Spring 2016 Children's and Teen Highlights

This piece originally appeared in the Sunday Independent. This year looks all set to be a stellar one for children’s books and Irish YA in particular will blaze a trail in 2016. There are new titles from ‘brand names’ such as Julia Donaldson, Eoin Colfer and Derek Landy, plenty of interesting debuts, and some intriguing books from ‘grown up’ bestsellers, Cecelia Ahern and Sheila O’Flanagan.

crystal run

The current Children’s Laureate, Eoin Colfer’s Ironman novel for children is due in the autumn from Marvel. According to Colfer, the billionaire playboy Tony Stark is all set to get the ‘Dublin treatment’. Penguin Random House Children’s lead title this spring is Dave Rudden’s The Knights of the Borrowed Dark (March), the first in a trilogy featuring Denizen Hardwick, a boy who doesn't believe in magic until he's ambushed by a monster created from shadows.

HarperCollins is very excited about Cecelia Ahern’s  debut YA (Young Adult) novel, Flawed, set in a society where perfection is everything (March); and Hachette is publishing Sheila O’Flanagan’s fantasy debut for age 10+, The Crystal Run (May). Gill and Macmillan has their first YA novel ever in April, from a writer who is only a teenager herself, sixteen-year-old Eilís Barrett. Her book, Oasis is set in the future and follows a group of teen outcasts turned freedom fighters.

needlework

Little Island, the children’s answer to Tramp Press, has been making waves with their strong fiction list, and 2016 is no exception. First up in February is Needlework by Deirdre Sullivan for young adult and adult readers, a novel about child abuse and its aftermath which I read in one sitting. It’s not an easy read for obvious reasons, but like Louise O’Neill’s Asking for It, it’s an important and beautifully written book.

Also from Little Island for older teen readers is Anna Seidl’s No Heros (March), the story of a school shooting and its aftermath, a publishing sensation in its native Germany; and in May they launch The Best Medicine by Belfast woman, Christine Hamill. Twelve-year-old Philip’s mum has breast cancer and he writes to Harry Hill for advice.

Kim Hood’s debut YA novel, Finding a Voice was shortlisted for the prestigious YA Book Prize in the UK last year and her second novel, Plain Jane is out in April from O’Brien Press. The story of a sixteen-year-old girl whose sister has cancer, it’s one I’m particularly looking forward to as I love her fresh, vibrant writing voice.

The Square Root of Summer by Harriet Reuter Hapgood (Macmillan, May) follows 17-year-old physics prodigy Gottie Oppenheimer as she navigates a summer of both grief and rips in the space-time continuum; and The Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse (Macmillan, April) is a World War II story set in Amsterdam about a young woman who gets involved with the resistance.

Puffin Ireland Editor, Claire Hennessy’s YA novel, Nothing Tastes as Good is published by Hot Key in July and is already creating quite a stir. Annabel is a recently deceased anorexic teen who finds herself assigned as a ghostly 'helper' to Julia, another girl with an eating problem. Brian Conaghan’s The Bombs That Brought Us Together (Bloomsbury, April), dealing with terrorism and war, also sounds promising; and Derek Landy is back with the second book in his Demon Road fantasy-horror trilogy, Desolation (HarperCollins).

darkmouth 3

For readers of age 9+, there’s book three of Shane Hegarty’s Darkmouth series, Chaos Descends (HarperCollins, April);  and the latest novel by Brian Gallagher (O’Brien Press, April) called Arrivals, about a Canadian murder mystery in 1928. Ger Siggins is back with another book in his popular sport series, Rugby Flyer (O’Brien Press, February); and Matt Griffin tackles a war between the humans and the ancient fairy race in Stormweaver (O’Brien Press, April).

It’s great to see Cork man, Kieran Crowley back with The Mighty Dynamo (Macmillan, May), about a boy who dreams of being a professional footballer;      and I’m currently reading the exquisitely written Anna and the Swallow Man by New York based actor and writer, Gavriel Savit (Penguin Random House Children’s, 28th January), set during World War II.

And finally for this age group, the outstanding American writer, Kate DiCamillo returns with Raymie Nightingale, a novel about three girls and a friendship that will change their lives (Walker Books).

Poolbeg will add Maebh Banrion na Troda (February) and Sceal Naomh Padraig  (March) to their Nutshell library for younger readers; and the ultimate staying-between-the-lines challenge has to be the Where’s Wally? Colouring Book coming from Walker Books in June.

Sarah Bowie’s picture book, Let’s See Ireland (O’Brien Press, April) has striking artwork; and finally Julia Donaldson’s Detective Dog, illustrated by Sara Ogilvie (Macmillan, June) about Nell, a dog with an extra keen sense of smell sounds just the book to make both children and parents smile.

A Spread from Let's See Ireland

Sarah Webb’s next book for children, The Songbird Cafe Girls: Aurora and the Popcorn Dolphin (Walker Books) will be published in March. 

Aurora Book Cover

She's Making a List, She's Checking It Twice

As it’s Christmas Eve I thought I’d talk about lists. I hope you’ve all sent your wish list to Santa, or Father Christmas as you call him in the UK. I’m from Ireland and he’s Santa around these parts. Top of my Santa list is always books and book tokens. Are you a list maker? I am! I love making lists. Here is my list of the lists I keep:

1/ Favourite movies

I love going to the cinema and I don’t get to go as often as I’d like. My great treat to myself is an afternoon at the cinema – with a friend or by myself – I just love it.

This year I watched 14 different films, mainly at my local cinema in Dun Loaghaire. And I also went to some plays and lots of book events. Hurrah, another list to make for next year – book events.

Here’s the list of movies I watched (at the cinema) in 2014. My lists are scribbled and have rambling notes but I love looking back at them years later.

2015 Movies List

2014 Movies List

2/ Favourite books

This year I read 44 novels (adult and YA) and lots more children’s books for all ages.

Here’s part of the list. As you can see I score my books and movies out of 10. Geeky I know!

Books 2014

Books 2014

3/ Books I’d like to write in the future

That list is secret! It’s full of plans and ideas for future characters and plots. Sometimes the first thing that comes to me is a title or a character’s name and I jot that down on my list.

When I was a teenager to my shame I had a boy list. I listed all the boys I liked and where I’d spotted them. It was very much an aspirational list. I’d never met most of them. Some of them were pop stars or actors. The boys from Duran Duran regularly featured on my boy list – the One Direction of their day.

Duran Duran

Duran Duran

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I have an ongoing to do list on my desk. Here’s one from November. As you can see my Girls Heart Books blog is number one on that list.

Why do I make lists? It helps me make sense of the world and it helps me stay on top of things.

Sometimes life can be overwhelming, especially at busy times like Christmas. Everyone’s rushing around, buying presents, preparing food, getting into a tizzy about Christmas Day - who’s collecting Auntie Mabel , who’s peeling the potatoes? When I’m feeling a little stressed out I sit down and make a list. A shopping list, a to-do list, a list of the people I need to ring. It helps me feel more in control.

It’s OK to feel a bit overwhelmed at Christmas. It can be a noisy, manic, emotional time of the year. I’m not a ‘noisy’ person. I’m a reader and a book lover and a story-girl. I like peace and quiet, I like to be able to think.

If you’re a quiet person like me it’s perfectly normal to need a little time out from the mayhem, a little peace. You might like to:

Read a book

wizard of oz

Watch your favourite old movie – mine is The Wizard of Oz

Write in your diary

Go for a walk

Listen to music

Hug the dog

Hug your mum (I’m a mum and I love random ‘just because’ hugs)

Or maybe, just maybe, make a list like me!

