SOS Lusitania by Kevin Kiely

Publication date: 2013

Publishing House: The O'Brien Press

ISBN: 9781847172303

Page Count: 197

Price: €7.99

Age Group: 10+

When thirteen-year-old Finbar Kelly runs away from home to follow his sea-captain father aboard the Lusitania, he paves the way for all kinds of adventures. He meets a spy, nearly dies (twice) and gets to see New York city - and that's only his outbound journey! But neither Finbar, his father, nor any of the other souls aboard the ill-fated later are prepared for what befalls the Lusitania on its return trip to Cobh.

The sinking of the Lusitania in May 1915 occurred just three years after the sinking of the Titanic and as such, is indelibly linked in the eyes of the public. Both led to a tragic loss of human life; close to 1,200 people aboard the Lusitania died. But the Lusitania did not fall foul of an iceberg, it was torpedoed by a German submarine off the Irish coast of Kinsale. And while many of the facts surrounding the event are still unknown today, the rumours of spies, gold and arms on board were all true.

Kiely's novel is steeped in the ship's history, which is effectively brought alive through the eager eyes of our young protagonist and first-person narrator, Finbar.  The author has a talent for capturing the telling details that ground the reader in this past time without making them feel like they're enduring a history lesson. From the soap-on-a -rope at Bowery's Bath House in New York to the Marconi telegraph room aboard the Lusitania, we travel with Finbar on his adventures.

Fans of Nicola Pierce's The Spirit of the Titanic (reviewed here) will enjoy this action-packed book. A deftly plotted novel which skillfully captures the significance of the momentuous tragedy, SOS Lusitania will appeal to history fans young and old.

CBI Book Awards 2013

Congratulations to Sheena Wilkinson, whose novel Grounded won not only the CBI Book of the Year Award but also the Children's Choice Award. Grounded is the follow-up to Wilkinson's award-winning novel Taking Flight. Set in a working-class Belfast, it again features fanatical horse enthusiast Declan who is faced with the age old dilemma of passion versus duty. The judges said of Grounded:

this powerful first-person narrative is an unsentimental account of a teenager trying to cope with a series of unexpected responsibilities, and explores the effects of caring too much or too little.

The Eilís Dillon award went to Sarah Crossan this year, for her young adult book, The Weight of Water. Told in verse narrative, it is a coming of age story that covers the alienation experienced by many young immigrants.

Other awards include the following:

Judges Special Award: Anna Heussaff for Hóng

Honour Award for Illustration: Oliver Jeffers for This Moose Belongs to Me (reviewed here)

Honour Award for Fiction: Mary Louise Fitzpatrick for Dark Warning

For more details on the awards, head on over to the CBI website.

Vampirates by Justin Somper

Yes, I did buy this book for its awesome title. No, I don't regret it. Vampirates is more than a gimmicky title; it is a cleverly conceived and skillfully realised story that will drag the reader in hook, line and sinker. And I still love the name. Vampirates. Brilliant.

In a desperate bid for independence form the busybodies of Crescent Moon Bay, orphaned twins Grace and Connor Tempest take to the seas in a high storm. Their boat sinks and they are separated. Connor is hauled aboard the pirate ship The Diablo and quickly adapts to pirate life. Grace finds refuge of a different kind on a mysterious ship called The Nocturne. But why are her shipmates so terrified of the sun? And what will happen to her if they indulge in their dark appetites?

The series is currently at Book 7 and there is no sign of its popularity fading. Recommended for any young folk who enjoy tales of stormy nights, swashbuckling adventures and buccaneering on the high seas. Yo ho ho and a bottle of blood!

Grimm Exhibition, Dublin

The Goethe-Institut in Dublin is holding an interaction exhibition of the Brothers Grimm collection this month. Titled Marchenwelten - Fairy Tale Worlds, the exhibition celebrates one of the most popular books of German cultural history.

The interactive nature of the exhibition means that children can hear, see and experience the fairy tale forest. The exhibition runs from the 11th to the 26th of April and the admission is free. For more information visit the Goethe-Institut webpage.

Back to Blackbrick by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald

Back to Blackbrick is a novel devoted to lost things: lost memories and lost people. In a desperate attempt to undo the injustices of the present, our main character and narrator Cosmo delves into the forgotten past and goes back in time to Blackbrick Abbey.

