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Welcome
Welcometotheenchantingworldofstoriesandimaginationatthe Children'sBookFestivalinCountyMonaghan!Thismagicalevent, hostedinourlibraries,invitesyoungreaderstodiveintothedepths ofliteratureanddiscoverthejoysofreading.Withadiversearrayof authorsintheline-upthere'sachapterforeverychildtoexplore. Ourlibrarieswilltransformintogatewaystofarawaylands,where charactersleapoffthepagesandadventuresawaitaroundevery corner.Joinusforthiscelebrationofchildhoodwonderandthe writtenword,whereeverybookholdsanewadventureandevery visitsparksalifelongloveofreading.
Andforthosewhocan'tjoinusinperson,we'vegotyoucovered withavarietyofonlineworkshopsdesignedtosparkcreativityand aloveforreadinginchildrenofallages.
ThefestivalwillculminateinourannualBigBookQuiz,where knowledgeandwitwillberewardedwithachancetowina€200 bookvouchertoupdateyourclassroomlibrary.
Joinusforacelebrationofliteraturethatpromisestoleavelasting memoriesandaloveforreadingintheheartsofallwhoparticipate.
The Tower Ghost
NatashaMacA’Bhaird
Suitableforages9+
Wednesday2ndOctober Monaghan Library 10am,11:30am&1pm
Thursday3rdOctober CarrickmacrossLibrary 10am,11:30am&1pm
JoinauthorNatashaMaca’Bháirdforthisinteractiveeventfor youngreaders.
Discoverthejourneyfromyoungbookwormtopublishedauthor andtipsforaspiringwriters
Theinspirationbehindthestoryandhowanideabecomesabook CanYOUbeadetective?HelpNatashaexamineclues,interview suspectsandsolveamystery!
Q&AsessionwhereNatashawilldoherbesttoanswerallyour questions
NatashaMaca’Bháirdisafreelancewriterand editorandhaswrittentwelvebooksfor children,includingtheStarClubseries,two titlesintheGreatIrishSportsStarsseriesand ReindeerDown.ThiswillbeNatasha’sfirstvisit toMonaghanCountyLibrariesandwecan’t waittowelcomeher.
TheGreat Irish Politics Book
DavidMcCullagh
Suitableforages10-12
Friday4thOctober CarrickmacrossLibrary 10am,11:30am&1pm
JoinpoliticalbuffDavidMcCullaghasheguidesyouthroughallthe thingsthatmakeourcountrywork.Whydowehaveapresident andaTaoiseach?WhatistheSeanadandwhycanonlysome citizensvoteinitselections?WhomakestherulesforIrelandand howaretheyenforced?Andwhatdowedoifwewanttochange them?
Learnwhatitmeanstobeacitizenandthepositiveroleyoucan playbyhelpingothers,protectingwhatworksandcreatingchange intheworldyoulivein.
DavidMcCullaghisananchoronRTÉNews:Six OneandtheformerPoliticalCorrespondent.He istheauthoroftheacclaimedbooksThe ReluctantTaoiseach,DeValeraRiseandDe ValeraRule.
Haveyou seenthe Dublin Vampire?
ÚnaWoods
Suitableforages4-9
Monday7thOctober CastleblayneyLibrary 10am,11:30am&1pm
Tuesday8thOctober ClonesLibrary 10am,11:30am&1pm
JoinÚnaforsomespookystorytellingasshereadsfromherbooks ‘HaveyouseentheDublinvampire’and‘ASpooktacularplaceto be’. Shewillthenshowyoutheprocessofhowshemakesher books,hercharacterdesignsandStoryboards.
Youwillthengettodesignyourownspookycharacterforastory youwouldliketolike.
ÚnaWoodsisanillustratorandauthorwho livesinDublin.Shelovesmakingillustrationsfor children,andherworkhasbeenpublishedin books,magazinesandwebsites.Sheloves workingwithbrightcoloursandpatternsinher illustrations.ShegrewupinClontarf,veryclose towhereBramStokerwasborn.
50Ways into Football
DanFreedman
Suitableforages9+
Wednesday9thOctober Online 1:30pm
Fromthearchitectthatdesignsstadia,tothepilotwhofliesthe playersaroundtheworld,throughtothecommentatorwho describesthebeautifulgame,allthedifferentoptionsarethere.And thosearejustthree!
