The team at Discover Irish Children’s Books choose their favourite titles for June
It’s Independent Bookshop Week, so what better way to celebrate than by popping down to your local bookshop, or going online to order a book for the young reader in your life?
With only a tiny number (or sometimes none at all) of Irish children’s authors listed in the top ten charts each week, Discover Irish Children’s Books is championing our home-grown writers. Each month they pick their favourite Irish titles to make it easier for you to find these brilliant and bright books for young people.
We’re linking to the fabulous Half-Way up the Stairs who stock all kinds of beautiful books for children and young adults, Dubray Books, Kenny’s, and O’Mahony’s but you can also find these titles and more in your local store—let’s keep our bookshop culture going strong!
FAVOURITE TITLES FOR JUNE
Chasing the Shy Town, by Erika McGann, illustrated by Toni Galmés (Little Island) Age 7+
Senan doesn’t care for adventure. He’d rather watch the world go by from his bedroom window. But when he spots the Shy Town – a hilltop town that vanishes and reappears along the horizon – he is fascinated.
Along with his fearless and fun-loving neighbour and his no-nonsense grandmother, Senan sets out to find the Shy Town. On their epic adventure they encounter wild storms, a boy made of paper, a nervous, beetle-like creature with remarkable abilities – and a mysterious town with an incredible secret.
Lion Girl, by Olivia Hope, illustrated by Fiona Woodcock (Bloomsbury) Age 4+
The city roared like a jungle.
Leonie roared back at the city.
She shook her mane and swished her tail.
She was a lion girl.
Leonie and her mother are off to the big city! Inspired by the people, sights and sounds, Leonie can’t wait to discover it all. Her mother tells her to stay close, but there’s SO much to see. And surely nothing can scare a brave lion girl, can it? A wild, spirited tale of imagination and self-belief.
Bertha and Blink, Rumble in the Jungle, by Nicola Cotton (Little Tiger) age 7+
Join Bertha and Blink on an adventure full of friendship, with a sprinkling of science and a nod to nature. The perfect new series for fun-loving readers!
When a rumble in the jungle disturbs super-star inventor Bertha’s work, she has to leave her peaceful home and investigate. To help her, she creates Blink – an excitable robo-bird sidekick who can’t wait to explore! How will the unlikely pair cope in the wilderness? And will they be able to discover the secret behind the strange noises?
A Crocodile Should Never Skip Breakfast, by Colleen Larmour (Kids Can) age 4+
Croc is running late for his shift as the river ferry. No time for breakfast. He’ll pick up some donuts at the Hippo Hut. Only, Hippo’s sold out! Good thing Croc has an emergency snack. Except, his banana has gone bad! Croc is going to have to work on an empty stomach, with loads of animals on his back. Croc gets hungrier and hungrier, thinking of donuts and … other things to eat.
Will he ever make it to lunch? Author and illustrator Colleen Larmour keeps the suspense level high in this playful picture book, with a fast-paced story told mostly in dialogue bubbles, spreads filled with animal antics and bright tropical colors, and funny, exaggerated depictions of Croc’s growing hunger. A delicious romp, this book also serves as a terrific reminder that food is fuel.
The Tall Man, by Mary Cathleen Brown (Everything with Words) age 11+
The village is alive with rumours about the Tall Man and Tom lives in his house. Tom hears a boy in the cellar offering a ‘special’ acorn to a rat, Captain Rat, whom he begs to find the key to his leg-iron. The cellar is empty but Tom knows that the boy is real and he’s convinced that he is trapped in a brutal past and the Tall’s Man’s prisoner.
Each time Tom tries to help the boy, the Tall Man’s ghostly presence intensifies. Who is the boy in the cellar and can they escape Tall Man?
Freya’s Gold, by Fiona Longmuir (Nosy Crow) age 9+
Buried treasure. Hidden secrets. One golden chance. Legend says the cliffs by the seaside town of Edge are riddled with smugglers’ tunnels, and that gold is stashed in their caves. Freya and her best friend, Lin, love searching for treasure on the beach, but they steer clear of the dark and twisting tunnels. It’d be easy to get lost in there, and Freya’s sure she can hear voices echoing from them when the wind blows.
Then a mysterious woman moves into Freya’s granny’s B&B and soon everything that Freya loves about Edge is under threat. It’s time for Freya to face her fears. Can she strike gold before time runs out for her town? A gripping, contemporary adventure with brilliant twists and turns, from the author of Looking for Emily.
Evil Duck and the Feather of Fortune, by Chris Judge (Gill Books) age 7+
Twins Flo and Eddie are staying with their grandad while their mum travels for work. Nosing around in Grandad’s attic, they find a villainous-looking duck frozen inside a special, temperature-controlled chamber. Eddie accidentally presses the DEFROST button – and releases super-villain Evil Duck!
It turns out that Grandad, AKA Fearless Frank, is a retired superhero duck who captured his nemesis Evil Duck many moons ago, saving society from his sinister schemes. But now Evil Duck has escaped, and Grandad is too old to recapture him alone, Eddie and Flo are going to have to help him track the super-villain down – before he gets back to his evil ways!
Heartstopper (as Gaeilge) by Alice Oseman, translated by Eoin McEvoy
Futa Fata takes its first steps into the teen market with an Irish translation of the internationally beloved Heartstopper graphic novel. Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love.
A bestselling LGBTQ+ graphic novel about life, love, and everything that happens in between.
Charlie and Nick are in the same school, but they’ve never met… until one day when they’re made to sit together. They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn’t think he has a chance. But love works in surprising ways, and Nick is more interested in Charlie than either of them realised.
