Harp of Power

Alex Dunne spends her time dreaming up magical tales and drinking far too much tea. Her first book, The Book of Secrets, won the Eilís Dillon Award for best debut in the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards 2023 and was nominated for the Yoto Carnegie Medal For Writing. The Harp of Power, the second Cat and Shane adventure, is also published by The O’Brien Press. You can follow Alex on alexdunne.comShona Shirley Macdonald is an award-winning illustrator/author, originally from Scotland and now living by the sea in County Waterford. She studied stop-motion animation at Edinburgh College of Art, and now works mainly on children’s books. Her debut picture book The Pooka Party was selected for the IBBY International Honours List, and nominated for a CBI Award, Irish Book Award and LAI Award. Her illustrated titles include An Féileacán agus an Rí written by Máire Zepf, which won the Gradam Réics Carló, and The Moon Spun Round: W.B. Yeats for Children, edited by Noreen Doody. Her work has been exhibited throughout Ireland in both solo and group shows, and internationally at the Bratislava Illustration Biennial.

Lovers of Irish fairylore should try The Book of Secrets (age 9–12) by Alex Dunne. Set in contemporary Ireland at Halloween … Alex Dunne has created a sense of mystery and suspense in her debut novel, The Book of Secrets. Her descriptive language paints a clear picture of the town of Clonbridge, which comes alive at night when the fairies seamlessly drift into town to prepare for a celebration which coincides with Halloween. Cat and her friends, unaware of the supernatural mischief, spend the last day of school before midterm sharing scary stories and Halloween plans, although Cat is reluctant to share her secret that she has the 'sight’ … When fairy magic creates mayhem for her family, Cat has to unravel riddles and save her loved ones with the help of a true friend. A fast-paced quest steeped in the lore of fairies and magic, but also touching on serious themes such as death, family breakups, and the loss of adolescent friendships. The richness of Irish magic and folklore beautifully woven within the narrative adds a sense uniqueness to the novel which will particularly appeal to an Irish audience