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Children's reading lists

9 of the best Irish children’s books and authors

Image showing a selection of funny books for children

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16 laugh-out-loud funny books for 9-12-year-olds

Inside the Beautiful (Ugly, Ridiculous, Hilarious) Game

The Rodfather

The hilarious memoir from the funniest man in football! 
 
Roddy Collins is a football man - now in the sixth decade of a career as a player (at sixteen clubs), manager (twelve clubs) and commentator. And he is a funny man: an unequalled raconteur with a sharp eye for the absurdities of the professional game and spectacular recall. He has made friends wherever he has gone, along with some high-quality enemies. When John Delaney said he could get Roddy a job if he'd just stop criticising him, Roddy replied that he'd 'rather dig holes in the road'. 
 
Now, with the brilliant Paul Howard, Roddy puts it all down on paper for the first time - the adventures, the rows and the craic - in what is not only one of the funniest but also one of the most eye-opening books ever written about professional football.

There isn't a funnier sports book this year - there might not be one for the next decade

Terrific. You will love it. Raw and tender and wild and honest, it will captivate you . . . great stories pack the pages

A rollercoaster ride and a great read. It's hard not to love Roddy Collins after reading The Rodfather

Hard to imagine there'll be a more entertaining sports book for quite a while

Fascinating and hilarious. Starts with a bang and never falters. Anarchic and wonderful

Fantastic. Can't remember a sports book with so many stories to propel it along. There's at least three different movies in it

Candid tales of football, family and everything in between - it's no surprise The Rodfather's memoir is just brilliant

A big man, with big emotions, and a big life . . . a fascinating read

What a great book The Rodfather is. A walk on the wild side of football - and a few other games - terrifying and yet massively entertaining. Paul Howard is the best writer in the country

[The Rodfather] might be the funniest book written since Roddy Doyle's The Van . . . There's a laugh on every page

Roddy Collins (Author) 
Roddy Collins grew up in Cabra, on the north side of Dublin. In his long career as a player and then manager, he was often injured, many times sacked, and constantly on the move - but somehow always on the right side of football history. Now a beloved pundit and football personality, Roddy Collins lives in Dublin with his family. 
 
Paul Howard (Author) 
Paul Howard is a journalist, author and comedy writer best known as the creator of the No 1 bestselling Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series. He has won a record four Irish Book Awards and is a former Irish Sports Journalist of Year and Irish Newspaper Columnist of the Year.

Roddy Collins is a football man - now in the sixth decade of a career as a player (at sixteen clubs), manager (twelve clubs) and commentator. And he is a funny man: an unequalled raconteur with a sharp eye for the absurdities of the professional game and spectacular recall. He has made friends wherever he has gone, along with some high-quality enemies. When John Delaney said he could get Roddy a job if he'd just stop criticising him, Roddy replied that he'd 'rather dig holes in the road'. 
 
Now, with the brilliant Paul Howard, Roddy puts it all down on paper for the first time - the adventures, the rows and the craic - in what is not only one of the funniest but also one of the most eye-opening books ever written about professional football.

Aldrin Adams and the Legend of Nemeswiss

An ordinary boy. The most EXTRAORDINARY, stinkiest superpower! 
 
Some months have past since Aldrin Adams discovered his extraordinary SUPERPOWER. When he eats CHEESE, just before he goes to sleep, he can enter into other people's dreams . . . and their nightmares! 
 
He's learned when to eat blue cheese (to help with nightmares about KILLER toys), smoked cheese (to help him recover from using his powers) and good old Cheddar (TOP SECRET). 
 
He's also come face to face with his nemesis - A MYSTERIOUS SUPERNATURAL VILLAIN who creates NIGHTMARES for millions of children every night. 
 
Aldrin survived, but only JUST. And now what is he supposed to do? Save the world, one SCARY CLOWN nightmare at a time? Shouldn't being a superhero be more adventurous than this? Is there a way to beat his Nemesis once and for all? 
 
