country is supposed to have gone Christian, but there's still magic in the air, salmon in the rivers, berries in the bushes, druids in the forest, a Worm in the lake, fairy music in the distance. Manchan's mother wants to make a monk of Manchan. Manchan most emphatically does not want to be made a monk of. He'd rather sing songs with his father, or go fishing with his friend, Pagan-of the-Six-Toes, or go charging through the forest with his pet pig, Muck, or go bare-back riding over the bog on the chieftain's mad ram, Balor. Anything fun or adventurous or magical, and absolutely nothing to do with turnips, penance, prayers, monks and chanting. Poor Manchan! The more he mucks about having fun, the more his mother is determined to tame him.

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Meet the Powers: the not-so-super superheroes. Despite their amazing talents, the Powers are not very good at controlling them ... Poor Suzie – Dad has set the kitchen on fire again and Mum has turned the rain on indoors to douse the flames. JP has flown straight into a wall, and the dog, Pucker, is a whirlwind of paws and ears and noisy howls. A perfectly-paced adventure story featuring a colourful and genuinely funny family, The Powers will entertain and charm young readers. Sure to appeal to fans of The Incredibles films.

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Valentina, the President’s daughter, leads a privileged life in the Citadel. At the age of 14, she has never been outside of the green zone and knows little of the Badlands or the world beyond. Refugees from all over the world have fled fire and floods to escape to Ireland, but the original Tribe despise their presence, and violence rages throughout the country. Desperate to see her older brother, a soldier with the pro-refugee group Solidarity, Valentina plans an undercover trip to the Amber Zone with her friends Pippa and Damien and government official Joshua. The experience is shocking for Valentina as she witnesses the lives of the refugees and their families. When their journey is intercepted by a military group, Val and Pippa are kidnapped and must try to escape before Val’s identity is discovered.

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Jack Klements lives in Seattle with his parents and is doing just fine. But when his swaggering Irish cousin Finn turns up, Jack can tell this is not going to be a good summer. Finn is obsessed with a violent computer game, and when he meets a Latino gang in the inner city, he thinks he can have a slice of the action. How can Jack reconcile the demands of his straight-laced parents, the pressure to be loyal to his wayward cousin, and his growing attraction to Carina, who hangs out with the gang? If only Finn would disappear! But then he does just that, and Jack is more torn than ever …

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An unflinching verse novel by an award-winning author. 17-year old Jay wakes up in a park, battered and confused and unable to remember the night before. Explores male-on-male sexual assault.

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"The best animal adventure since Watership Down" - The Times The children's debut by Booker-longlisted author Sam Thompson is an engrossing, thoughtful, beautifully written story about humans and animals, voice and power, neurodiversity and acceptance. Silas is bullied at school because his words will not come. He wishes he could live in silence as animals do. Deep in the Forest, the foxes live in an underground city built by their wolf slaves. The foxes' leader Reynard controls everything with his clever talk. One day, Silas helps an injured wolf. Then he enters the secret world of the Forest, where the last remaining wolves fight to survive. But even there, language is power. Can Silas find his voice in time to help his wolf friends - can he become the Wolfstongue? "Each creature has its own character and I love how by having names they feel real and I have been naming creatures when I see them out on my walks." - Oscar, aged 9, child reviewer "Has all the makings of a modern classic." - Alex O'Connell, The Times

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When Vanessa travels to a remote island off the coast of Canada, she finds herself drawn into a world of ruthless whale hunters and criminals. Armed only with her camera and her faithful shrunken head, she must fight for her life to escape capture. But what happens when she comes face to face with a terrifying sea-serpent? Could this be the monster that locals have been telling her about? Thrilling and exciting, Pacific Giants is the third book in the Cryptid Files series.

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An intriguing murder mystery set in an imaginary world, peopled by vampires, dimorphs, luchrupáns and the odd – very odd – Salmon Farsade, an orphan with the ability to read auras. Salmon becomes apprenticed to Muinbeo’s most famous nocturnal detective, the long-lived and sharp-toothed Inspector McCabe, and together they try to sniff out who killed Fen Maguire – and why. ‘Hard silver light caught in her dark hair, the moon shadows giving her pointed face a romance it lacked in life. He wedged his nose against the clenched hand under the bent arm, against the blood-soaked earth where her life had finally trickled away. The ghost of wind, which only he could feel, stirred, and he raised his head. Cullen had learned the odour of her dead body, and turned to inhale the story of her death.’

