Our Older Kids category usually covers books for the 9-12 age group – but every child has different needs so do check out the Young Kids section too if you can’t see something that works for you! We’ve independently chosen our favourite titles to sell in our bookshops and online. And remember – we offer Free Postage in ROI on orders over €30 – just choose the Free Postage option at checkout.
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'There are so many people in this world - 7.53 billion to be exact. But there is only one of me and one of you. It's easy to think we are not good enough, or that our nose is too big, or wish we could be more like our friends. But the world would be different without you. You are enough just as you are.. .' Sometimes it can seem like the world isn't built for you or like you don't belong. But why should you change who you are for the sake of others? Sinéad Burke is an advocate, activist, teacher, writer and British vogue cover model. She also happens to be a little person at three and a half feet tall. Reflecting on her experiences growing up, Sinéad offers a heartfelt and inspiring guide to young readers on believing in themselves and finding comfort and pride in their own skin. From the power of being different and discovering things you love about yourself, to using your voice to be an ally and show friendship to others, it's time to break the mould and find your place in the world. Great for Ages 7-12. ISBN 9781526363336 -
A paperback edition of the'Samuel Johnson vs the Darkness Trilogy : The Gates, The Infernals, The Creeps' by John Connolly Bursting with imagination and impossible to put down, these novels are about the pull between good and evil, physics and fantasy - and a quirky boy, who is impossible not to love, and the unlikely cast of characters who give him the strength to stand up to a demonic power. The Gates: Samuel Johnson's neighbour Mrs Abernathy is trying to open the gates of hell. It's up to Samuel to stop her, except nobody will believe him, and time is running out. The Infernals (previously titled 'Hell's Bells'): Samuel and Boswell are pulled through a portal into Hell. But Mrs Abernathy has reckoned without their bravery and cleverness, or the loyalty of Samuel's friend, the demon Nurd, and Mr Merryweather's Elves. The Creeps: Samuel and Boswell are to be guests of honour at the opening of the greatest toyshop. A splendid time will be had by all, as long as they can ignore the sinister statue that keeps moving around the town, the Shadows that are slowly blocking out the stars, murderous elves, and the fact that, somewhere, a rotten black heart is beating a rhythm of revenge. ISBN 9781529312072 -
Dublin 1913. My name is Betty Rafferty. A few weeks ago I had to leave school and go out to work in a cake shop, serving fancy cakes to rude, rich people. No choice. But since then so much has happened. It all started when old Miss Warby took our pay away. And we walked out!The whole city - well, all us union members - are going out on strike. Even my dog Earnshaw has joined in!Life on the picket line in the lashing rain isn't much fun. Lots of people, like Peter Lawlor, just don't understand how unfair everything is. But we workers have to stand together - no matter what! ISBN 9781788491235 -
Irish sportswomen have been breaking the mould for a long time. From Maeve Kyle becoming Ireland's first female Olympian in 1956, to motorsport pioneer Rosemary Smith breaking the land-speed record in 1978. Through the 1990s and 2000s we had world champions in Sonia O'Sullivan, Derval O'Rourke, and Olive Loughnane. More recently, the success of Katie Taylor, Kellie Harrington, and Annalise Murphy has kept Irish sportswomen on the global map. But amidst their success stories, the battle for recognition continues. Female athletes still receive only a small proportion of the media coverage their male counterparts receive. This book will break the mould once more with a first ever compendium of stories for young girls about our most accomplished contemporary sportswomen. With a fairy-tale touch, RTÉ's Jacqui Hurley tells the real-life stories of women who have proved that gender is not a barrier to success. Each story in Girls Play Too is one of overcoming adversity, and the role models celebrated here are sure to inspire the next generation of Irish sportswomen. Great for Ages 7-12. -
Rex's parents have split up, he's about to make the daunting move to secondary school, and to make matters worse he has to spend his summer holiday on a remote and rainy Irish island - with lots of unruly sheep for company. The only upside: he'll be staying with his strange and brilliant Uncle Derm. Then Rex discovers Uncle Derm is about to execute his most hair-brained plan yet - to rob the island's travelling bank! Like the local legend of medieval Pirate Queen Grace O'Malley, Uncle Derm plans to redistribute the money to local needy causes on the island. And he needs Rex's help... A madcap robbery, plenty of sheep and a summer of discoveries come together in this hilarious and moving novel, perfect for fans of Frank Cottrell Boyce, Ross Welford and David Walliams. With illustrations by Chris Judge. Great for Ages 9-12. ISBN 9780241362235 -