Find out, as Aldrin navigates his new life, meets more people with powers like him and - finally - faces his NEMESIS again!

Paul Howard is a journalist, author and comedy writer best known as the creator of the No 1 bestselling Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series. He has won a record four Irish Book Awards and is a former Irish Sports Journalist of Year and Irish Newspaper Columnist of the Year.

An ordinary boy. The most EXTRAORDINARY, stinkiest super-power! 
 
 Some months have past since Aldrin Adams discovered when he eats CHEESE before bedtime, he can enter people's dreams and nightmares, and help them with their problems. He's learned when to eat blue cheese (to help with nightmares about KILLER toys), smoked cheese (to help him recover from using his powers) and good old Cheddar (TOP SECRET). He's also come face to face with his nemesis - a MYSTERIOUS SUPERNATURAL VILLAIN who creates NIGHTMARES for millions of children every night. 
 
 Aldrin survived, but only JUST. And now what is he supposed to do? Save the world, one SCARY CLOWN nightmare at a time? Shouldn't being a superhero be more adventurous than this? And is there a way to beat his Nemesis once and for all? 
 
 Find out, as Aldrin navigates his new life, meets more people with powers like him and - finally - faces his NEMESIS again!

Third in the hilarious rugby adventure series for 9-to-12-year-olds who love sport

Gordon’s Game: Lions Roar

Gordon is back again for his biggest challenge yet in the third book of the hilarious Gordon's Game series! 
__________ 
 
Gordon D'Arcy has achieved a lot in his short life. He has won the Six Nations with Ireland and the European Cup with Leinster. 
 
Not bad for a boy who's still at school! 
 
Now, he has a brand-new opportunity - the chance to play for the famous British and Irish Lions as they tour South Africa. But before he can get on the plane, he must overcome the injury that threatens to end his career, and make the difficult choice between rugby and friendship. 
 
Gordon has to help Clive Woodward pull off a series win against South Africa and their fearsome forwards - the notorious Bomb Squad. 
 
And he certainly has to keep his wits about him when he finds himself in a wildlife reserve, surrounded by animals that want to eat him for dinner! 
 
Is another dream about to come true for Gordon D'Arcy? Or has this young Lion finally bitten off more than he can chew?

There are so many moments kids can take lessons from . . . brilliant

Paul Howard (Author) 
 Paul Howard is a journalist, author and comedy writer best known as the creator of the No 1 bestselling Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series. He has won a record four Irish Book Awards and is a former Irish Sports Journalist of Year and Irish Newspaper Columnist of the Year. He is the co-author of the Gordon's Game children's book series. 
 
Gordon D'Arcy (Author) 
 Gordon D'Arcy is Ireland's longest-serving rugby international, first playing in 1999 while he was still at school. He was part of teams that won three European Cups, two Six Nations Championship, and the historic Grand Slam of 2009. He is the co-author of the Gordon's Game children's book series. He retired from rugby in 2015.

Aldrin Adams and the Cheese Nightmares

*Shortlisted for the Children's Book of the Year - Irish Book Awards* 
 
The laugh-out-loud funny children's book from Number-One-Bestselling Ross O'Carroll Kelly author, Paul Howard. Illustrated throughout by Lee Cosgrove. 
 
An adventure full of mystery, magic and cheeses that seriously, SERIOUSLY pong! 
 
ALDRIN ADAMS is an ordinary boy with an EXTRAORDINARY SUPERPOWER. When he eats cheese just before he goes to sleep, he can enter into other people's dreams . . . AND THEIR NIGHTMARES! 
 
But why has he got this power? And what is he supposed to do with it? 
 
HE NEEDS ANSWERS . . . AND FAST! 
 
What Aldrin doesn't realize is that he is being watched by a MYSTERIOUS, SUPERNATURAL VILLAIN who's creating nightmares for millions of children every night. 
 