Have a happy, peaceful and book filled Christmas everyone!

Yours in books,

Sarah XXX

This post first appeared on the Girls Heart Books website: www.girlsheartbooks.com

Why Irish Children's Publishing Should Be Supported

I've been thinking about Irish children's publishing this week. After reading Oisin McGann's excellent blog on the subject I decided I too have something to say on the matter. O'Brien Press, our largest and most important children's publishers previously received e63,000 which has been cut in 2015 to e10,000. I have posted some Arts Council funding figures below (which are in the public domain) which may be of interest. The Arts Council should themselves be supported by our government. They do an important job and Sarah Bannan, Head of Literature, fights tirelessly for books. But at the moment we all need to fight for children's books, together. I think  it's vital to support Irish children's publishing for the following reasons:

I grew up (in the 1970s) reading books mainly about British and American children. Yes, there were books by Patricia Lynch and Eilis Dillion and a couple by Walter Macken, but that was pretty much it. When I started writing as a child I populated my own stories with red letter boxes and ginger beer. Modern children are lucky – they see themselves reflected on the pages of their (Irish published) books. Family stories set in Limerick (Judi Curtin), gritty teen novels set in Northern Ireland (Sheena Wilkinson). They learn about Irish history on the pages of Under the Hawthorne Tree. (Children are 22 times more likely to remember a story than fact – and the editors at O’Brien are particularly good at discovering and promoting new historical fiction for children – Nicola Pierce is a wonderful talent who they have nurtured carefully.)

In Irish published books children read dialogue that sounds Irish and all this is reflected in their own writing. I have visited schools all over the country with the excellent Writers in Schools scheme and often they learn to read using Irish published books from the O’Brien Press Panda series. They love the fact that these are Irish books, with an Irish sense of humour, like Danny’s Teeth.

If O’Brien Press is not properly supported, if their hugely knowledgeable editorial staff are not kept on (and I know they have had to make staff cuts in the past), then Irish children will suffer, the future readers and writers of this country.

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I have worked with many different publishing houses over the past twenty years, in Ireland, the UK, the US and further afield and I know from experience how good the team at O’Brien are. Their editorial skills in particular are second to none. They really care about their writers and their books. I publish with them as well as international companies because I believe that Irish children should have access to Irish written, illustrated and published books. My recent book with O’Brien Press, Sally Go Round the Stars, makes traditional Irish nursery and playground rhymes available to a new generation of parents and young children. This book would not have been published by any other publisher. O’Brien Press took a huge risk bringing it out, but it paid off and has been very popular with Irish parents and their young children. 

I believe that the right book in the right child’s hand at the right time can change a life. We need to provide every child in Ireland with access to excellent Irish published books that they can connect with and fall in love with. I for one do not want to live in a country without its own indigenous children’s publishing.

Yours in books,

Sarah

Funding from the  Arts Council for some of the Irish publishers is below.

To look at the Arts Council funding (publishing and other areas of the arts) in more detail see here - a link to the funding area on their website.

Regular Funding 2014 (2015 decisions not yet public)

Carysfort Press

€10,000

Clo Iar Chonnachta-Teo

€70,000

Cois Life Teo

€33,500

Dedalus Press

€77,500

Little Island

€43,500

Salmon Poetry

€40,750

The Gallery Press

€150,000

The Stinging Fly

€53,000

Regularly Funded Organisations 2014 (2015 decisions not yet public)

Lilliput Press

€65,500

New Island Books

€72,000

Annual Programming Grant 2014 (no Programming Grants for 2015)

O'Brien Press

€63,000

(cut to €10,000 for 2015)

Publications Title by Title Scheme 2014

Arlen House

€10,000

Dalkey Archive Press

€14,250

Doire Press

€3,530

Futa Fata

€9,000

Leabhar Breac

€9,000

Mercier Press

€10,000

Tramp Press

€10,000

My Top Ten Novels of the Year - 2014 (Adult and YA)

anne t

It's been a stellar year for YA novels in particular, which is reflected in my list. Although I am biased - I love YA! My picture book of the year was Shh! We Have a Plan by Chris Haughton. This list is YA and adult novels. Watch out for my favourite children's books of the year in the Irish Independent on Saturday (Dec 13th), along with Robert Dunbar's favourites in the Irish Times. I'll post my round up after Saturday. I read 44 (and counting) adult and YA novels in 2014. I scored each book out of ten. All these books below scored an 8 or higher. As you can see, I read a lot of different genres and age groups. (Children's books are not a genre. Each age group is made up of different genres - yep, even board books and picture books, right up to YA (*see Only Ever Yours below).) Top score went to Anne Tyler's A Spool of Blue Thread (out in 2015 - sorry!). I gulped it down. Not the strongest plot, but those characters and her writing . . . bliss.

So in order of scores, here are my top ten novels of 2014. I should point out that I read far more YA and children's novels than adult novels, which is probably reflected in this list.

1/ A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler (published 2015) A wonderful family drama set in Baltimore (of course). Pretty much perfect. Thanks to Maria from Dubray Books for the proof copy.

glass castle

2/ The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls (older book)

I listened to this audio book while travelling up and down to West Cork over the summer and fell in love with Jeanette and her family. It's the most compelling memoir I've ever listened to. Her voice is perfect. I highly recommend it in either audio or book form.

a j fink

3/ The Collected Works of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin (published 2014)

In a word, adorable. Quirky tale about a bookseller (like me - why may be why I loved it so much) and a baby girl he finds in his shop. Wise and sweet.

4/ The Examined Life by Stephen Grosz (published 2014)

I loved this clever, beautifully written collection of real life stories about unusual lives. Grotz is a practicing psychoanalyst and he writes with a lightness of touch about his patients.

5/ Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume (older book)

Another audio book (I'm passionate about audio books). I'd never read this one and it was such a treat listening to it. Wise, funny, and Blume's voice - is there a better writer for young teens? I think not.

babylon

6/ How Many Miles to Babylon? by Jennifer Johnston (older book)

I'd never read this (to my shame) stunning novel about two boys - one from a Big House, one from the village (who works for the house) - and their friendship, with a World War I setting. It's beautifully written and so moving. Highly recommended.

we were liars

7/ We Were Liars by E Lockhart (published 2014)

Wonderful YA book set on a private island in the US. Her writing (and plotting) are mesmerizing.

8/ Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neill (published 2014)

Stunning YA debut by a young Clonakilty writer. Feminist dystopia - rather terrifying. Well worth reading. (*YA is the age group, feminist dystopia is the genre)

9/ Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult (older book)

Picoult is a master story teller and this audio book kept me gripped. Wolves, family problems - what's not to love? I think Picoult is underestimated. One of the hardest working writers around.

kim hood

10/ Finding a Voice by Kim Hood (published 2014)

Drew a tear many times. Another wonderful YA debut. Hood is Canadian but lives in Ireland. Family tale, with some strong themes. Loved it. Great teen voice.

I also loved (all published 2014 apart from Captive):

captive a j

Captive by AJ Grainger (YA - kidnapping drama - coming in Jan 2015)

Unravelling Oliver by Liz Nugent (brilliantly written thriller - with a children's writer as the murderer!)