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In more adventures of these disastrous superheroes, Pucker Power centres on the adventures of Pucker, the Power family’s mutt of a pug-dog. After he is dognapped, along with a beautiful French poodle, the Powers must follow the clues through Dublin, Paris and St Petersburg to bring their beloved pup back home. This playful, upbeat new series of adventures from Little Island will be a hit with everyone in the family, from young readers right down to the family pet. Complete with powerful website at www.readthepowers.com with blogs from one of the characters and and animated book trailer and theme song. Special appeal to dog-lovers!

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Bumpfizzle is an alien sent to Earth on a mysterious mission from Planet Plonk. Or is he a ten-year-old boy who is jealous of all the attention his parents are giving to The Baby? "So hilarious! Patricia Forde is definitely the high queen of Irish comedy." — Eoin Colfer, author of Artemis Fowl Bumpfizzle is on a mysterious mission to Earth from Planet Plonk. His Earth family is OK. Except for the four-legged brother (Mr Sooty) and The Baby – which leaks from both ends. Bumpfizzle’s confusion at Earthling behaviours, as reported in his diary and his frequent reports back to Plonk, are hilarious, and his adventures are ridiculous, from eating the cat’s food (it makes him throw up, always good for attention) to biting his teacher (to check if humans would make a good source of food for Plonkers) and attempting to sacrifice a goat (he soon discovers what goats’ horns are for). Elina Braslina's playful, Quentin Blake-like illustrations bring Bumpfizzle's adventures on Earth delightfully to life. "The book was funny. It was very funny. … People who like books with cartoons, and who read Roald Dahl would probably like this book. I’d recommend it to my friend Brooke. You don’t know her." – Sienna (age 11) for the Dublin Inquirer

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A book to help children and families cope with the loss of a baby. Matthew is excited about the new baby. But then, one day, something very sad happens. The doctor tells Matthew's mother that her baby isn't growing properly and it won't be strong enough to live outside her body. Matthew and his mother and father will always remember their baby. But as time goes by, they will not feel sad so often. The author wrote this story based on her own experience, to help her son cope with the loss of a baby. This child-centred book is intended to help children and families who experience miscarriage, stillbirth, perinatal death or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). A new edition of the first published book by Siobhán Parkinson, who later became Ireland's first Laureate na nÓg (Children's Laureate). It was writing this book that Parkinson found her voice as a children's writer, a gift she credits to the baby she lost all those years ago.

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Stella has always looked forward to changing the world. It's what she was brought up to do, by a suffragette mother who knew all about fighting and rebellion. But it's November 1918. The great flu pandemic sweeping the world has robbed Stella of her mother and her home, and she's alone in a strange country, with an aunt she's never met. But change is coming - the war is over, and women are about to vote for the first time. History is being made, but how can she help make it? As election day approaches, a day that will transform Ireland forever, Stella realises that she can indeed change the world. Not alone, and not all at once. But just as stars come one by one to brighten the night sky, so history is made person by person, girl by girl. An invigorating tale of suffragettes and heroes, courage and survival, as war ends, flu sweeps the land - and women get to vote!

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Esper and Starn are twin boys who live in a grim world that has been almost laid waste by massive volcanic explosions. Very little grows in Orchard, which used to be a fruit-growing area, but with the death of insects and birds, pollination of the fruit trees is a tedious and precarious undertaking. When the boys discover an intriguing old manuscript in a locked room in their apartment, which tells of gold on one of the forbidden islands the people can see from the coastline, they determine to go on gold-hunt. They manage to construct a glider that takes them far from their home territory, and so begins a whole new adventure for the boys, as they travel from island to island in search of gold. Their adventures are many and they come close to death. They do in the end, find the gold – but it is nothing like what they expected.

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