DanFreedmanhasspokento50trailblazingpeopleworkingin footballwhodescribewhattheirjobentails,howtheygotthereand whatadvicetheyhaveforanyonethatwouldliketofollowintheir footsteps.
Beforebecominganauthor,Danwasmanaging editorforTheFootballAssociation. Hehas interviewedthelikesofMessiandRonaldoand travelledtotwoWorldCupsasthefirst-everinhousejournalisttobeembeddedwiththe EnglandTeam.
The Journey ofFamine Girls
NicolaPierce
Suitableforages8+
Thursday10thOctober MonaghanLibrary 10am,11:30am&1pm
Friday11thOctober ClonesLibrary 10am,11:30am&1pm
In1849,theThomasArbuthnotsetsailforAustralia. Onboardwere194 Irishgirls. MaggieandSarahareontheirwaytoAustralia.Theirhomes andtheirliveshavebeendevastatedbyfamine,withdeathcomingto somany.Evenwhentheysoughtrefugeintheworkhousetheyfound horrorandheartbreakthere.
Whenthegirlsaregiventhechanceofanewlifeontheothersideof theworld,theyknowtheyhavetosayyes–nomattertheprice.On boardship,theyarecaughtinbetweenworlds.Howwilltheyfindthe courageandstrengthtobuildnewlivesinastrangeland?
NicolaPiercehaswrittenseveralchildren's fictionbooksbasedonhistoricalfact. Children willbeengrossedbyhergenuinepassionfor thecharactersandthehistoricalbackgrounds fromwhichtheycome. cityofStalingrad duringWorldWarII.
Folklore Friends
NiamhDonnellan &BrianFitzgerald
Suitableforages4-8
Monday14thOctober Carrickmacross Library 10am,11:30am&1pm
Tuesday15thOctober MonaghanLibrary 10am,11:30am&1pm
Getreadytomeeteveryone’sfavouritecreaturesfromIrishfolklore, allusingtheirpowersinunexpectedways.Inthischarmingly illustratedcollectionofrhymingstoriesthesenaughtylittlefaries, púcasandwispslearntoturnfrownsupsidedownandgofrom frighteningtofun!
JoinLiamtheLeprechaun,BettytheBansheeandPádraigthePúca; WillowtheWisp,FiadhtheFairyandSeántheSelkieforlotsof giggles.
NiamhDonnellanisfromCo.Meath. Shewon theAnthologyShortStoryCompetitionin2020. Thisisherdebutpicturebookbutthere’smore tocome!
BrianFitzgeraldisanaward-winning,Irish illustratorwholivesandworksintheharbour townofDúnLaoghaire.
EmmaMurphy Special likeyou
Storysessionssuitableforages4-9
Wednesday16thOctober
ClonesLibrary 110am,11:30am&1pm
Joinourmagicalfriendthesnail,andhisteamofinsectsandtheydo theirparttoensureourgardensandgreeneryremainhealthyand strong! Evenastheyfaceuntolddangers,bothnaturalandhuman, Snailandhisfriendsdotheirpartforourecosystemandtheplanet. Discovertheirhiddensecretsinthischarming,informativebookfor youngreaders.
AfterlisteningtothestoryandhavingashortQ&A,wewillengage withafunworkshop–wherewecancelebratetheseminimarvels evenfurtherandexploresomecoolwaystohelpthemto‘THRIVEand STAYALIVE’.
EmmaMurphyspentthelast20yearsteaching inIrelandandUKhavingtrainedinMontessori EducationinSt.NicholasCollege,Dublin.She nowlivesandworksinIreland,whereshelives withherhusbandandtwochildren.
Children’sBookFestival2024
Scéalaíocht agus Staire
CarmelUíCheallaigh
Storysessionssuitableforages4-7
Historyworkshopsuitableforages8+
Thursday17thOctober
CastleblayneyLibrary 110am&11:30am(Scéalaíocht) 1pm:IrishHistoryTalk(AsGaeilge)
Themulti-talentedCarmelUíCheallaighwillbejoiningus forforanumberofsessionsacrosstheday. MorningsessionswillconsistofStories&activitiesas gaeilgewhiletheafterlunchslotwillfocusonIrishHistory randwill bemostsuitableforages8+.
CarmelhasworkedasalibrarianinDún Laoghaireformanyyearsandusesthis expertisetorecommendsuitablereading materialforallages.Shehasaspecialinterest inreluctantreaders.