The Secrets Sisters Keep by Sinead Moriarty (superior popular fiction)

Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (superior Australian popular fiction)

Dear Thing by Julie Cohen (superior UK popular fiction)

memory book

The Memory Book by Rowan Coleman (more brilliant UK popular fiction)

Apple and Rain by Sarah Crossan (great YA family drama)

house where

The Apple Tart of Hope by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald (another brilliant YA novel)

The House Where it Happened by Martina Devlin (compelling ghost story inspired by a real life witch hunt in Northern Ireland in the 18th century)

What were YOUR favourite books of the year?

Yours in books,

Sarah XXX

2015 - Children's Books To Look Forward To

I had a neck injury last week which meant I could only type for short amounts of time. As I have a novel for adults to finish before Christmas this was not the idea situation, although said novel is the very reason I was spending so long every day at my computer. The Catch 22 of a writer’s life. I had to rest my neck at regular intervals. Yes, this does mean I had to lie in bed and for those of you who know me, yes, I was very cranky. I’m not a good patient! However it did mean I got lots and lots of reading done.

Not only did I catch up on books published in 2014, I also read lots of books out in 2015. I’m now pretty much on top of my to-be-read pile for the first time in a year. I have a few yet to be published books to read next (writers looking for feedback) and then my 2014 reading will be complete.

So what goodies should you be looking out for in 2015?

Some Strong YA Titles

captive a j

Captive by AJ Grainger (Jan 29th)

Annalie Grainger is my editor at Walker so I was predisposed to like this one but also worried that I wouldn’t. I needn’t have stressed – it’s super. A smart, gripping thriller about a girl called Robyn Knollys-Green who is the daughter of the British Prime Minister. She’s kidnapped by a radical group but one of her captors is not all that he seems.

Annalie has a wonderful voice and Robyn is a flawed yet highly likable heroine. The moral questions in the book are handled deftly and I flew through this one. 8/10

Vendetta by Catherine Doyle (Jan)

Sophie Gracewell’s life changes forever when a family of five boys moves into a house in her neighbourhood. Her father is in jail and her life is not exactly easy. But it’s about to get even more complicated.

Set in Chicago, this is a compelling romance set in the Mafia underworld. Another strong debut, this time by an Irish author. 8/10

The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson

Another debut, with one of the strongest opening pages I’ve read in a long time:

‘One afternoon, when I was eight years old, my class was told to write about what we wanted to be when we grew up . . . This is what I wrote: I want to be a girl.’

I haven’t finished this one yet, but I love the voice and it’s another gripping read. 8/10 so far

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven (Jan)

A wonderful book, funny and heartbreaking and real. The main character, Theodore Finch holds the reader’s attention (and heart) right through the book. I love American YA and this is right up there with John Green and Sarah Dessen. 8/10

Next on the to-be-read pile is:

Still Falling by Sheena Wilkinson (Feb)

I’ve just started this one and I love it so far. Sheena is such a strong writer and her dialogue sings. 8/10 so far

Age 9+ (Middle Grade)

Darkmouth_Front_RGB2 (1)

Darkmouth by Shane Hegarty (29th Jan)

Believe the hype. This fantasy adventure yarn is a stunning debut. The relationship between the young hero (anti-hero in fact as the clumsy lad isn’t exactly equipped to save the world), Finn and his father, a famous Legend (monster) hunter, is touching and real, and I adored Finn’s hard-working dentist mum, one of the funniest characters in the book. There are touches of Ghostbusters in the mix, along with some Bond-like gadgets, plus a rather Dickensian setting (the mist-swirling town of Darkmouth).

It’s for slightly younger readers than Skulduggery Pleasant, there’s more family drama and less horror. Hegarty’s writing has an attractive lightness to it, and now and then his clever life observations make you sit up and take notice. It’s slightly slow to get going as there’s a lot of world-building to do, but I can’t wait to read the second book in the series. With a super cover design and a catchy but simple tag line – ‘They’re coming and only Finn can save us. Shame he’s a bit rubbish’, not to mention a cracking first book, I think those clever folk at HarperCollins have another top brand on their hands. 9/10

The 13-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton (29th Jan)

Andy and Terry live in the world’s best treehouse according to the blurb on the back of this book. And after reading the book, I have to agree.

Already a huge hit in their native Australia (360,000 copies sold), this series will make any Wimpy Kid fan happy with its blend of humor and zany illustration. 7/10

The Astounding Broccoli Boy by Frank Cottrell Boyce (March) is also on the to-be-read pile, along with Sarah Bannan’s adult novel, Weightless (March). I'm also looking forward to reading Phil Earle's Demolition Dad.

Plenty to look forward to in 2015 already!

Yours in books,

Sarah XXX

All About Covers + a Sneak Peek - Songbird Cafe Girls Cover

Songbird Cafe_Mollie final cover

The first book in my new series, The Songbird Cafe Girls: Mollie Cinnamon is Not a Cupcake is out in March next year. Here's a sneak peek of the cover:

The book is about Mollie Cinnamon, who's 12 going on 13. While her tv-presenter mum films a new travel show, Mollie has to stay with her great-granny on a tiny island called Little Bird. Mollie is bored, bored, bored until she starts to make new friends in the Songbird Cafe. But disaster strikes and the Songbird is threatened with closure. Can Mollie and her new friends save the cafe?

Readers often ask how a cover is designed. And do writers have much say in the process? What happens in Walker (all publishers work slightly differently) is this: ideas for a possible cover are sent to me and my agent by the designer and we have a look at the various suggestions and feed back our thoughts. Booksellers are also asked for their opinion, people in the other departments in Walker (editorial, sales and marketing etc), and also the target market (girls age 9+). Then the designer takes all this on board and produces a cover.

The designer who worked on the Mollie Cinnamon is Not a Cupcake cover is called Maria and she's wonderful. It took her a long time to find the right girl for the cover but she's just perfect.

Maria and my editor, Annalie (who has a book out in January called Captive) also commissioned a map for the book. I love maps in books so I'm over the moon about the map of Little Bird, the island where my series is set.

The Map of Little Bird

The Map of Little Bird

Book covers are so important. You've heard the expression 'Never judge a book by its cover'? Readers do exactly that. Judge a book by the cover. The cover has to say so much about a novel: the age group (for children's books), the genre - is it an action/adventure book, a horror novel, or it is about friendship and family (like Mollie Cinnamon) - and it also has to set the tone for the book. It's a very hard thing to get right. But I think Maria has captured my story perfectly.

Do YOU have a favourite book cover? I'd love to know.

Yours in books,

Sarah XXX

This post first appeared on the Girls Heart Books website.

Getting Published - Irish Publishers Tell All

I was at an excellent event at the Dublin Book Festival today and I took some notes just for you. They are particularly relevant if you are writing for children or teenagers. As you may know, it's my area and I love sharing news about the children's book world, especially good news. And there was lots of good news at this event. 

Grainne Clear from Little Island Books

To be accurate I was at the first 1/2 of the event (I had to talk at my own event after that) - Meet the Publishers and Agents with Grainne Clear from Little Island Books, Sarah Davis-Goff from Tramp Press, Nicki Howard from Gill and Macmillan (soon to be just Gill) and Peter O'Connell (ex Liberties and now book pr). Sadly I missed the second part - with the agents.

Grainne Clear gave an excellent talk about the children's book world and Little Island Books in particular. She reads chapter 1 of a submission (and yes, they take unsolicited) and then the start of the next few chapters - to see how the story progresses. If she likes what she reads, she asks to see the whole book.

90% of their sales are printed books (not e books - most young children up to age 12 are not ebook readers).

