b b e W h a r a S d n a s i r r o M z i L y b d e t i d FREE • PLEASE TAKE ONE SAOR IN AISCE • TÓG CEANN LE DO THOIL E RECOMMENDED READING GUIDE • TREOIR MOLTA LÉITHEOIREACHTA BOOKFEST / LEABHAR-FHÉILE THE RECOMMENDED READING GUIDE OF THE CHILDREN’S BOOK FESTIVAL 2008 EDITED BY LIZ MORRIS AND SARAH WEBB The O'Brien Press, 12 Terenure Road East, Dublin 6. The O'Brien Press, 12 Terenure Road East, Dublin 6. P: 01 4923333; F: 01 4922777; E: [email protected]; www.obrien.ie P: 01 4923333; F: 01 4922777; E: [email protected]; www.obrien.ie Fantastic new reads for toddlers to teens! Fantastic new reads for toddlers to teens! Celebrate the Children's Book Festival with Book Fest 2008.12 18/8/08 2:59 pm Page 1 Celebrate the Children's Book Festival with Book Fest 2008.12 18/8/08 2:59 pm Page 2 Show your concern and fast There are plenty You may choose to FAST Totakepartinthe orperhapstakepartinan ofwaystomakea ‘Eat Healthily Day’. Either Concern Christmas difference and help way, by doing the Concern FAST 2008 on children and families ChristmasFASTnotonlyare December 4th go to you helping Concern’s work in extreme poverty. overseas,youcouldalsobe www.concernfast.org inwithachancetowinagreat orcallustodayon Fewareasmuchfunas Children’s Books Ireland prize. 1850 50 50 55 the Concern Christmas Thisyear,wehopetoraise FAST 2008 – so make over`1.3 million for people sureyoutakeparton whoneedhelpinsomeofthe Concern Worldwide – committed to poorest countries of the world a world without poverty. December 4th. during the hunger season. Registered Charity No. CHY5745 11860-Fast-CBI-A5.indd 1 15/08/2008 12:03:09 Book Fest 2008.12 18/8/08 4:24 pm Page 3 BOOKFEST LEABARFHEILE/ / – WELCOME Welcome to BookFest – the recommended reading guide produced by Children’s Books Ireland, the national organisation for children’s books, and released in conjunction with the annual Children’s Book Festival. The festival takes place across the country during October. To check out what’s on, visit www.childrensbooksireland.ie, where the events calendar will highlight what’s happening in your area. Our review panel for this guide is made up of teachers, librarians, booksellers, editors, lecturers, authors, illustrators and interested parents. They have selected the best titles of 2008 and we have collected them here for you. They are organised into easy- BookFest is the to-use sections and listed alphabetically. Each section is recommended reading guide introduced by an author or illustrator of interest to the age group. of the annual This year there are two new exciting competitions running; Children’s Book Festival Design A Cover Competition, and a Spooky Short Story Competition – see the inside back of this guide for further details. CBI would like to thank the editors Liz and Sarah for all their hard work, and long hours. We also wish to thank our section editors and, of course, our reviewers. Finally a big thank you to Tomm in Cartoon Saloon for designing the festival image and to Kieran and Paddy in Oldtown Design for all their work on BookFest and on other festival material. All that remains is to wish everyone involved in the festival lots Editor’s Choice of fun and of course happy reading; we hope to see you at some of Irish author /illustrator / the events. publisher FUTHER