Today for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday, I'm featuring Eve McDonnell's debut ELSETIME. A great read. susanuhlig.com/2025/08/else... @evemcdonnell.bsky.social #amreading #bookbooster #kidlit #middlegrade #historical #timetravel

Today we are launching the Irish KidLit for Palestine Fundraiser in support of Medical Aid for Palestinians (@medicalaidpal.bsky.social‬) Running from 4th August to 17th August 2025. You can check out the fundraiser at www.ruthennis.com/irish-kidlit-for-palestine @sineadohart.bsky.social

Dear reviewer ‘Jasmine', I'm in my writing cave and sometimes that can feel tricky - especially when I'm wrangling with a hyperactive plot, diminishing motivation and all the self doubt that comes with it - so to come up for air to find your review made ALL the difference. THANK YOU! 🙏

Our cuckoo surprised us today, coming home early - 4th April 2025 🤗😭 He has flown all the way from Africa to Wexford, Ireland to sing his song once more 💫🥰🪶 (video from 2023)

Oh, Fontainebleau, I fell in love with you! No different to Piaf’s chestnut in The Chestnut Roaster, the city is hidden inside a protective shell of thick woodland, and is home to the true abode of kings, delicious cuisine, beautiful boutiques, kind people, and - best of all… 1/3

I’ve had the time of my life in one of Wexford’s most creative schools, Kennedy Park NS, and it’s all thanks to @childrensbooksireland.ie’s Champion of Reading programme where authors are matched with schools to encourage reading for joy. We went Book Whispering - their creativity & energy was pure🥇

A huge thank you to writer and book blogger Rosi Hollinbeck for writing such a wonderful review of Elsetime. She read a review written by the brilliant @valinoratroy.bsky.social and had to meet mudlarker Needle Luckett and his gift-bearing crow for herself! rosihollinbeck.com/2025/03/10/e...

These humans are taking over Irish kidlit one by one, I adore them. 💜

We launched #TheDoomsdayClub by @kmoranwrites.bsky.social last night in #DubrayGraftonSt Thank you to MD Ivan O’Brien and guest speaker @evemcdonnell.bsky.social for their lovely speeches, and to @dubraybooks.bsky.social for hosting! Congratulations to Kevin on his debut novel 🎉 Out now!

I am the chosen one 🤩💫💜😄 #missingbiscuit

It’s #IrelandReads Day and we shared stories with young readers in Blackrock & Gorey libraries, made Wishprint poems, went book whispering, found golden hares, played chess with pirates, ate stone donuts with diamond teeth… Clearly, we got lost in a book or two - hope you do too!

If you are a fan of children’s books in schools, check out the latest That’ll Teach You Podcast, chatting to @childrensbooksireland.ie’s Schools Outreach Manager, Becky Long. Spoiler - honoured to say #TheLastBoy was Becky’s top choice for 6th class 🇮🇪 (Yr7/8 🇬🇧) 🙌 open.spotify.com/episode/7mqR...

‘Based on a true story, the characters demand to be heard and the world created will stay with you. Look up to the stars and make a wish’ Delighted to see The Last Boy reviewed over on @bookclubsinschools.bsky.social’s fab blog 🙌🙌🙌

Some lovely advance reviews for #TheDoomsdayClub! Are they right? Find out for yourself when Doomsday arrives on March 3rd. Link in bio for preorders #DoomsdayIsComing #debutauthor #discoveririshkidsbooks #kidlit #middlegradebooks #teenbooks #horror #fantasy #2025books

Huge thanks to @martindoyle.bsky.social for including news of the upcoming unveiling of a blue plaque for George Brewster, the chimney sweep climbing boy who stars in #TheLastBoy, in his weekly round-up in the Irish Times. www.irishtimes.com/culture/book...

@franquinnwrites.bsky.social is one of the best writers I know and just wait till you see what she has made!!! Book reveal coming sooooooon!!!! 👇

'The Last Boy' is at once a story of darkness and hope as Brewster wishes on each star that he will be the last climbing boy. www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/ar... @everywithwords.bsky.social @evemcdonnell.bsky.social @susancahill.bsky.social @sarahwebbwriter.bsky.social @theobrienpress.bsky.social

My enormous thanks to Pet O’Connell for this stunning review of #TheLastBoy in today’s Irish Examiner 🎉💫🧹 @irishexaminer.bsky.social @everywithwords.bsky.social

FINALLY, George Brewster - the chimney sweep climbing boy who features in my book #TheLastBoy - is having his true story told to the masses! Media outlets are sharing his legacy - how his death resulted in a change that impacted the lives of children forever. 1/2 www.theguardian.com/culture/2025...

Finally got to listen to this this morning, what an absolute treat! Fascinated by @frankcottrellboyce.bsky.social's description of The Baby Lab experiments (much more delightful than that sounds) and thrilled to hear @evemcdonnell.bsky.social's The Last Boy recommended at the end

Thrilled to see The Last boy here, @sarahmerrett1.bsky.social - thank you! Can’t wait to read your next book - it looks amazing!!