Her job is not to give you feedback on an early draft - so don't send first drafts or ideas. She wants to see finished books which have been worked on.

She likes honesty and personality in a cover letter.

Nicki Howard, Gill and Macmillan

Nicki explained that Gill and Macmillan publish Irish interest books, mainly non fiction but are NOW ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR CHILDREN'S NON FICTION AND FICTION. This is great news for children's writers. They also accept unsolicited manuscripts.

She said 'publishing adds value to the space between the writer and the reader'.

Sarah Davis-Goff from Tramp Press

Sarah Davis-Goff from Tramp Press is looking for 'stonkingly brilliant fiction', including genre fiction and YA. She also gave a thumbs up to unsolicited manuscripts.

She hates submission letters that begin 'Dear Sir' as Tramp Press is run by two women! Little Island Books also.

All three women said that your cover letter is your calling card and to work on it and make it great.

Interesting facts:

Tramp Books - they would consider a debut novel a success if it sold 2k copies in a year

Gill and Macmillan - would look for at least 5k sales for a title over a year (but some of their books, like the Neven Maguire cook books would sell up to 10k a year, and The Pope's Children by David McWilliams sold 100k)

Little Island - a debut novel would be deemed successful if it sold 1.5k to 2k over a year to 18 months - Grainne mentioned that they are looking for longevity in a title and said award winning novels have a good track record for them in the long term.

Thanks to Grainne, Sarah and Nicki for all the useful information. And great to hear Gill and Macmillan are now looking for children's fiction.

Yours in books,

Sarah XXX

PS I met a young man who is writing for teenagers - I asked him what he liked to read, he said he wasn't a big reader. NEVER SAY THIS TO ANYONE IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN GETTING PUBLISHED. Poor man, think I gave him a bit of an earful.

PPS If you are serious about getting published, www.writing.ie is a super website - do check it out.

The Book That Changed My Life

Last Saturday I ran a book lunch in Dublin for lots of readers (grown ups, although I do run ones for young readers too). I asked the writers hosting tables at the lunch to think about a book that changed their life.It got me thinking about my own reading history and the books that have made an impact on my life.

busy busy world

The earliest book to make a huge impact was Busy, Busy World by Richard Scarry. I just loved this book. I didn’t travel much as a child – I took my first flight at age 18 – but I travelled in my imagination thanks to this book which takes you all over the world with its wonderful animal characters.

An interior from Busy, Busy World

Enid Blyton’s books were also important to me. I adored the Famous Five series and the first full book I wrote (age 11) was called The Magic Sofa and was about three children who have to go and stay with their horrible aunt for the holidays. It was heavily inspired by the Famous Five books!

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enid blyton

But the book that has made the most lasting impression on me is Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume. When I first read it as a teenager I remember thinking is she really writing about bras, and periods, and kissing boys? Can you really do that in a book? It’s such an honest, open and funny book and I re-read it every year because a/ it’s so wonderful and it makes me laugh out loud and b/ it reminds me what it feels like to be 13.

Judy Blume

This is the edition I had as a young teen - the cover looks a lot different now!

New cover of the same book

When I was a young bookseller in Waterstone’s on Dawson Street, Dublin (a shop that sadly no longer exists) I had the great pleasure of meeting Judy Blume. She did several school events for me and after one of the events we had lunch together, just the two of us. I was a single mother at the time and finding it hard to juggle work and looking after my toddler son. I told her that one day I’d love to write a book. ‘Write for children,’ she told me. ‘They’re the best audience ever. And I think you’d be great at it.’

I took her encouragement to heart. The following year my first children’s book, Kids Can Cook was published, a truly life changing experience. Having a book published was the second most exciting thing that had ever happened to me, after having my son. Twenty years on, I’m still writing. It hasn’t always been an easy journey, I’ve hit some pot holes and speed bumps along the way, but overall it’s a good life, a satisfying, life affirming life. And from time to time I like to look back and to think about all the writers and books that have inspired me along the way.

Is there a book that inspired you or changed your life? I’d love to know.

Yours in writing,

Sarah XXX

This post first appeared on www.girlsheartbooks.com

Beyond the Stars Launch - October 2014

Beyond the Stars Launch

Beyond the Stars Launch - Roddy Doyle and Prize Winner, Emma Brade

The Best Children's Book Agents in Ireland + the UK

Who represents Eoin Colfer? Who helped Derek Landy climb to the top? Who represents Cathy Cassidy? A few years ago I wrote a blog about the best children’s agents – my most popular blog ever. So here is a brand new, updated version. I’d like to pay tribute to Philip Ardagh who posted a question on Facebook recently – ‘Who is your agent and would you recommend them?’ Lots of writers responded (myself included) and it was useful for this blog. Thank you to Philip and all the writers who answered his question.

I’ve had the good luck to work with one of the best agents in the business, the wonderful Philippa Milnes Smith from LAW (details below).

Good luck in finding someone as clever, kind and supportive as Philippa.

So firstly I’m often asked ‘Why do you need an agent? Can’t you just go it alone?’

In Ireland we are lucky to have the O’Brien Press whose editors are happy to read unsolicited manuscripts. You can send your book directly to one of their editors. Details of how to do this are here: http://www.obrien.ie/guidelines.cfm

Little Island (Ireland) will also read unsolicited manuscripts – www.littleisland.ie

Penguin Ireland have just appointed highly experienced writer and teacher, Claire Hennessy as their Children's and YA Editor - Claire will read unsolicited manuscripts and will accept them by email. Submission guidelines here.

But most UK publishers do not accept unsolicited manuscripts so you will need to submit your work through an agent.

 What does an agent do exactly?

1/ An agent can advise you on your manuscript and on how to make it more attractive to a publisher. Some of them will act as unofficial editors to their clients or at the very least can suggest changes or improvements. They are also excellent at coming up with zippy titles as I’ve discovered.

2/ An agent can find the right editor or publisher for your work – like a book matchmaker. And they can sell your UK, US, digital and foreign rights. They can also look after any film or television rights.

3/ Agents deal with the difficult and technical area of contracts. This is particularly important at the moment as digital rights can be tricky.

4/ Financial back up - they can chase up your royalties and talk to your publishers about outstanding monies owed to you.

These days having potential isn’t enough, your manuscript must be as perfect as you can make it before it goes anywhere near a publisher. A good agent can play a vital role in this process.

Who Represents Who?

The Agents Who Represent Some of the Most Successful Irish Children’s Writers (with Contact Details) and Children’s Agents Highly Recommended by UK Writers

 Remember to check each agent’s website for submission guidelines before you send anything out. Or ring the agency for details – I know it’s daunting but they are always happy to advise you on how (or if) to submit. Be warned – you may get the agent herself/himself on the phone. Be prepared.

 Highly Recommended Children’s Agents:

Eoin Colfer is represented by Sophie Hicks. Sophie is a very experienced agent and her writers rate her highly. She has just set up her own agency and is currently taking submissions (2014).

www.sophiehicksagency.com

Derek Landy is represented by Michelle Kass, who also represents Patrick Ness. office@michellekass.co.uk

Darren Shan is represented by Christopher Little For general enquiries please email: info@christopherlittle.net

Sarah Webb and Chris Judge are represented by Philippa Milnes Smith at LAW

Contact: All submissions should be sent, in hard copy, by post to:

LAW, 14 Vernon Street, London, W14 0RJ

www.lawagency.co.uk

Marita Conlon McKenna is represented by Caroline Sheldon www.carolinesheldon.co.uk

Irish Writer, Elizabeth Rose Murray recommends her agent, Sallyanne Sweeney of Mulcahy Associates (London). She says she’s ‘supportive, thorough, creative, knowledgeable & really champions her authors. And she really loves children's/YA literature too - always a bonus!’ She’s also from Dublin originally.