INFORMATION: Event Guide/CBI Membership CHILDREN’S BOOKS IRELAND Further Information . www.childrensbooksireland.ie 17 North Great George’s Street Dublin 1 Events Information . [email protected] Tel: (01) 872 7475 BookFest Reading Guide . [email protected] Fax: (01) 872 7476 THE CHILDREN’S BOOK FESTIVAL WOULD LIKE TO THANK: DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Oldtown Graphic Design & The Arts Council, Foras na Gaeilge, The National Youth Libraries Group, The Typesetting, www.oldtown.ie O’Brien Press, Dublin City Libraries, International Education Supplies, Oldtown Design, Eason and Sons Ltd. Also, a big thank you to all the publishers for their COVER ILLUSTRATION: Tomm Moore at Cartoon Saloon continued support. www.cartoonsaloon.ie CBI has made every effort to ensure the information provided in this guide is PRINTED IN IRELAND correct, however CBI cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. by Character Print Solutions BOOKFEST 2008–2009 3 Book Fest 2008.12 18/8/08 4:24 pm Page 4 / CONTENTS/ CLAR CBI Bisto Book of the Year 2007 prize-winners … pages 6–7 AGE 0–4 … pages 9–16 HELLO TILLY Polly Dunbar (WALKER BOOKS) THUGAS AN GHEALACH AG SIÚL Carolyn Curtis agus Alison Jay (AN GÚM) THE PIGEON WANTS A PUPPY! Mo Willems (WALKER BOOKS) AGE 5–8 … pages 17–22 HER MOTHER’S FACE Roddy Doyle (SCHOLASTIC) THE HENNY PENNY TREE Siobhán Parkinson (THE O’BRIEN PRESS) MR GUM AND THE DANCING BEAR Andy Stanton (EGMONT) AGE 9–12 … pages 24–33 AIRMAN Eoin Colfer (PUFFIN BOOKS) ADOLF SNA hARDA Marvin Halleraker (COIS LIFE) SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT: PLAYING WITH FIRE Derek Landy (HARPERCOLLINS) Overall Editors: Liz Morris and Sarah Webb Section Editors: Ruth Coleman, Liz Morris, Tomás Ó Dúlaing, Juliette Saumande, Sarah Webb, and Enda Wyley Reviewers: Úna Breathnach, Jennifer Carpenter, Helen Carr, Valerie Coghlan, Lisa Coleman, Ruth Coleman, Donal Comiskey, Judy Deacon, Jessica Denbow, Audrey Devereux, Martina Devlin, Tom Donegan, Emer Donoghue, Robert Dunbar, Kieran Fanning, Eimear Gallagher, Emma Hannon, Rosemary Hetherington, Lucinda Jacob, Anna Kamaralli, Andrea Khan, Marian Keyes, Joe Kinnane, David Lee, Catherine Loane, Caitríona Magner, David Maybury, Oisín McGann, Paula McGeever, Pauline Mellon, Jane Mitchell, Liz Morris, Jenny Murray, Rachel Ní Chuinn, Deirdre Nic A’Bhuí, Paddy O'Doherty, Aodh Ó Domhnaill, Tomás Ó Dúlaing, Jane O’Hanlon, Finian O’Shea, Barbara O’Toole, Helen Power, Síne Quinn, Maedhbh Rogan, Juliette Saumande, Déirdre Uí Ghrádaigh, Mags Walsh, Sarah Webb, Laura Williams, Enda Wyley 4 BOOKFEST 2008–2009 Book Fest 2008.12 18/8/08 4:24 pm Page 5 / editor’s choices/ Roghanna an eagarthora AGE 12–14 … pages 34–41 STRANGLED SILENCE Oisín McGann (CORGI) STRAINSÉIRI Colmán Ó Raghallaigh (CLÓ MHAIGH EO) CREATURE OF THE NIGHT Kate Thompson (THE BODLEY HEAD) OLDER TEENS … pages 43–48 BLOODCHILD Tim Bowler (OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS) OSTRICH BOYS Keith Gray (DEFINITIONS) THE POISON THRONE, BOOK 1 Celine Kiernan (THE O’BRIEN PRESS) POETRY … pages 49–51 BUBBLE TROUBLE Margaret Mahy, illustrated by Polly Dunbar (FRANCES LINCOLN) SOMETHING BEGINNING WITH P: NEW POEMS FROM IRISH POETS Séamus Cashman (Ed) illustrated by Corrina Askin & Alan Clarke (THE O’BRIEN