Will an ordinary boy, armed with his pet frog and the STINKIEST CHEESE in the world, be enough to stop him? 
 
A brilliantly funny, heartwarming story, perfect for fans of David Baddiel and Sam Copeland.

Aldrin Addis has the world's most unusual and secret SUPER-POWER: By eating very stinky cheese before bedtime, Aldrin can enter people's dreams and nightmares, and help them with their problems. 
 
 The trouble is, Aldrin has problems of his own. Dad's not been himself since Mum died, their cheese shop (C'est Cheese!) is under threat of closure, and Aldrin's struggling at school. 
 
But things go from bad to worse when Aldrin realises something - or someone - is trying to steal his cheesy super power for their own evil plan for world domination! 
 
And this time, Aldrin might need more than the stinkiest of Bries to save the day!

Gordon’s Game: Blue Thunder

Gordon is back for more mayhem and mischief in the second book in the laugh-out-loud Gordon's Game series! 
__________ 
 
Gordon D'Arcy - the only kid at school with a Six Nations medal hidden under his pillow! Though helping Ireland to win the Grand Slam feels like it was just a dream. 
 
Now, he's been given a brand new challenge - the chance to play for Leinster. 
 
After learning so many lessons playing for Ireland - including how to make a complete eejit of himself in front of millions of people - fitting in at Leinster should be a breeze. Right? 
 
Unfortunately, not. After his first training session, he sees why the team is mocked for being 'soft' (those stories about players wearing fake tan? All true!). Now he knows why so many people from Leinster support Munster. 
 
But Gordon settles down to work under an inspiring coach named Joe Schmidt. Joe promises that, with hard work, discipline and a bit of self-belief, Leinster can win the European Cup. 
 
Maybe another dream can come true!

Paul Howard (Author) 
 Paul Howard is a journalist, author and comedy writer best known as the creator of the No 1 bestselling Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series. He has won a record four Irish Book Awards and is a former Irish Sports Journalist of Year and Irish Newspaper Columnist of the Year. 
 
Gordon D'Arcy (Author) 
 Gordon D'Arcy is Ireland's longest-serving rugby international, first playing in 1999 while he was still at school. He was part of teams that won three European Cups, two Six Nations Championship, and the historic Grand Slam of 2009. He retired from rugby in 2015.

Gordon D'Arcy - the only kid at school with a Six Nations medal hidden under his pillow! Though helping Ireland to win the Grand Slam feels like it was just a dream. 
 
Now, he's been given a brand new challenge - the chance to play for Leinster. 
 
After learning so many lessons playing for Ireland - including how to make a complete eejit of himself in front of millions of people - fitting in at Leinster should be a breeze. Right? 
 
Unfortunately, not. After his first training session, he sees why the team is mocked for being 'soft' (those stories about players wearing fake tan? All true!). Now he knows why so many people from Leinster support Munster. 
 
But Gordon settles down to work under an inspiring coach named Joe Schmidt. Joe promises that, with hard work, discipline and a bit of self-belief, Leinster can win the European Cup. 
 
Maybe another dream can come true!

The hilarious rugby adventure book for children aged 9-12 who love sport

Gordon's Game

A rugby-mad boy. A huge game. And a chance for an epic win . . . or an epic fail! 
 
Gordon D'Arcy is an ordinary boy, but he's not so ordinary once he gets a rugby ball in his hands. He's the star player for Wexford Wanderers and dreams of one day wearing the Ireland jersey. A dream like that means hard work, raw talent and never losing sight of your goals. 
 
But Gordon has a wild streak that often lands him in trouble. Mum and Dad think that if he can just channel his energy, all will be well. Then something utterly mad happens and he gets a chance to live his biggest dream. 
 
Can he stay on his game and do everyone proud? Or will trouble follow him . . . like it usually does? 
 
Gordon's Game is a funny and inspiring adventure for rugby lovers of all ages! 
 