Other Recommended Children’s Agents:

(Check their websites for submission details)

Cathy Cassidy is represented by Darley Anderson.

Julia Churchill at A M Heath

 Eve White, Eve White Literary Agency

Veronique Baxter at David Higham

Catherine Clarke at Felicity Bryan

Robert Kirby at United Agents; Jodie Hodges at United Agents; also Catherine Mary Summerhayes, Jo Unwin and Clare Conville at United Agents

Polly Nolan at Green House

(Polly is from Galway, now based in the UK and is a highly experienced editor as well as an agent.)

Hilary Delamere at The Agency

Lindsey Fraser at Fraser Ross

Gemma Cooper at The Bent Agency

Penny Holroyde at Caroline Sheldon

Elizabeth Roy – www.elizabethroy.co.uk

Laura Cecil – www.lauracecil.co.uk

Madeleine Milburn – www.madeleinemilburn.co.uk

Sam Copeland and Claire Wilson at Rogers Coleridge and White - www.rcwlitagency.com

My Events During October - Dublin, Cork, Limerick

stories are for everyone

This is where I'll be during the Children's Books Ireland celebration of books in October- Stories Are For Everyone:

sally go

Dalkey Library 3rd Oct

Sally Go Round the Stars Nursery Rhyme Fun

The Library Cat Stories (Age 7+)

-

Dundrum Library 6th Oct

Sally Go Round the Stars Nursery Rhyme Fun

How I Became A Writer (Age 9+)

-

Cabinteely Library 8th Oct

Crazy Character Workshop (Age 9+)

-

Schull Library and Skibbereen Library 14th Oct

How I Became a Writer (Age 9+)

-

Cork Library 15th Oct

How I Became a Writer (Age 9+)

-

Blackrock Library 22nd Oct

Sally Go Round the Stars Nursery Rhyme Fun

(To book library events - contact the local library hosting the event)

-

Bualadh Bos Children's Festival, Limerick 30th Oct (with Oisin McGann)

Booking: www.limetreetheatre.ie

Ask Amy Green Wedding Belles Cover

It's Good to Talk - a Post for Teens

girls making a heart

My son dropped out of college last May. He'd failed his Christmas exams and was pretending to go to lectures for months. Every day he'd get up, shower and leave the house. Every late afternoon he'd come back and I'd ask him how his day went.

'Fine,' he'd say. But I knew something was up. He wasn't himself. He was quiet, withdrawn and didn't want to engage with the family. He just wanted to be left alone.

His summer exams crept nearer and nearer. I went into his room one evening and sat on the side of his bed.

'How's the study going?' I asked him.

'Fine,' he said. But he couldn't meet my eye.

I told him I was sitting there until he talked to me, even if it took all night. He knows how stubborn and determined I can be (I'm a writer after all, you don't get a novel finished without being both, plus a little bit insane, but that's a blog for another day) so he started to open up. He admitted that he hadn't been going to college for months. He told me how much he hated his lectures, how he felt so small, so insignificant. That the classes were so big (nearly 500 in his English lectures) that he hadn't made many friends, that he'd made a mistake, it wasn't the right course for him and he didn't know what to do about it. That he felt he'd let me down.

I was so upset for him that I started to cry. He was pretty close to it himself. I told him I loved him no matter what. That I didn't give two hoots about him failing his exams, I just wanted him to enjoy college, to make friends, and yes, maybe to learn something useful, but most of all to be happy. I told him that I was proud of him for telling me the truth, even if it had taken him a while.

There's nothing my son could do that would make me any less proud of him. He's a wonderfully funny, thoughtful, smart young man. Yes, sometimes he drives me crazy and you should see the state of him room, but right now he's down at the sailing club teaching young children how to sail.

girls talking on step

In the end we sorted things out - he re-applied to a different college - a much smaller college to do a different kind of degree. He is now in first year again and has already made loads of new friends. 

So why am I telling you all this?

Life isn't always easy. Sometimes we hold things inside, we don't tell the people closest to us - our family, our friends - how we really feel. We keep plodding on, hoping things will get better. But sometimes they don't and we need help.

If things are getting on top of you please be brave - reach out and tell someone. As the old BT ad used to say, 'It's good to talk'.

Sarah XXX

This post first appeared on www.girlsheartbooks.com

Writing.ie Book Lunch - With Special Guest, Jennifer Johnston

Writing.ie Book Lunch – An Author at Every Table

In Association with Dubray Books

With Special Guest, Jennifer Johnston

Jennifer Johnston

Venue: Royal St George Yacht Club

Date: Saturday 18th October

Time: 12.00pm until 3.30pm (lunch will be served at 12.30pm)

Cost: e28.50 – includes a three course meal plus tea/coffee

Bookshop on site provided by Dubray Books – all the writers’ books will be in stock

To book: ring Kate at 01 2801811 (places limited, please book quickly)

You can book a whole table for your book club, or come with a friend or individually

To request to be seated with a particular author, please email sarahsamwebb@gmail.com before 10th October and we will do our best to accommodate you

About the Lunch:

Join some of Ireland’s top writers at this exclusive book lunch in the beautiful surroundings of the Royal St George Yacht Club on Dun Laoghaire’s sea front. Talk books and writing with your table host, and hear an after lunch conversation with the award winning novelist, Jennifer Johnston.

This lunch will be presented by Vanessa O’Loughlin from writing.ie and writer, Sarah Webb.

Our Author Hosts:

jennifer j books

Literary powerhouse, Jennifer Johnston (latest novel - A Sixpenny Song); writer and historian, Turtle Bunbury (published in October - The Glorious Madness: Tales of the Irish and the Great War);  bestselling authors, Sheila O’Flanagan (latest novel - If You Were Me) and Emma Hannigan (published in October - The Heart of Winter); author of the critically acclaimed The House When It Happened, Martina Devlin; award-winning author of The Playground, Julia Kelly; historical novelists, Kate Beaufoy (pen name of Kate Thompson, latest novel - Liberty Silk) and Lia Mills (latest novel - Fallen); crime novelists Liz Nugent (debut novel - the muct praised Unravelling Oliver) and Karen Perry (Paul Perry and Karen Gillece – debut novel, The Boy Who Never Was); and finally, TV3 chef, Andrew Rudd (latest book - Entertaining with Andrew Rudd).

www.writing.ie

www.dubray.ie

How To Get Published by Breakthrough YA Author, Louise O’Neill

Louise O'Neill

Louise will be appearing at the Mountains to Sea dlr Book Festival on 13th September (details below)

Upon hearing that I’ve written a novel, some people want to know where I get my ideas from, as if there’s an idea-shop you can just pop in to on your way home from work. Lidl will probably start offering ‘Idee’s’ soon. They’re basically the same thing as ideas but far cheaper.  Others ask about the storyline. ‘It’s a dystopian tale exploring the contemporary obsession with the female body. Think The Handmaid’s Tale for teenagers.’  I answer, watching as every man in a two mile radius backs away. No wonder I’m still single. And then, of course, there are the frustrated writers, lips tightening with barely concealed envy when they hear my good news. I know these people. I was one of them, poring over a newspaper article about some child of fifteen who has sold their first novel for half a million euro, trying to ignore the hatred threatening to suck me under, as greedy as a slurry pit. There is nothing more disheartening than seeing someone else realising your dreams.