Hercules: Asortof Hero
TomVaughan
Suitableforages8+
Friday18thOctober
Online
11:30am
IfHerculesBraverisgoingtosurvivehisnewschool,hehastoliveup tohisname,fast.Heneedstobecomestrongandtannedand popular,likeaGreekhero.Notweakandpaleandunpopular,likea Greekyoghurt.
Buthisbidforpopularityendsupsaddlinghimwithasetofimpossible tasks...likecleaningoutthemonster-riddledschoolpond,facingupto theschoolbullyandfindingtheheadmaster'smissingcat. ThenHerc'scharming,impressivebirthdadturnsupafteryearsliving inGreece,andHerculesthinkshisproblemsaresolved.WithGod-like strengthandawe-inspiringpowers,couldhisdadeven be...thereal Zeus?!AndwillHerculeslearnwhatittrulymeanstobeahero?
TomVaughanisaChildren’sauthor. He usedtobeajournalistandTVproducer butmuchpreferstospendhistimewriting funnybooks. HelivesinYorkshirewithhis wifeandtwosmallunemployedpeople, alsoknownashischildren.
ADraw Along Adventure
Suitableforages4-8 GerryDaly
Diveintothedepthsoftheoceanwith"Finn'sFirstSong,"wherewe'll explorethemagicalsongsofwhales,andyou'llevenlearntomimic themajestichumpbackwhale'scall.Sharpenyourpencilsandget readytodrawFinnstepbystepasourstoryunfolds.Then,soarto newheightswith"Puffling'sAdventures,"meetingthecharming Pufflinganddiscoveringthelifeofpuffinsthroughanengaging storyreadinganddrawingsession.Bringyourcuriosityand questions,aswe'llwrapupwithaQ&A.
Tuesday22ndOctober MonaghanLibrary 10am,11:30am&1pm GerryDalyisanillustratorandauthor. Helives andworksbythesea. Heisinspiredbythe naturalworldandthiscomesacrossinhis stories. Helovesbringinghisworktolibraries andwe’redelightedheiscomingtoours..
Children’sBookFestival2024
Sensational Sci-Fi
AlaistairChislom
Suitableforages8+
Thursday24thOctober Online
11:30am
ClimatecatastropheleavesthepeopleofEarthfightingforoxygenin thisgrippingdystopianthrillerfrombestsellingsci-fiauthorAlastair Chisholm.
JoinAlaistairforaneventfor8+,wherehe'llbechattingaboutthe book,andabouthowinventionscantransformtheworld!He'lltest yourknowledgeaboutweirdandwonderfultechnologicalmarvels, introduceyoutohisInventorAssistant,andtogetherwe'llcreateanew HUMANINVENTIONanddiscusswhathebelievesisthegreatest inventionofalltime…
Socomealong,learnabouttheworldofREEK,getyourcreativeand inventiveskillsracing,andwhoknows–maybeyourinventioncould changethefuture!
Alaistairisachildren’sauthorofpicture booksandmiddle-grade(9-12)science fiction.HisfirstNovel,OrionLost,was selectedasTheTimesChildren’sBookof theWeek.
Twin Power
EmmaLarkin
Suitablefor3rd-5thClass
Friday25thOctober
CastleblayneyLibrary
10am,11:30am&1pm
“WillyoupleasecomebackandplayfortheclubAoife?”.Aidanasks histwinsisterthisquestioneveryweek.Twins,AoifeandAidanPower, alongwiththeirfourbestfriendsloveplayingGaelicfootball.They spendmosteveningsafterschoolplayingfootballinthegreenintheir picturesqueruralvillageof“DroicheadBeag”.AoifeandAidanare skilfulandfastbutwhentheycombineonthesameteam,“Twin Power”isunleashedandtheyhaveanalmosttelepathic communicationonthepitch,leadingtosomespectacularscores.
JoinAuthorEmmaLarkinasshetalksabouttheinspirationforher books,equalityinsportandhelpherplatastoryusingpositionsona Gaelicfootballpitch.
EMMALARKINistheauthorofthe‘Izzy’s MagicalAdventuresinSport’series.Sheis originallyfromCork,butnowlivesinKerry withherhusbandandfourchildren.
Big Book Quiz
Friday, 25th October 11:30am
The whole Classroom can work together as a team for this online, multiple choice, quiz extravaganza! Registration required. Email libraryactivities@monaghancoco.ie Winners will receive a €200 book voucher for the school.