Those clever folks at Children’s Books Ireland are opening Book Clinics during the Children’s Book Festival (the month formerly known as October). Kim Harte or I will be stationed every Saturday manning the clinics and prescribing books, feeding you juicy tidbits about your favourite authors and making sure there are lots of goodies given away. [...]

The Irish Independent asks a heap of very smart people for their book choices of the Summer… and then they asked me. My inner teenage-reader is craving more in the wake of John Green’s The Fault in our Stars (Puffin, €16.60) and RJ Palacio’s Wonder (Bodley Head, €16.60), two excellent teen novels from earlier this [...]

I was let loose on national airwaves again… this time with Orla Barry of Newstalk’s Green Room fame. Talking summer reads and general book babbling… where I admit to having read Fifty Shades of Grey. Don’t judge me, someone has to do the dirty work.

Dave O’Callaghan of Easons fame talks History Keepers, adventures and more on TV3′s Ireland AM. Something to get your week started - click to watch! 

The last two weeks have been spent recovering from Tales on Moon Lane and catching up on projects - namely summer reading features for the Irish Independent and Newstalk. So… what should you be reading this Summer? We’re losing THREE big series this summer… Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl adventure ends in The last Guardian, Michael [...]

Written a kids book and wondering what to do next? Want to write a kids book? Want to get read by one of the best kids book agents in London? Want me to stop asking questions? Check out the The Greenhouse Funny Prize - the chance to nab Julia Churchill as an agent and be [...]

Someone very clever created a blank bookshelf on Capel Street in Dublin… and I let loose with a sharpie!  

On the airwaves!

I was let loose on the radio again, thanks to the gang at Culture File, this time talking the YA reading trends and what is coming next. John Green*, RJ Palacio, Scott Westerfield and Sarah Rees Brennan all get a name check. *The podcast was recorded two weeks before John signed w/ Puffin UK. Fault [...]

The latest issue of Inis Magazine is out now! Inis 37 talks to Korky Paul, Meg Rosoff, Melvin Burgess, Andrew Whitson and Siobhán Parkinson on what being the Children’s Laureate really involved! Reviews look at new books from Chris Judge, John Green, Sarah Crossan, Chris Haughton, David Mackintosh and Martin Salisbury’s brilliant new book Chidlrens’ [...]

Children’s Book Awards 2012

Another week… another Children’s Books Ireland BIG day. This time it’s the Children’s Book of the Year Award! Looking forward to #cbiawards: http://bit.ly/KW7ye5 Mark O’Sullivan’s wonderful My Dad is Ten Years Old is shortlisted: http://bit.ly/KW8hfi Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Share on Google+ Share on Linkedin Share by email Penguin Ireland [...]

This happens to me too…

You’ve seen this… right?

Stuart Dredge chooses 10 apps that might change Julia Donaldson’s mind… Donaldson is dead set against the idea of a digital Gruffalo adaptation - ideological and a little stubborn, maybe, but certainly makes for an interesting argument. There’s something fun about her anarchic “I think it would be good if a few people like me [...]

Every sentence is packed with wit, strange but appropriate neologisms, and jostling clusters of consonants that are there for no other reason than sheer delight in language.
Tony Bradman

Tony Bradman reviews China Miéville’s Railsea

Mean Girls

Megan Abbott talks cheerleaders and bitchiness on We Love This Book.

Harry goes to microscope

Imogen Russell Williams is drawn in by comics annuals.

Have you met Robby Auld?

Have you met Robby Auld? The 16 year old book critic?

The Most Comma Mistakes

Catching up on the CBI Conference 2012

There were good lucks, excitement and teaser pics (those CBI folk can be cruel)…  Wishes we could be at #CBIConf with @sharkeytweets tomorrow! Good luck with everything @KidsBooksIrel - it’s going to be a good one! Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Share on Google+ Share on Linkedin Share by email Walker [...]

A recent Carnegie UK Trust research report found that 40% of people in Northern Ireland used a library in the last year - the lowest usage across the UK.

NPR’s Fresh Air remembers Maurice Sendak

I have nothing now but praise for my life. I’m not unhappy. I cry a lot because I miss people. They die and I can’t stop them. They leave me and I love them more. … What I dread is the isolation. … There are so many beautiful things in the world which I will [...]

YA Magazine

Have you met YA Magazine yet?

Art Spiegelman draws Maurice Sendak.

Tom Gauld’s epic character poster.