So, here are my top tips on how to finally write that novel.

• Read voraciously. Stephen King said ‘If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time to write.’ A badly written book will demonstrate what not to do and a well written book will inspire you. Be warned, a masterpiece will merely leave you with a general sense of hopelessness as your novel will never be anywhere as good. I had to take to my bed for a few days after finishing ‘Cloud Atlas’ like a Victorian maiden with a case of the vapours.
• Think of your writing skills as a muscle. The more you use them, the stronger they will become. The thought of completing an entire manuscript can seem so insurmountable we find ourselves unable to take the first step. Set yourself smaller tasks to begin with. Write an article for your local newspaper. Write a short story. Write five hundred words on your first holy communion. Julia Cameron, in her excellent book The Artist’s Way, recommends ‘morning pages’ and I’ve found freehand writing to be an effective tool of unblocking creativity.
• When you do decide to start your novel, make sure you’re passionate about your idea. This might sound obvious but you’ll be working on this project for the next nine to twelve months, or more. There will be days when you hate your book, you hate your brain for generating the original idea and you hate your laptop for having the audacity to record all these stupid words. If you don’t adore the idea at the beginning, you will likely ever reach the end.
• Set yourself a deadline. When I first moved back to Ireland from New York on September 1st, 2011, I decided to take a year out to work on the novel that I had spent the last ten years threatening to write. I finished the first draft on August 31st, 2012.
• I remember phoning my father from New York, complaining that my job in fashion ‘didn’t make my heart sing.’ I know. Oprah has a lot to answer for. He told me if I wanted to write so badly I should take any opportunity that I had to do so. Bring a notebook with you and write on the subway, he advised, unaware that I spent my subway journey gawking surreptitiously at barefoot crack heads or avoiding eye contact with anyone I might feel compelled to offer my seat to. (Apologies to that pregnant lady on crutches. My bad.) Once back in Clonakilty, I made myself sit at my desk from 7am to noon every day, whether I felt like it or not. Some days, the words came. Other days, I sat there, staring at the blank page. It didn’t matter. I still sat at my desk at the same time every day. Of course, I was lucky enough to have parents who provided a room ‘of one’s own’ and, more importantly, a new laptop to put in that room.  I don’t have children or a tyrannical boss or a crippling mortgage to pay and I’m aware that these must feel like truly impossible obstacles. But you owe to yourself to at least try to carve out some time every week that you can use to write.
• Social media, while beneficial for ‘research’, is really only a method of distraction. When asked how one of the authors on his roster managed to maintain such a prolific work rate, Jonny Geller, an agent with Curtis Brown, replied ‘He doesn’t have twitter.’ Until novels come in a 140 character size, it’s not helping you.
• Be prepared to make sacrifices. In my case, the first casualty was an active social life. Jodi Picoult describes writing as ‘successful schizophrenia’ and I found it very difficult at times to interact normally with other people when all I could think about was this world I had created in my head. Personal aesthetic standards also suffered. When I worked in fashion, I didn’t own any items of clothing that could ever be described as ‘practical’. Or, indeed, anyway comfortable. Things are so bad that when I wash my hair, my father asks if I’m going anywhere special and my mother claps her hands in glee, like I’m a toddler learning to use the potty.
• Some authors edit their work as they go along but I saved all my editing for the end, like the crappy pink and brown Roses at the bottom of the tin that no one wants at Christmas. There is a peculiar type of shame in reading ‘Slowly, she walked slowly down the corridor slowly.’ In case you don’t comprehend the subtlety of my brilliance, I was trying to convey that the character was very, very, very slow.
•  Once you finish the first draft, edit, edit and then edit some more. As Faulkner said, ‘...kill all your darlings.’ You’re just showing off anyway. Ask a friend who is an avid reader to take a look at your manuscript. Choose someone you trust to be both honest and gentle with you.
• When you have a finished manuscript in fairly good nick, you need to find an agent. An agent will take a proportion of your earnings (generally around 15%) but they are essential, as most publishing companies don’t accept unsolicited manuscripts. When submitting to an agency, they usually want to see the first three chapters, a covering letter and your CV but check their websites for individual guidelines. Choose an agent that has authors you admire on their roster or who represents authors who are writing in similar genre to you. Make your covering letter engaging. If you’re someone’s love child, now is the time to mention it. Unless it’s someone embarrassing, like Mick Hucknell. Keep that to yourself. Forever.
• Be prepared for rejection and don’t take it personally. JK Rowling famously received twelve rejection letters and I think she’s managing to pay her electricity bill these days. You want your agent to fight for your book when they’re trying to sell it to a publisher. If they don’t ‘get’ it, then they’re not the right agent for you anyway.

Going Too Far? Panel Discussion on YA Fiction with CBI

Venue: dlr Lexicon, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin

Date: Sat 13th Sept @ 4.30-6.30pm

Price: e8/e5 students

Age: Students and adults

only ever yours

Booking: www.mountainstosea.ie or 01 2312929

Writing Tips from Award Winning Author, Sheena Wilkinson

Writing Tips from Sheena Wilkinson

Sheena Wilkinson with Elaina Ryan of CBI and Writer, Deirdre Sullivan

See Sheena at the Mountains to Sea Book Festival (details below)

1. Everyone will say the same thing here; that’s because it’s so important. READ. Read everything. Read in your favourite genre and outside it. Read to see how stories work. Read to remind yourself that books are magic, and that you want to create that magic for someone else.
2. Find out what works for you. I faffed around with unfinished novels for years because I kept stopping to edit as I went along, always aiming for that perfect first chapter. For me, it’s better to write to the end of a rough first draft and then go back and redraft, and redraft, and redraft. It’s less work in the long run, and for me having a complete draft, even though it’s rubbishy, gives me a feeling of achievement and something to work on. This seems to work for lots of writers. It may not work for you but it’s worth trying if, like me until about six years ago, you find it hard to get to the end. And the first drafts are getting better.
3. Give yourself goals. It may be that you’ll write for an hour a day, or that you’ll finish a sort story by the end of the month, or that you’ll do a thousand words a day, or 500 or even 100. You can move the goalposts as you get more serious. If I think about the whole project of a novel, I feel a bit gulpy and want to go and lie down, but if I think that I aim to do 6,000 words a week and that means 1,000 words day with a day off, that seems more manageable. I have printed off a geeky calendar so I can waste time filling it in and adding happy/sad faces accordingly. You can get software to do this for you, but why bother, when you can use up hours of writing time colouring in and highlighting?
4. Fall in love. With your book. I can’t get into something and spend a year – or, in the case of my forthcoming novel, 2 ½ years (I took time off to write another book in the middle) – on it unless I love it. So don’t follow the market or write about something because you think you ‘should’: write what you love. It helps to have a bit of  a crush on at least one character. BUT, however in love you are…
5. Don’t be precious! You know how being in love is great, but it can make you a bit blind to someone’s actual qualities? That. So when your editor/agent/writing buddy/mum suggests that something in your book could maybe work better, consider that they might be right. After all, you want them to fall in love with your book too.

Sheena will be appearing on the Going Too Far? Panel Discussion at the Mountains to Sea Book Festival 2014 with debut novelist, Louise O'Neill, David O'Callaghan from Eason, reviewer and writer, Mary Arrigan and reader, Aaron Williams.

A must for anyone interested in writing or reading YA fiction.

