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Children's reading lists

9 of the best Irish children’s books and authors

A photo of a selection of children's crime books on a red background with a magnifying glass hovering over the book The London Mystery by Siobhan Dowd

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16 must-read crime and mystery books

A Swift Pure Cry

Reissued in Penguin's ORIGINALS series of iconic teen fiction. 
 
After Shell's mother dies, her obsessively religious father descends into alcoholic mourning and Shell is left to care for her younger brother and sister. Her only release from the harshness of everyday life comes from her budding spiritual friendship with a naive young priest, and most importantly, her developing relationship with childhood friend, Declan, charming, eloquent and persuasive. But when Declan suddenly leaves Ireland to seek his fortune in America, Shell finds herself pregnant and the centre of a scandal that rocks the small community in which she lives, with repercussions across the whole country. The lives of those immediately around her will never be the same again.

Siobhan Dowd lived in Oxford with her husband, Geoff, before tragically dying from cancer in August 2007, aged 47. She was both an extraordinary writer and an extraordinary person. 
 
Siobhan's first novel, A Swift Pure Cry, won the Branford Boase Award and the Eilis Dillon Award and was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and Booktrust Teenage Prize. Her second novel, The London Eye Mystery, won the 2007 NASEN &amp; TES Special Educational Needs Children's Book Award. In March 2008, the book was shortlisted for the prestigious Children's Books Ireland Bisto Awards. Siobhan's third novel, Bog Child, was the first book to be posthumously awarded the Carnegie Medal in 2008. 
 
The award-winning novel A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness was based on an idea of Siobhan's. Her novella, The Ransom of Dond, was published in 2013, illustrated throughout by Pam Smy.

After Shell's mother dies, her obsessively religious father descends into alcoholic mourning and Shell is left to care for her younger brother and sister. Her only release from the harshness of everyday life comes from her budding spiritual friendship with a naive young priest, and most importantly, her developing relationship with childhood friend, Declan, charming, eloquent and persuasive. But when Declan suddenly leaves Ireland to seek his fortune in America, Shell finds herself pregnant and the centre of a scandal that rocks the small community in which she lives, with repercussions across the whole country. The lives of those immediately around her will never be the same again.

The London Eye Mystery

'A whip-smart puzzle with unforgettable characters' Robin Stevens, bestselling author of Murder Most Unladylike 
'Compulsive Reading' Independent 
'Thoroughly gripping' Sunday Telegraph 
 
 
A story about family, self-belief and bravery, The London Eye Mystery is a brilliantly inventive crime-caper perfect for fans of Enola Holmes, High-Rise Mystery and A Kind of Spark. 
11.32 a.m. Ted and his sister Kat watch their cousin Salim get on board the London Eye. The pod rises from the ground, high above the city. 
 
 12.02 p.m. The pod lands and the doors open. Everyone exits - everyone but Salim. 
 
 Has he spontaneously combusted? (Ted's theory.) 
 Has he been kidnapped? (Aunt Gloria's theory.) 
 Is he even still alive? (The family's unspoken fear.) 
Ted doesn't see the world like most people he knows and is sure that with his "unique operating system" of a brain he can uncover the truth about Salim's disappearance. 
So, teaming up with Kat, Ted sets out to do just that - following a trail of clues across London. But with time ticking dangerously by, can Ted solve the mystery before it's too late? 
 
 
A multiple award-winning novel with over 150k copies sold in the UK alone, The London Eye Mystery is a true modern classic that's not to be missed - now featuring an introduction from Robin Stevens. 
Don't miss Ted's second detective adventure, The Guggenheim Mystery!

Grips the reader from the opening chapter

A wonderfully written mystery. It is funny, nerve-wracking and tender by turns, with plenty of pace and excitement as well as some moments for serious reflection

Everything about this book - the perky tone, the subtlety of characterisation and the cleverness of the plotting - is absolutely right

Siobhan Dowd lived in Oxford with her husband, Geoff, before tragically dying from cancer in August 2007, aged 47. She was both an extraordinary writer and an extraordinary person. 
 
 Siobhan's first novel, A Swift Pure Cry, won the Branford Boase Award and the Eilis Dillon Award and was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and Booktrust Teenage Prize. Her second novel, The London Eye Mystery, won the 2007 NASEN &amp; TES Special Educational Needs Children's Book Award. In March 2008, the book was shortlisted for the prestigious Children's Books Ireland Bisto Awards. Siobhan's third novel, Bog Child, was the first book to be posthumously awarded the Carnegie Medal in 2008. 
 
 The award-winning novel A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness was based on an idea of Siobhan's. Her novella, The Ransom of Dond, was published in 2013, illustrated throughout by Pam Smy.

11.32am. Ted and his sister Kat watch their cousin Salim get on board the London Eye. The pod rises from the ground, high above the city. 
 
12.02am. The pod lands and the doors open. Everyone exits - everyone but Salim. 
 
Has he spontaneously combusted? (Ted's theory.) 
Has he been kidnapped? (Aunt Gloria's theory.) 
Is he even still alive? (The family's unspoken fear.) 
 