We meet Cosmo at a very difficult time in his life. He is saddled with a stupid name, a dead brother and a mother who has left post-crash Ireland to try and find work in Australia. But living with Granddad Kevin and Granny DeeDee isn't all bad. For one thing, his granddad understands him like no one else in the world. He teaches him how to ride a horse and gives Cosmo the best advice on how to deal with schoolyard bullies. And even if Granddad sometimes mixes him up with his dead brother Brian, Cosmo can't imagine not living in the same house as him. So when Granddad's Alzheimer's gets really bad, Cosmo tries everything to keep the dreaded social workers at bay.

Million Dollar Gift by Ian Somers

Ross Bentley can move things with his mind. But what good is a superpower if you can't leave 'Dullbrook' and still have to work in Delaney's supermarket everyday?

Ross's need to keep his secret has distanced him from his friends, his grief-stricken unemployed father, and his dreams. His only relief is posting his incredible stunts to YouTube, through his online alias 'Gotcha365.' So when the Million Dollar Gift Competition comes along, it seems Ross has found a solution to his and his father's problems. But as Ross is plunged into a world of nefarious assassins, unscrupulous millionaires, and underground organisation known as 'The Guild', he learns that every prize comes at a price.

CBI Awards 2013 shortlist revealed today!

Children's Books Ireland have announced their shortlist for the 23rd CBI Book of the Year Awards! Each of the ten nominees will compete for one of six coveted awards, including the 'Children's Choice Award,' which is voted for by students around the country. Winners will be announced at a ceremony on the 8th of May. Here are the nominees:

1. The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket by John Boyne and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers
2. The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan
3. Hóng by Anna Heussaff
4. Na Laochra is Lú by Laoise Ní Cléirigh and illustrated by Steve Simpson
5. Spellbound by Siobhán Parkinson and illustrated by Olwyn Whelan
6. Mise agus an Dragún by Patricia Forde and illustrated by Steve Simpson
7. Dark Warning by Marie Louise Fitzpatrick
8. Oh No, George! by Chris Haughton (reviewed here)
9. This Moose Belongs to Me by Oliver Jeffers (reviewed here)
10. Grounded by Sheena Wilkinson

Storycraft: Lessons in writing from the best...

I had to share this wonderful resource from the World Book Day website. On this Storycraft page you can watch videos of your favourite children's authors discussing different aspects of writing. Cressida Cowell (How to Train Your Dragon series) instructs you on the research necessary to tell a really big lie, Malorie Blackman (Noughts and Crosses series) talks structure, and Charlie Higson tells you how to create suspense and plant clues. Pitched at younger viewers, this is a must for budding writing talents.

CBI Rebels and Rulebreakers Conference

The lovely folks at Children's Books Ireland have announced the details of their 2013 conference. The conference, entitled Rebels and Rulebreakers, will take place on the 18th and 19th of May in Smithfield's Light House cinema. 

Guest speakers include translator, festival curator and journalist Sarah Ardizzone, 'Prince of Preschool' Hervé Tullet, bestseller John Boyne (of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas fame) and one of my personal favorites - Jon Klassen (writer and illustrator of I Want my Hat Back, reviewed here). For more information, click here or to register, click here. 

This event is open to anyone interested in children's literature and illustration.

Busy with books...

I posted here a couple of months back about the publication of my first children's book Ar Shiúl leis na Daoine Maithe/ Away with the Fairies. It's been so much fun sharing my little fairy tale with children and big kids alike. I thought it might be interesting today to blog about some of the author events I'm involved in at the minute. 

The Moose Belongs to Me by Oliver Jeffers

I'm struck again by the beauty of Oliver Jeffers' work. I've already reviewed the marvellous Stuck here; This Moose belongs to Me is another wonderful offering. In the author's own words, this quirky story addresses the "trials and tribulations with ownership, antlers and the rules of being a good pet!" Wilfred's moose Marcel is a wonderful pet in many ways. But he doesn't always obey the rules that Wilfred sets out for him. And with the introduction of a rival owner vying for Marcel's affection, Wilfred finds he can't take ownership of his exotic pet for granted anymore.

Pride and Prejudice turns 200

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice turns 200 today. Two centuries on, Jane Austen's most popular novel still resonates with young adult readers. It has inspired numerous literary, filmic and television adaptations, from Gurinder Chadha's Bollywood classic Bride and Prejudice to Seth Grahame-Smith's irreverent Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. So happy birthday to Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy and here's to another two hundred years at the top.