Saturday 13th September, Lexicon, Dun Laoghaire (new library) 4.40-6pm

e8 adults/e5 students

5 Things You May Not Know About Writer, Kjartan Poskitt

Kjartan Poskitt in Action

Kjartan Poskitt, creator of the Murderous Maths books and the wonderful Agatha Parrot series will be in Dun Laoghaire next week for the Mountains to Sea Book Festival. Here are some facts you may not know about Kjartan:

1/ He's from Yorkshire but he has an odd accent (or so he says).

2/ He wrote the theme tune for children's art show, SmArt and children's show, Brum.

3/ Most of his books start life written on the edge of a soggy newspaper.

4/ His favourite author is Philip Reeve.

5/ He can play cat and dog noises on a synthesiser.

All absolutely true!

Catch his wonderful Murderous Maths show on Friday 12th September in the Pavilion Theatre, Dun Laoghaire during the Mountains to Sea dlr Book Festival. Age 4th to 6th class  e3 per child  (Limited tickets still available) Log onto www.mountainstosea.ie or ring: 01 2312929 to book

One of Kjartan's Books

5 Things You Might Not Know About Writer, Alan Nolan

5 Things You Might Not Know About Alan Nolan

Alan Nolan

See Alan in Action at the Mountains to Sea dlr Book Festival (details below)

 1. Alan was born with a full head of red hair. It fell out before he was six months old and grew back dark brown. It’s now falling out again!

2. His first comic was called Splat and featured a lazy superhero character called the Bedspread who travelled around in the Bedmobile (a double bed with wheels) and lethargically fought crime in Slug City. The Bedspreads arch-enemy was called Wakey Wakey.

3. Alan loves spiders, caterpillars and beetles (in fact, he loves all ‘creepy crawlies’), but he’s deathly scared of mice and rats.

4. He has read every Charles Dickens novel at least twice. His favourite is A Christmas Carol, which he owns fives copies of – one with illustrations by Arthur Rackham, and one illustrated with puppets made by Fluck & Law of Spitting Image fame.

5. He used to be a huge fan of Star Trek, and has a full Star Trek The Next Generation costume in his wardrobe. Unfortunately, over the years the shirt and waistband of the uniform trousers have ‘shrunk in the wash’.

fintans 15 cover

See Alan in Action at the Mountains to Sea dlr Book Festival

My Favourite Superheroes with Alan Nolan - Comic Book Fun for All the Family

Assembly Room, County Hall, Dun Laoghaire  Saturday September 13th @ 10.30 to 11.30am

e4 per child (age 7+)/e6 per adult  To book: 01 2312929 or www.mountainstosea.ie 

Picture This! Why I Love Picture Books (and Shaun Tan)

If I say ‘picture books’ what do you think of? Stories about bears who can’t sleep and hares who love each other ‘to the moon and back’? Books about caterpillars turning into butterflies, and families going on bear hunts? Books for young children in other words. Most people think children ‘grow out’ of picture books, that they are too simple for children who can read. Well, I’m in my 40s and I still adore picture books. I read them with my children yes, (age 11 and 8) but I also read them for myself. Some of the greatest art out there is sandwiched between the covers of picture books, plus they’re beautifully written, with not a word out of place. Haiku for aliens someone once described them as, and they were right.

I’ve always loved art and as a child I was lucky to have a dad who brought me to art galleries. After school I went on to study History of Art (with English) at Trinity College, Dublin, where I spent hours in the library pouring over the pages of the glossy art books. I also studied picture books – I was obsessed with Maurice Sendak (and still am). I’d like to share some of my favourite picture books with you and explain why I love them so much.

1/ Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

A Spread from Where the Wild Things Are

A Spread from Where the Wild Things Are

One of the most famous picture books of all. Originally published in 1963, at the time adults thought it a disturbing book. They thought the monsters would terrify children. But they underestimated youngsters, who recognised (and still recognise) the humour and mischief in the beasts. I bought  a hardback copy of this book for my son, Sam, when he was born. I was a children’s bookseller in Waterstone’s  and I loved reading this one aloud at story time. It’s so beautifully written, the words just flow off the page.  It really has stood the test of time and the artwork still looks fresh and original 50 years on. A true classic.

Monster Mama cover

2/ Monster Mama by Liz Rosenberg, illustrated by Stephen Gammell

An Interior from Monster Mama

An Interior from Monster Mama

I was a single mum for many years and I loved curling up and reading picture books with my son. This one is all about a mum who is a ‘monster’ and fights off the bullies who threaten her son. It’s about maternal love and the illustrations are highly coloured and very unusual.  It’s a book full of powerful emotion and reading it always reminds me how strongly I felt and still feel about my son (who is now 20!).

red-tree

3/ The Red Tree by Shaun Tan

An Interior from The Red Tree

An Interior from The Red Tree

The Last Page of The Red Tree

The Last Page of The Red Tree

I’m a huge fan of Shaun Tan’s work. He’s an extraordinary writer and visionary artist and I urge you to seek him out. His books are for all ages, especially The Arrival, which is more graphic novel than picture book. But my favourite is his ode to hope and renewal, The Red Tree. It’s a simple story about a girl with red hair who is having a rough time. On each page there’s a tiny red leaf, and at the end of the book, the leaves have become a bright, shining tree. The text is beautifully written but it’s the illustrations that really blow you away. Everyone has days (or weeks or even months) where they feel tired and down and lonely, and I find this book – and its message of hope and its inspirational artwork – so reassuring. Nothing ever seems as bad after reading it. His latest book, Rules of Summer is also pretty special.

Here’s some of the text of The Red Tree: ‘Sometimes the day beings with nothing to look forward to

And things go from bad to worse/Darkness over comes you/Nobody understands . . .

But suddenly there it is

Right in front of you/bright and vivid

Quietly waiting/just as you imagined it would be.’

More of Shaun Tan's Work

More of Shaun Tan's Work

Shaun Tan's Latest Book

Shaun Tan's Latest Book

owl babies

marshall arm

lost and found

To find out more about  Shaun's work see: www.shauntan.net  I also love Owl Babies by Martin Waddell (as it has 3 little owls – and my children used to re-name the owls with their own names and the dark, atmospheric artwork by Patrick Benson is superb); Marshall Armstrong is New to Our School by David Mackintosh (a book celebrating difference with stunning illustrations); and Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers (which has a strong friendship theme and the most wonderful rowing boat illustration – there’s a whale gliding underneath it). And I also adore the work of Lizbeth Zwerger for her quirky imagination and her use of colour + line.

The Work of Lizbeth Zwerger

The Work of Lizbeth Zwerger

What’s your favourite picture book and why? I’d love to know.

Yours in books,

Sarah XXX

This blog post first appeared on the Girls Heart Books blog: www.girlsheartbooks.com

Summer's Here - Let's Get Reading Part 2 (Books for Teens)

A holiday wouldn’t be a holiday without a good book to read. Is there anything as wonderfully indulgent and satisfying as curling up in the garden with a great novel and letting the hours slip past? I think not! So in part 2 of my summer reading post, here are some more titles that you or your teen might like to read over the holidays. First up is the very sweet and touching, Popular.

popular cover

Popular by Maya Van Wagenen

When I was in third year in senior school a new girl joined our class. She was Irish but had been living in Canada for many years. She had boundless enthusiasm for school activities, from hockey to the school musical and she was determined to introduce herself to everyone – rugby players and computer club members alike.