Even the police are baffled - so it's up to Ted, whose brain runs on its own unique operating system, to solve this mystery and find Salim. Teaming up with Kat, Ted follows a trail of clues across London - while time ticks dangerously by... 
 
Now featuring a new introduction from bestselling author Robin Stevens.

The Ransom of Dond

A haunting tale of love, fate and truth from acclaimed, multi award-winning author, Siobhan Dowd.

Embraces the magic of myths, with animal transformations and transporting dreams. Movingly, it is above all about the power of a mother's love and how much anyone facing death would want to live

This new title, in its elegance, wisdom and lyricism, provides a poignant coda to Siobhan Dowd's earlier achievements

A beautiful, mystical fable for our time . . . The Ransom of Dond is a book to be read aloud or alone. It provides a marvellous opportunity for storytelling and discussion

One of the most attractively produced works of junior fiction

A riveting story . . . Raises questions about religion and highlights the dangers of ignorance. But equally, it is a tale of love and family, and their ability to conquer all . . . As a physical thing, it is a beautiful book. From the dustcover to the endpapers, it is a joy to hold

Siobhan Dowd lived in Oxford with her husband, Geoff, before tragically dying from cancer in August 2007, aged 47. She was both an extraordinary writer and an extraordinary person. 
 
Siobhan's first novel, A Swift Pure Cry, won the Branford Boase Award and the Eilis Dillon Award and was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and Booktrust Teenage Prize. 
 
Her second novel, The London Eye Mystery, won the 2007 NASEN &amp; TES Special Educational Needs Children's Book Award. In March 2008, the book was shortlisted for the prestigious Children's Books Ireland Bisto Awards. 
 
Siobhan's third novel, Bog Child, was the first book to be posthumously awarded the Carnegie Medal in 2008. 
 
The award-winning novel A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness was based on an idea of Siobhan's. Her novella, The Ransom of Dond, was published in 2013, illustrated throughout by Pam Smy.

Darra is an omen of unluck: a thirteenth child. To appease the dark god, Dond, and bring good fortune to her small island community, Darra must be sacrificed at the age of thirteen - by drowning. 
 
On the eve of her final birthday, Darra begins to dream of the twin brother she has watched from afar but never met, and dares to hope that she might escape her fate . . . 
 
The scouring wind and remorseless waves which beat against Darra's island world are matched in Pam Smy's powerful, wild and emotive illustrations. The Ransom of Dond is our final story from Siobhan, and a book to be treasured.

This is an extraordinary story of one girl's courage in the face of prejudice and hardship within a small community in Ireland.

Movingly written, this is a sad but not a dismal story, given Shell's resilient personality and the support she gets from a generous-hearted priest. This debut novel is a fine and memorable achievement: it never sells its characters short and always stays close to what was thought to have happened at the time

In a densely woven tapestry of poetic language, sensations, and childhood experience, Dowd's characters stumble through life, bewildered and bereaved, reviving feelings and emotions that are most usually pushed into the back recesses of the mind

It's a beautifully written, lyrical story

This story is told with the innocence and naivety of a young girl and leaves the reader to feel the true emotion behind it. This story will have you hooked; you will go through the usual emotions a well-written book should stir up - laughter, sadness, anger, and compassion

A superb first novel, beautifully written, deeply moving and full of heartbreak. Siobhan Dowd writes without judgement but with enormous sympathy and understanding

A compelling story, well told . . . It is compulsive reading

A  very human account to make readers weep yet also rejoice at the support she gains from her younger brother and sister

It heaves with memories of another lifetime, like a family album. This is, above all, an affectionate novel . . . it should be read by anyone who is or ever was a teenager

Bog Child

The extraordinary story of one long summer in the life of an 18-year-old boy caught up in the chaos and conflict of Ireland in the 1980s.

As a writer, Dowd appears to be incapable of a jarring phrase or a lazy metaphor. Her sentences sing, each note resonates with an urgent humanity of the sort that cannot be faked

A captivating first love affair, a hilarious red herring and profound truths about politics and family add up to a novel set to win awards in the coming year

Only two months in, and I may have already found my favourite book of the year. Siobhan Dowd's Bog Child is an astonishing read and the kind of book that holds you in a trance

Dowd creates a complex world of death, morality, fear, the longong for a united republic, for freedom

A harrowing story of choice and obligation, peace and politics

A dramatic and poignant tale from a sadly missed talent

Bog Child is a beautiful novel offering a unique insight in to Irish history

Fergus is an appealling hero, and the entwined secrecy of borders, soldiers, volunteers, smugglers, and families are interestingly used

With plenty of humour, surprising twists and almost audible dialogue, Dowd uggles expertly and sensitively with this compelling, entertaining book, which is a recommended read for teenage and adult readers

Dowd's lightness of touch allows humour and poignancy to shine through

It is a book we would all do well to read, teenager and adult alike

Despite it's heavy themes it's a book brimming with passion, humour and hope

Bog Child is beautifully written, with rarely a word written out of place . . . A fascinating read for older teens and adults alike

Often funny, sometimes shocking; just as you think you can guess what's coming next the plot unfurls more surprises. This book spills over with compassion and hope

With plenty of humour and surprising twists it's a compelling, entertaining book for teens and adults

New and challenging book full of mystery and shadows . . . Both terrifying and fascinating from the start, Bog Child is a must-read

Digging for peat in the mountain with his Uncle Tally, Fergus finds the body of a child, and it looks like she's been murdered. As Fergus tries to make sense of the mad world around him - his brother on hunger-strike in prison, his growing feelings for Cora, his parents arguing over the Troubles, and him in it up to the neck, blackmailed into acting as courier to God knows what, a little voice comes to him in his dreams, and the mystery of the bog child unfurls. 
 