'A cracking read . . . which will appeal to all the family' Irish Country Magazine

A cracking read ... which will appeal to all the family

A rugby-mad boy. A huge game. And a chance for an epic win . . . or an epic fail! 
 
Gordon D'Arcy is an ordinary boy, but he's not so ordinary once he gets a rugby ball in his hands. He's the star player for Wexford Wanderers and dreams of one day wearing the Ireland jersey. A dream like that means hard work, raw talent and never losing sight of your goals. 
 
But Gordon has a wild streak that often lands him in trouble. Mum and Dad think that if he can just channel his energy, all will be well. Then something utterly mad happens and he gets a chance to live his biggest dream. 
 
Can he stay on his game and do everyone proud? Or will trouble follow him ... like it usually does? 
 
Gordon's Game is a funny and inspiring adventure for rugby lovers of all ages!

Paul Howard

I had a great time reading A Nation Once Again. It is hilarious, bang-on, even slightly disturbing - everything I love about Paul Howard's writing.

Funny, smart and provocative, the scariest thing about this novel is that it might be based on fact.

Riotously funny with a cast of characters I was sad to leave.

I absolutely LOVED A Nation Once Again. It was such a huge pleasure to read, I laughed out loud so many times. Paul Howard is a literal genius.

A smart, funny, seriously thought-provoking read from the sharpest Irish satirical novelist since Myles.

Best thing he’s ever done – I am in awe

Expertly mines the North's sectarian granite to produce a masterpiece of fact and hilarity. I almost passed out.

It was well worth dividing Ireland in the first place for this brilliant book.

There’s only one idea more foolish than dividing Ireland – and that’s trying to put it back together again. 
 
Meet Fiach O’Bric: career diplomat, recent widower, and a man looking forward to a peaceful retirement. But just when he thinks he's out, he is strong-armed into taking over a shadowy top-secret department tasked with preparing for a United Ireland — a job so surreal it makes his last posting, in Beijing, seem like a Buddhist retreat. 
 
Running the Department with Responsibility for Making Arrangements for the Unification of Ireland, an outfit quietly failing since 1958, Fiach finds himself managing a team of oddballs, timeservers, and a die-hard nationalist from Dundalk. And he spends his days refereeing rows about everything everyone has failed to agree for about 800 years, as well as absurd new suggestions – like conjuring a capital city that nobody actually wants. In Westmeath. Nothing is too crazy to be proposed, nor too sensible to be rejected. 
 
Fiach can feel the hand of history on his shoulder. He suspects it may soon throttle him. 
 
Yet, against his better judgement — and all available evidence — a dangerous thought takes hold. What if he could be the one to do what Tone, Pearse and centuries of Irish martyrs failed to do: make Ireland one, and somehow not die in the process. 
 
Dream on, Fiach. 
 
---‘Our nation’s greatest satirist’ Irish Times 
 
‘One of the funniest writers in the country’ RTÉ Radio 1

Paul Howard

Praise for A Nation Once Again

I had a great time reading A Nation Once Again. It is hilarious, bang-on, even slightly disturbing - everything I love about Paul Howard's writing.

Funny, smart and provocative, the scariest thing about this novel is that it might be based on fact.

Riotously funny with a cast of characters I was sad to leave.

I had a great time reading A Nation Once Again. It is hilarious, bang-on, even slightly disturbing - everything I love about Paul Howard's writing.

Funny, smart and provocative, the scariest thing about this novel is that it might be based on fact.

Riotously funny with a cast of characters I was sad to leave.

I had a great time reading A Nation Once Again. It is hilarious, bang-on, even slightly disturbing - everything I love about Paul Howard's writing.

Funny, smart and provocative, the scariest thing about this novel is that it might be based on fact.

Riotously funny with a cast of characters I was sad to leave.

Books by Paul Howard

Series by Paul Howard

Aldrin Adams Adventure

Articles featuring Paul Howard

9 of the best Irish children’s books and authors

16 laugh-out-loud funny books for 9-12-year-olds

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