This morning’s roll-in-the-mud ritual resulted in an exaggerated smoky eye for the holiday season. Of course I told her that her makeup looks beautiful today 😍🐶🐾

Choo-choo! There’s a new book by @susanbrownrigg.bsky.social coming down the tracks! This historical mystery adventure thunders along with umpteen twists, triumphs & trials 🚂 Susan has packed so much history between the lines that thrill seekers will love it! Out Jan @uclanpublishing.bsky.social 9+

It’s #LateLateToyShow night which means the #BookElves2024 are back, recommending great children's books 📚 🎉🤩 The toy show kicked off with pets - here’s one good doggo book for 7+ It’s a wild and happy adventure with plenty of laughs too 🐶 The Lost Dogs by Patricia Forde #DiscoverIrishKidsbooks

The @thebookcentre.bsky.social Christmas Catalogue is now out! It’s chocoblock with fab book recommendations - thrilled to see #TheLastBoy there! Also, WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME THEY HAVE A WINE BAR IN THEIR WATERFORD STORE??!! 🎉😍 www.thebookcentre.ie @everywithwords.bsky.social

Woohoo! Thrilled to see this! 🎉🤩 Thank you so much, everyone at @booktrust.bsky.social 🙏 #TheLastBoy BookTrust Book of the Day BookTrust NI Book of the Month @everywithwords.bsky.social #MG #ChildrensBooks

Our two reviews are for @evemcdonnell.bsky.social and Brian Fitzgerald - the hardest part is picking only two books so it's great to see many other favourites mentioned⬇️🧵

🎉 The Times Best Irish Children’s Books 2024 🎉 I jingle-belled all the way to the shop to get a copy! Pages and pages of book recs by booksellers, all collated by elf Ruth @childrensbooksireland.ie! Louisa in Blackrock’s fab @ravenbooks.bsky.social, chose #TheLastBoy 🙏 @everywithwords.bsky.social

A list from the land of storytellers 💚☘️💫 Children’s Writers & Illustrators of Ireland. Nudge if i’ve missed you 🤗 go.bsky.app/3xdoTtR

‘An extraordinary story based on the horror of child exploitation in Victorian times, but crammed with positivity, determination, hope and edge-of-seat drama. Anyone lucky enough to read it will not forget it for a very long time.’ Thank you, Booktrust! #TheLastBoy🧹🔭💫 @everywithwords.bsky.social

MAGNIFIQUE! #NotreDame lived inside my mind for months while I wrote #TheChestnutRoaster. What a glorious day to see it brought back to life. Illustration by Ewa Beniak Haremska. @everywithwords.bsky.social

Quick note: BLACK24 will get you 24% off any online creative writing course today. www.clairehennessy.com/store

The Oliver Callan Show on @rteradio1.bsky.social dedicated today’s WHOLE SHOW to Irish Children’s Books! They gathered the best young readers to share their expert reviews of a brilliant selection of books curated by the wise owls at @childrensbooksireland.ie. 🧵 1/2

So happy to see #TheLastBoy included in @lovereading4kids.bsky.social’s Children’s Books of the Year 🤩🥳 If you are looking for book ideas for young readers this Christmas, their full list of 2024 ‘Star’ books is super sparkly! www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/blog/the-lov...

Delighted to see #TheLastBoy has been chosen as one of @halfwayupbooks.bsky.social’s Books of the Year 9+ 🤩🥳🎉 Full list here: halfwayupthestairs.ie/2024/11/21/o... @everywithwords.bsky.social

Love the look of this! 🫧

Hello! Reposting a thread of starter packs to help anyone spending their Sunday trying to find UK children’s book people. Most are being updated so if you checked them before, you may find new additions. #kidlitUK These two are (mainly) UK children's authors go.bsky.app/GLnmxCv go.bsky.app/3hvsJPY

Aaand here she is! SONGS FOR GHOSTS, my second YA novel, is a ghost story and a reimagining of Madama Butterfly. Fluttering into UK and Ireland in March 2025 🦋 Cover by the brilliant Cristina Bencina, out with Zephyr @headofzeus.bsky.social

Volume up for top notch crunch! ❄️

Between now and Christmas I’ll try to recommend as many great children’s books as I can. Books make a great present but it can be hard to find the right book, especially if you’re looking for something a bit different. Would you like a recommendation? Ask away! #bookelves2024 are open!

Today’s view through the kitchen window while the kettle boils… Robin Goldfinches Jays Magpies Tits; great, coal & blue Teeny red squirrel Great Spotted Woodpecker 📷 Is it a rare Brambling up top? And what I believe to be an ancestor of Pooface, an old blackbird with white feathers on its head 😍

Please follow this indie publisher with attitude and books that take you by surprise!

Some of the best people in my whole wide world 🤩🤩🤩 Cheers, @wonderlandbookshop.bsky.social 🤗

Love this book! If you are looking for a Christmas pressie for your little one, this one is utterly roarsome!! 🦁 Words by @oliviahopewriter.bsky.social and pictures by @fionawoodcock.bsky.social, the perfect paring and almost as good as a mouthful of Tayto+Cadbury Choc 😋

My map of children's independent bookshops is updated regularly. Most provide an online service and they're all run by people who can make well-informed book recommendations. Make sure you support your local one if you want to keep it. Any missing, please let me know. padlet.com/Jon_Biddle/r...

Our dog has a morning ritual - she goes outside, circles the house and runs down a slant of muddy grass where she rolls and rolls with a great big smile on her face. We call it her ‘shower’, and she can’t wait to come inside so we can tell her her make-up looks good today 😍 She nailed her brows👌

Reading Past-me’s diary each day like it’s Now-me’s Book of Answers 😄🤪😂

Meanwhile, a little bit of Friday shrew-booping 😃😍

OK folks, here we go - a starter pack of Irish writers and illustrators I've spotted I my one day on this platform. Did I miss you? Want out? I'm sorry! Shout here and I'll sort it. AND I'll also do a second one for more book community folk who are not writers or illustrators. go.bsky.app/2gSbStb

Wishers & believers, this time every year our planet passes through a ring of dust left by a comet that orbits our sun every 33 yrs. Sometimes it brings a meteor shower, sometimes a storm. In 1833, the night sky was more white than black with 100,000 shooting stars each hour 1/2