Bog Child is an astonishing novel exploring the sacrifices made in the name of peace, and the unflinching strength of the human spirit.

Solace of the Road

The mesmerising tale of Holly, who flees her foster-home life and, taking on the persona of Solace, finds herself in a road-trip adventure.

Unexpectedly life affirming, wise and mature

A memorably touching story with a suitably emotional ending

For readers more at home with awkward reality than sentimentality, Solace of the Road has a lot to offer. Siobhan Dowd meets every challenge with the authority of a born writer

Real, touching, at times gritty, but laced with humour throughout it will delight teenage and adult readers alike

This gritty, realistic novel which deploys Dowd's talent for humour, will appeal to the older teenage reader

This page-turner invests mundane experience and every-day language with the resonance of poetry

Solace of the Road has it all really: grit, pathos, humour, sharp observation, and a central character who catches your heart and doesn't let it go . . . Moments of intense pathos combine with humour to create a book of tremendous quality. Highly recommended

The life-affirming ending is especially moving for having been written while the author was terminally ill. Excellent for teenage stockings

A wise and compassionate picturesque novel

A finely constructed novel, beautifully written by a master storyteller

An amazing book for those who love a road trip story with gritty drama and great laughs woven in

Memories of Mum are the only thing that make Holly Hogan happy. She hates her foster family with their too-nice ways and their false sympathy. And she hates her life, her stupid school and the way everyone is always on at her. Then she finds the wig, and everything changes. Wearing the long, flowing blonde locks she feels transformed. She's not Holly any more, she's Solace: the girl with the slinkster walk and the super-sharp talk. She's older, more confident - the kind of girl who can walk right out of her humdrum life, hitch to Ireland and find her mum. The kind of girl who can face the world head on. 
 
So begins a bittersweet, and sometimes hilarious journey as Solace swaggers and Holly tiptoes across England and through memory, discovering her true self, and unlocking the secrets of her past. Holly's story will leave a lasting impression on all who travel with her.

A thrilling adventure story - after Ted's cousin Salim disappears from a pod in mid-air on the London Eye, he and his sister become embroiled in a race against time to find him.

Dowd's story grips the reader from the opening chapter . . . Her first book was a deservedly acclaimed young adult novel . . . this demonstrates her versatility

This is a novel that works on every level, not least as a thoroughly gripping detective story

This is a wonderfully written mystery. It is funny, nerve-wracking and tender by turns, with plenty of pace and excitement as well as some moments for serious reflection

Ted's unwittingly droll first-person narrative is immediately appealing and will provide a rich vein of material for class discussion

Gives us the most satisfying upbeat view of the strengths that can accompany this now famous medical condition

This pacy page-turner is as much fun as the London Eye

This is a book that takes hold of you and just can't be put down until the end

An immensely readable and totally gripping mystery with really believable characters

A compelling little mystery . . . Gripping and realistic

Packed with humour, insight and suspense . . . a first-rate read

A clever tale that keeps you guessing until the end

Dowd's prose is simple, yet masterful . . . A must-read for fans of the traditional mystery genre

When Ted and Kat watched their cousin Salim get on board the London Eye, he turned and waved before getting on. After half an hour it landed and everyone trooped off - but no Salim. Where could he have gone? How on earth could he have disappeared into thin air? 
 
Since the police are having no luck finding him, Ted and Kat become sleuthing partners. Despite their prickly relationship, they overcome their differences to follow a trail of clues across London in a desperate bid to find their cousin. And ultimately it comes down to Ted, whose brain works in its own very unique way, to find the key to the mystery. 
 
This is an unputdownable spine-tingling thriller!

Robin Stevens

Siobhan Dowd

Both a tremendous art-theft whodunit and a loving tribute

My name is Ted Spark. Three months ago, I solved the mystery of how my cousin Salim disappeared from a pod on the London Eye. This is the story of my second mystery. 
 
This summer, I went on holiday to New York, to visit Aunt Gloria and Salim. While I was there, a painting was stolen from the Guggenheim Museum, where Aunt Gloria works. Then Aunt Gloria was blamed for the theft, and I realised just how important it was to find the painting, and discover who really had taken it.

Siobhan Dowd

Praise for The Guggenheim Mystery

Both a tremendous art-theft whodunit and a loving tribute

Engaging and convincing

Books by Siobhan Dowd

Articles featuring Siobhan Dowd

9 of the best Irish children’s books and authors

16 must-read crime and mystery books

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