Science fiction meets science fact in this brand new hilarious book from one of the UK and Ireland's best-loved comedians. Genuinely qualified space expert, Dara O Briain, is here with all the answers to help you sort your Area 51s from your messages from Mars. Includes: * how life begins in the first place * how Earth was created * whether aliens might exist elsewhere in the Solar System * the search for other planets like our own * how we could possibly ever get there and . . . * would we really meet aliens? Alongside this runs the hilarious, but not very true story of Carl and his cat, Clive, who will join you on the journey of the book to help take you from novice alien-hunter to bona-fide space expert, with a brilliant final twist! So, is there anybody out there? NO. (Well, maybe.) And do aliens really exist? Probably. (Possibly.) Great for Ages 9-12. ISBN 9780702303944 -
'In Irish there are so many great rain words and magic words and highly specific natural words (such as the material put on the hooves of donkeys to stop them slipping in ice), or words to communicate with animals, or evocative plant words, or the gorgeous words for different amounts of light in the sky, or words that hint at different ways of seeing colour, or twilight words ... ' Manchan Magan is fascinated by words, particularly Irish words, with all of their complex meanings and associations and their connections to the natural world. Having enjoyed huge success with his bestselling book Thirty-Two Words for Field, Manchan now brings his infectious wonder and enthusiasm for the Irish language to a younger audience, offering delightful translations and explanations of animal, bird, fish, insect and nature words. When you see the world through Irish, you see the world differently. Get ready to share the magic with this delightful book for readers of all ages. Great for Ages 7-12. ISBN 9780717192557 -
In 2017 Dr. Norah Patten, from Ballina in Co. Mayo, was one of 12 participants from around the world selected to take part in a unique scientist-astronaut training programme, Project Possum. She is now on course to become Ireland's first astronaut!Follow Norah as she brings you on a journey high above the earth and into space. You will learn about space travel, astronaut training and life without gravity. Norah will answer those all-important questions such as how long does it take to become an astronaut and where exactly astronauts go to the toilet?! Did you know that our sun is a star, just like all the stars we see at night? Did you know that, in space, the astronauts have to use special ropes to hold themselves down while running on the treadmill? A fun and engaging book about space and becoming an astronaut but most importantly a book about following your dreams no matter how big! ISBN 9781788491006 -
On the night that Aunty dies the Raggedy Witches come for Mup's mam. Pale, cold, relentless, they will do anything to coax Mam back to Witches Borough. When they kidnap Mup's dad, Mup and her mam must leave the mundane world to rescue him. But Mam is strange on this side of the border - striding, powerful, and distant. Even if they can save Dad, Mup is not sure anything will ever be the same again... "Ireland's answer to JK Rowling." Sunday Independent "A classic hero in the making." Parent Talk ISBN Great for Ages 9-12 9781406366020 -
"Sometimes you are a whisper away from magic without even realizing it."... Nine is an orphan pickpocket determined to escape her life in the Nest of a Thousand Treasures. When she steals a house-shaped ornament from a mysterious woman's purse, she knocks on its tiny door and watches it grow into a huge, higgledy-piggeldy house. Inside she finds a host of magical and brilliantly funny characters, including Flabberghast - a young wizard who's particularly competitive at hopscotch - and a hideous troll housekeeper who's emotionally attached to his feather duster. They have been placed under an extraordinary spell, which they are desperate for Nine to break - and if she can, maybe they can offer her a new life in return... Great for Ages 9-12 ISBN 9781406395310 -
Everything in the Universe is made up of just 118 chemical elements, all of which are listed in the Periodic Table. Lift the flaps in this informative book and discover which elements are crucial to life, which are smelly, explosive or radioactive and lots more. An essential introduction to the building blocks of chemistry, with over 125 flaps. ISBN 9781474922661 -
On the death of her master, Letta is suddenly promoted from apprentice to wordsmith, charged with collecting and archiving words in post-apocalyptic, neo-medieval Ark. When she uncovers a sinister plan to suppress language and rob the people of Ark of the power of speech, she realises that she has to save not only words, but the culture itself. Speculative fiction with a powerful political premise. WINNER of a White Raven from the International Youth Library Shortlisted for the Children's Books Ireland Awards Great for Ages 9-12 ISBN 9781912417124 -
