RTÉjr Book Club: Mysteries, puzzles and riddles

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Nov 23,2024

Many people may look with negativity on the darker November evenings but not me! With the darkness comes mystery - and is there anything more exciting than figuring out a seemingly unsolvable riddle?

This month, our friends at the We Love Books podcast have another laugh-a-minute episode for listeners. Our Reading Heroes return with more bookish chat and author Alan Nolan talks about writing mysteries, high jinks in historical Dublin and his fantastic series on the adventures of young Bram Stoker and Molly Malone.

Listen to We Love Books up top, subscibe here or wherever you get your podcasts. There's book chat, author interviews, news, reviews, competitions and more!

Priya Mistry and the Paw Prints Puzzle by Babita Sharma, illustrated by Ali Pye, Orchard Books, 32PP, ISBN 9781408366381

Priya Mistry is your local corner shop super sleuth, and she’s onto something! Join her as she follows the trail of pawprint clues that lead through her parents’ shop. What will she find at the other end? Fairies? Dinosaurs? It’s a mystery alright, and she’s the girl to crack the case. The illustrations are vibrant and colourful, inviting the reader to peruse them as they bring a sense of childish wonder and excitement to shelves of tinned peas and toilet paper. (Age 2–4)

Bertha and Blink: Rumble in the Jungle by Nicola Colton, Little Tiger, 96PP, ISBN 978178895643

When a friend steals one of her inventions, Bertha moves to the jungle far away from everyone. Continuing to invent on her own, when mysterious noises start to shake her treehouse, Bertha decides to investigate with the help of her new robot Blink. Full of colourful images and inventions with funny names, Bertha’s nervousness to try new things is handled well within the plot, making the story helpful for children who are anxious or shy. Great companions for younger children who are starting to read on their own. (Age 5–7)

Watts & Whiskerton: Buried Bones and Troublesome Treasure by Meg McLaren, Piccadilly Press, 128pp, ISBN 9781800786592

This is a lively and engaging adventure story featuring a dynamic duo – Watts is a curious but anxious pup from a family of globe-trotting detectives, and Pearl Whiskerton, is a smart and precocious kitten with a love for mysteries. Luckily for Pearl there are mysteries aplenty to be solved as the two set out to investigate a series of strange goings-on at Whiskerton Manor. The illustrations are full of detail; we see pages from Watts’ notebooks, zoomed in details, and text boxes giving backstories, all of which contribute to the atmosphere of the book. This is a great introduction to chapter books for younger readers, especially to read with adult help. The pay-off is an enjoyable read for children and grown-ups alike. (Age 5-7)

Beanie the Bansheenie by Eoin Colfer, illustrated by Steve McCarthy, Walker Books, 64pp, ISBN 9781529513172

Baby bansheenies must bond with a human to foretell their death in the future. But when Beanie meets Rose, her person, she finds it tricky to get her banshee’s howl of doom to work – what she’d really like is to protect Rose and her family instead … The story, while rooted in Irish folklore, is beaming with quirky originality. If there is one thing more delightful than the cover of this book, it’s the names featured on the front. With Colfer and McCarthy being two heavy-hitting names on the Irish children’s books scene, straight away you know you’re in good hands.

Beanie the Bansheenie takes a dark area of Irish folklore and adapts into an almost Coraline-esque fantasy that will enthral readers of any age (adults included!). There is a whole lot of story here, and it must be said that never has an Irish dancing costume looked so rock 'n' roll! – more of that, please! (Age 5–7, 8–10)

Freya’s Gold by Fiona Longmuir, Nosy Crow, 256PP, ISBN 9781805130970

Freya and her best friend Lin are always looking for treasure on the beach in Edge, their sleepy seaside town. Little do they realise that their treasure hunting is about to become more real, more dangerous, and more necessary for their town’s survival. Enter a new ghostly friend and a sinister, untrustworthy guest at Granny Kate’s B&B, and you’ve got a tale rich in contemporary portrayals of loyalty, friendship and strong community, all woven with a fantastic puzzle-solving romp for lost treasure. A sharp-edged adventure with a soft heart at its centre. (Age 10–12)

Molly Malone & Bram Stoker: The Riddle of the Disappearing Dickens by Alan Nolan, The O’Brien Press, 256PP, ISBN 9781788495028

This whodunnit is a deft mix of history, cultural references, social commentary and a whole lot of fun. Set in Dublin and London with a cast of many, it is a glorious celebration of even the stinkiest aspects of city living in Victorian times. Peppered with the worst (and therefore the best) dad jokes and puns, the rich language adds to the entertainment – especially the Cockney rhyming slang! Readers can add 'lanky gob-daw’ and ‘dimber-damber’ to their personal arsenal of insults. A fantastic read. (Age 10–12)

Ruth Concannon is the Publications Officer for Children's Books Ireland, the national charity and arts organisation that champions every child’s right to develop a love of reading.

Their mission is to inspire a love of reading in children and young people in Ireland, to share their expertise and enthusiasm with the adults who guide and influence them, to champion every child’s right to excellent books and live literature events and support the artists who make that goal possible across the island of Ireland.

Go to www.childrensbooksireland.ie for more about great books.