PRESS) INFORMATION BOOKS … pages 52–58 WE ARE ALL BORN FREE (FRANCES LINCOLN) IN ASSOCIATION WITH AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, UK SECTION AN tUISCE, SÚ NA BEATHA Beatrice Hollyer (AN GÚM) WILD DUBLIN: EXPLORING NATURE IN THE CITY Éanna Ní Lamhna, photographs by Anthony Woods (THE O’BRIEN PRESS) AUDIO BOOKS … page 59 AN NOLLAIG SA NAIGÍN Ré Ó Laighléis (MÓINÍN) KEEPER Mal Peet, read by James Goode (WALKER BOOKS) Irish-published children’s books 2008 … page 60 Competitions … page 62 BOOKFEST 2008–2009 5 Book Fest 2008.12 18/8/08 4:24 pm Page 6 CBi Bisto Book of the Year CBI BISTO BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDS The CBI Bisto Book of the Year Awards identify, honour and promote excellence in books for young people by Irish authors and illustrators. CBI is now accepting submissions for the Bisto Book of the Year Awards. Established in 1990, and sponsored since their inception by Bisto (Premier Foods Ireland), they have been the leading awards for children’s books in Ireland for the past 18 years. These awards are open to Irish children’s authors and illustrators, writing in Irish or English, and published in Ireland or abroad. Please send 14 copies of eligible titles to: CBI Bisto Book of the Year Award 17 North Great Georges Street Dublin 1 The closing date for all submissions will be the 15th December 2008. No late entries will be accepted. For full terms and conditions and entry forms please visit www.childrensbooksireland.ie – or call the CBI office on (01) 872 7475 with any specific queries. 6 BOOKFEST 2008–2009 Book Fest 2008.12 18/8/08 4:24 pm Page 7 LPE/ LEABHAR NA BLIANA The CBI Bisto Book of the Year Awards 2007 were awarded on the 22nd May 2008. Full details on www.childrensbooksireland.ie CBI BISTO BOOK OF SHORTLISTED TITLES THE YEAR 2007 Michael Scott Siobhán Dowd THE ALCHEMYST THE LONDON EYE (DOUBLEDAY) MYSTERY (DAVID FICKLING BOOKS) EILÍS DILLON AWARD Jessica O’Donnell Tom Kelly DISCOVER ART THE THING WITH FINN (DUBLIN CITY GALLERY THE HUGH LANE) (MACMILLAN) CBI HONOUR AWARDS Caitríona Nic Sheáin FE Higgins agus Andrew Whitson THE BLACK BOOK GAISCÍOCH NA OF SECRETS BEILTE UAINE (MACMILLAN) (AN tSNÁTHAID MHÓR) Oliver Jeffers Colin Bateman THE WAY BACK HOME TITANIC 2020 (HARPERCOLLINS) (HODDER CHILDREN’S BOOKS) Roddy Doyle Kate Thompson WILDERNESS THE LAST OF THE (SCHOLASTIC) HIGH KINGS (THE BODLEY HEAD) BOOKFEST 2008–2009 7 Book Fest 2008.12 18/8/08 4:24 pm Page 8 THE YOUTH LIBRARIES GROUP he Youth Libraries Group is a very active section of the Library Association of TIreland which promotes children’s books and reading through planned programmes. It organises seminars, workshops and lectures on topics relating to children’s books, activities and children’s libraries. For more information please contact us at [email protected] New members and fresh ideas are always welcome. Details of membership of the YLG are available from: The Secretary, Library Association of Ireland, 53 Upper Mount Street, Dublin 2 or www.libraryassocation.ie A Friend. A Father. A Kingdom. Which Would You Sacrifice? Book Fest 2008.12 18/8/08 4:24 pm Page 9 Edited by Sarah Webb Age 0–4 1 AGE 0–2 ⁄2 MEET POLLY DUNBAR BookFest asked award-winning author and illustrator Polly Dunbar about her new books for younger children.