Discover a collection of fairy tales unlike the ones you've read before... "Once upon a time, in the middle of winter, a King sat at a window and sewed. As he sewed and gazed out onto the landscape, he pricked his finger with the needle, and three drops of blood fell onto the snow outside." People have been telling fairy tales to their children for hundreds of years. And for almost as long, people have been rewriting those fairy tales - to help their children imagine a world where they are the heroes. The authors haven't rewritten the stories in this book. They haven't reimagined endings, or reinvented characters. What they have done is switch all the genders. It might not sound like that much of a change, but you'll be dazzled by the world this swap creates - and amazed by the new characters you're about to discover... Great for Ages 6-99. ISBN 9780571360185 -
From the outstanding creative partnership of Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris. All over the country, there are words disappearing from children's lives. These are the words of the natural world - Dandelion, Otter, Bramble and Acorn, all gone. The rich landscape of wild imagination and wild play is rapidly fading from our children's minds. The Lost Words stands against the disappearance of wild childhood. It is a joyful celebration of nature words and the natural world they invoke. With acrostic spell-poems by award-winning writer Robert Macfarlane and hand-painted illustration by Jackie Morris, this enchanting book captures the irreplaceable magic of language and nature for all ages. WINNER OF THE CILIP KATE GREENAWAY MEDAL 2019 WINNER OF THE BEAUTIFUL BOOK AWARD 2017 SHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR NATURE WRITING 2018 ISBN 9780241253588 -
"Humans, as is there wont, have a terrible habit of making a mess of everything." Mirabelle has always known she is a monster. When the glamour protecting her unusual family from the human world is torn and an orphaned brother and sister stumble upon Rookhaven, Mirabelle soon discovers that friendship can be found in the outside world. But as something far more sinister comes to threaten them all, it quickly becomes clear that the true monsters aren't necessarily the ones you can see. A thought-provoking, chilling and beautifully written novel, Padraig Kenny's The Monsters of Rookhhaven, stunningly illustrated by Edward Bettison, explores difference and empathy through the eyes of characters you won't want to let go. Great for Ages 9-12. ISBN 9781529031485 -
Syms Covington has landed the job of a lifetime - cabin boy and fiddler on Charles Darwin's Beagle. But when he is separated from the crew during a storm, his life takes a truly extraordinary turn. Shipwrecked on a Galapagos island, he makes a discovery that could change the world - and make his fortune. But should he share his find, or will it lead to the extinction of a legendary species? There's one person who could help, but he's busy writing a book ... Great for Ages 9-12 ISBN 9781912626465 -
Go back in time with No. 1 bestselling author David Walliams for a whizz-bang epic adventure of action, laughter and secret plots – and the extraordinary friendship between a little boy and a huge gorilla that just might save the day… 1940. Britain is at war with Nazi Germany. Eleven-year-old Eric spends his days at the place that makes him most happy: London Zoo. And there’s one animal in particular he loves: Gertrude the gorilla. With bombs falling all over London, Eric must rescue Gertrude. Together with his Uncle Sid, a keeper at the zoo, the three go on the run. But while hiding out at the seaside they uncover a top-secret Nazi plot… Join David Walliams on this action-packed, laugh-out-loud adventure for all the family! Great for Ages 9-12. ISBN 9780008471804 -
An enchanting and exciting tale of Christmas magic from multi-award-winning and bestselling writer Catherine Doyle. George is about to spend his third Christmas without his mum. Since she died, George's life has felt dull and grey; his dad has thrown himself into his work and has no time for family, and definitely no time for Christmas. Then, George stumbles across Marley's Curiosity Shop. There he finds a mysterious snow globe, which - though George can't quite understand how - appears to show a scene from George's past. A Christmas in which he and his family were together, and happy... That night, George and his dad are swept on an adventure to three Christmases - past, present, and future. With help from new friends, and just a touch of magic, can they begin living life in full colour again?A stunning modern reimagining of Charles Dickens' beloved classic, A Christmas Carol. 'A supremely confident writer' Telegraph 'Vividly exciting and poignant...Destined to become a Christmas classic' Louise O'Neill 'Sparkles with magic...A wintry wonder of a book' Abi Elphinstone Great for Ages 9-12 ISBN 9780241486436