She’d appear beside you at lunch break and simply break into conversation. At first she was teased for being different and for not sticking with one ‘gang’ but soon we all realised that she simply didn’t care what team you were on or what clubs you belonged to, she wanted to get to know you regardless. It took a whole year and a lot of dogged determination on her part to be accepted, but by sixth year she was one of the most popular girls in the school. To this day she remains one of my closest friends.

Reading ‘Popular’, the teen memoir by Maya Van Wagenen’s which chronicles her quest to be liked and accepted by everyone in her American middle school 8th grade, made me realise just how bewildered and excluded my friend must have felt at times. However Maya, unlike my friend, had support in the form of a self help guide published in 1951: Betty Cornell’s Teen-Age Popularity Guide.

Using this book to work out ‘what to wear, what to say, how to behave and who to be friends with’, Maya sets herself tasks inspired by Betty’s advice. She pays attention to her posture and tries out new looks, she bravely sits at different tables during lunch break and she invites people to attend the prom with her. As Maya works her way through Betty’s suggestions, she discovers a lot about the nature of school cliques and how they work, and what being ‘popular’ really means.

Maya is a highly likable girl and by the end of the book I was rooting for her. I even shed a few tears on the DART (train) when after all her befriending and kindness to others, she wasn’t invited to one of her new friend’s parties.

The overall message of this book – that we are all the same, ‘geeks’ and ‘jocks’ alike and we should all be kinder to each other – is an important one. Age 11+

half bad

Half Bad by Sally Green

If you like books like The Hunger Games and Divergent (and let’s face it, who doesn’t?), this is the book for you. Half Bad hit the headlines recently after breaking a Guinness World Record for most translated book pre-publication. It’s already been sold into over forty-five territories and the film rights have been snapped up by Fox 2000.

The book opens with two boys playing with matches. One holds the match for too long, until his fingers burn, the other lets go. And so we are introduced to Nathan, a boy locked in a large cage, a fearless boy with remarkable healing powers. We learn that Nathan is a Half Code – son of a black witch, and a white witch. Whites are ‘good’ witches, rulers of the witching world and terrified of the more dangerous and unpredictable black witches.

Nathan’s father is Marcus, the darkest and most hated black witch of all, a man he has never met. The only person who can kill Marcus (according to an ancient prophecy) is his own son. So Nathan is stolen away from his family by the white witch Council, locked in a cage and trained to fight and eventually kill his own father.

Want to find out more? Read the book! (Teens)

fangirlcover

If you loved The Fault in Our Stars (John Green) you could try Rainbow Rowell’s Fan Girl or Eleanor and Park. Sarah Dessen’s novels – both wonderful American writers.

castle cover

And finally, a book I’m dying to read but I’m keeping for my own holidays is The Castle by Sophia Bennett. Here is Sophia talking about it (from her wonderful website): The Castle (published in August) is a story about a girl called Peta Jones, who has a special connection with her dad. He chose her unusual name, he’s a decorated army hero and he’s always been her hero too. But now he’s dead. Supposedly. Peta doesn’t believe it, despite the ashes which were returned to her mother from Iraq.

When she gets a strange warning phone message and odd things start happening to her at home, she’s convinced her father is alive and trying to contact her. Peta is not the kind of girl to give up easily. She’ll do anything to find him. Any stupid, dangerous thing.

Next thing she knows, she’s heading (unintentionally) for an island in the Mediterranean. The truth about her family lies hidden there. So do a few other secrets . . . (Age 11+)

A brave girl on a dangerous adventure, sounds like the perfect book for my summer holidays. Happy reading – talk to you all again in August.

Happy reading!

Yours in books,

Sarah XXX

This post first appeared on www.girlsheartbooks.com

Summer's Here - Books for Children and Teens

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Every July I skip off for the whole month to West Cork to read, kayak, dream, think, eat and just do  a whole load of nothing. I pack up my jeep with a big box of books as I like to have lots of choice. All kinds of books: novels, biographies, picture books, bird books. Here’s a photo of some of those books for summer 2014: This year I started amassing my reading cache early (dare I admit it, in March). I ADORE planning my holiday reading. And nope, I don’t have a Kindle and I don’t intend to get one anytime soon. I spend a large chunk of my life in front of a screen, writing and the last thing I want is to spend my precious holiday reading time in front of a screen. And you can’t take a Kindle kayaking or sailing. Well you can, but if you tend to capsize like me or splash about, you probably shouldn’t!

So far I have about twenty books put aside including:

The Twin by Gerbrand Bakker – a novel by a Dutch writer I met at a book festival recently;

The Apple Tart of Hope by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald – a new teen novel by an Irish writer I greatly admire;

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and The Boy That Never Was by Karen Perry – a thriller by a writer I know called Paul Perry and his friend, Karen Gileece. I can’t wait to get stuck in to all three.

What kind of books do YOU like to read on holiday? Do you have any recommendations for me?

Recently I’ve reviewed some books that I think would make idea summer holiday reads so I’d like to share them with you. In Part 2 I’ll share more great books with you including the new Sophia Bennett book, The Castle.

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First up is the brand new book by the one and only Cathy Cassidy: Sweet Honey in The Chocolate Box Girls series.  Here are the details from Cathy’s website:

Honey is going to live with her dad in Australia. Determined to make a fresh start, she couldn't be further away from the tough times at Tanglewood.

Her new life is a dream come true - until school begins. The girls are different from Honey's friends in England and the only person who seems to understand her is the cute boy from the beach she's chatting to online. But when he, the girls at school and even her dad start breaking promises, who can she trust?

All alone on the other side of the world, Honey's past is about to catch up with her…

And here is another book I enjoyed recently that you might like too!

Evie Brooks is Marooned in Manhattan by Sheila Agnew

Writer, Sheila Agnew

Writer, Sheila Agnew

Set in New York, this debut novel by Irish writer, Sheila Agnew is full of warmth and humour. Evie Brooks is a bright, likable twelve-year-old and the book opens just after her (single) mum has died and Evie is sent to live with her Uncle Scott, a New York vet. She misses Ireland and her friends and at first is reluctant to stay there.

Scott’s lawyer girlfriend, Leela isn’t impressed with his new ‘family’ lifestyle. A beautiful but selfish woman, she hates sharing him with his new ward and schemes to get Evie back to Ireland. But what is best for Evie? And will she ever feel at home in the Big Apple?

A resident of New York for many years, Agnew knows her stuff and the book has a brilliant sense of place. From city diners to Central Park, the reader gets a whistle stop tour of Manhattan and shares Evie’s sense of wonder and discovery.

Scott’s vet clinic is full of remarkable creatures and their equally remarkable owners, from a black rabbit called Dr Pepper, to Arnie, the overweight pot-bellied pig, and Agnew’s passion for animals shines through on every page.

Overall this is a charming, sweet and moving book that will delight any Judi Curtin or Cathy Cassidy fan. UK readers can order it online.

Other recommended books for the summer:

lookign at the stars

Looking at the Stars by Girls Heart Book’s Jo Cotterill

A tale of love and war, family and friendship. Jo writes beautifully and this book is well worth reading.

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Primperfect by Deirdre Sullivan 

Further adventures of the wonderful Primrose Leary. If you like sweet, funny and hard-hitting stories, this is the book for you.

flora in love

Flora in Love by Natasha Farrant

The life in words and film of Bluebell Gadsby. I read After Iris last year, the first book about Bluebell and I fell in love with this wonderful, quirky family.

Happy reading! Sarah XXX

This post first appeared on the Girls Heart Books website - www.girlsheartbooks.com