Siobhan Parkinson – författare

A witty short story from the collection, BEYOND THE STARS, written and illustrated by two Irish talents in children’s fiction todayThe first great snowfall of winter and Brian and his friends can’t contain their excitement. They rush out to play in this magical new world before the daylight fades. Noticing a glistening above them, the children see the snow-laden boughs of the trees are dripping in icicles, each one dressed in a ribbony wisp of gold. `Ice fairies…’ Brian breathes in wonder.Trying to get a closer look, no one is sure whether or not the fairies are real, and as delicate white flakes start falling from the sky, they are soon distracted from finding out by throwing snowballs and having fun. Will anyone remember about the fairies, hanging silently from the trees? Or notice a mysterious old man sitting on a bench, trailing golden ribbon from his pocket…A magical and imaginative tale brought to life by beautiful illustrations.Look out for the other eleven stories, also available as e-shorts!

Aspiring writer, Mags Clarke has just moved with her mother to a new area after the death of her father. One day she stumbles across a girl who appears to be floating above the trees while playing her violin in the woods. Mags, clever, funny and opinionated, usually has her feet firmly on the ground so she's not sure that she and this girl are going to get on, but an unlikely friendship develops.

To Hal, Fridays are blue, and tangy, like blue lemon sherbert. Olivia thinks he's crazy. Friday is just Friday, isn't it? Olivia is pretty sure that Hal's mysterious plan to get rid of his not-quite-stepfather, Alec, is even weirder. But things don't go quite as either Hal or Olivia expect. Maybe the real problem is even closer to home than anyone ever imagined . . .This gorgeously written voyage of self-discovery will entrance boys and girls aged 9+.

Jake likes thinking, talking, football and encyclopedias. And fish. But he's not so sure about everything else - especially girls, or little sisters, or stepdads. And most of all, he's not sure if he really likes himself.Then Jake meets a girl called Stella and old Mrs Kennedy next door, and he begins to find that he likes a lot more things than he thought. After all, as Mrs Kennedy says: Life isn't a bowl of cherries, but a bowl of cherries is still a bowl of cherries. But it takes a tragedy to force Jake to look at himself and see that, really, he isn't so bad after all.

Cuireann Amy sios ar eachtrai an tsaoil ina dialann phearsanta Oscail agus scaoilfear an run.An chead saothar Gaeilge ag an udar mor-rachairte seo. Oiriunach do dheagoiri oga. (Aois 12-15) / Amy Ni Chonchuir's imagination goes to town as she writes in her secret diary, trying to capture all the drama of life in the city around her. But Amy's diary proves to be a Pandora's Box full of more than the usual teenage secrets... revealing, in fact, a world of crime... First book in Irish from this best-selling author. (Ages 12-15)

Cuireann Amy sios ar eachtrai an tsaoil ina dialann phearsanta Oscail agus scaoilfear an run.An chead saothar Gaeilge ag an udar mor-rachairte seo. Oiriunach do dheagoiri oga. (Aois 12-15) / Amy Ni Chonchuir's imagination goes to town as she writes in her secret diary, trying to capture all the drama of life in the city around her. But Amy's diary proves to be a Pandora's Box full of more than the usual teenage secrets... revealing, in fact, a world of crime... First book in Irish from this best-selling author. (Ages 12-15)

In this novel in the Irish language, Mara celebrates her thirteenth birthday. Her mother, however, gives her a present of Matrioshka dolls from Russia, more a gift for a younger girl - and even then, one of the dolls is missing. When Mara and her friend Dorota go in search of the missing doll they make some discoveries which Mara could not have imagined....NOTE: this book is written in the Irish language; there is no English language text.

Introduce young readers to the lives of twenty Irish feminists who rocked the system and reshaped history in this collection of illustrated essays.Discover the stories of twenty trailblazing women – past and present – who defied expectations, broke boundaries and transformed Irish society. From Queen Medb to Eileen Gray, from Constance Markievicz to Sonia O’Sullivan, learn about the lives of stateswomen, artists, writers, activists, athletes and rebels of every kind, and celebrate their courage, creativity, and the enduring power of their legacy.Written by multi–award-winning author Siobhán Parkinson – Ireland’s first Laureate na nÓg (Children’s Literature Laureate) – with a foreword by political activist and First Lady of Ireland, Sabina Higgins.“This book will inspire all its readers to play their part in creating a world that is fair, harmonious and equal.” — Sabina Higgins

This illustrated story book is a valuable tool to help children and families cope with miscarriage, stillbirth, perinatal death or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) with comfort and understanding. Matthew is excited about the new baby. But then, one day, something very sad happens. The doctor tells Matthew's mother that her baby isn't growing properly and it won't be strong enough to live outside her body. Matthew and his mother and father will always remember their baby. But as time goes by, they will not feel sad so often.Siobhán Parkinson, Ireland's first Laureate na nÓg (children's literature laureate), wrote this story from experience, to help her son cope with the loss of a baby. It was writing this book that she found her voice as a children's writer, a gift she credits to the baby she lost all those years ago.Created with compassion, this child-centred book offers families and practitioners a clear, age-appropriate way to talk about grief, remembrance and healing with young children.Featured in the US Children's Book Council 'Transformation' Reading List

Christmas is coming, and Evie can hardly wait. As she rehearses for the school play, decorates the tree, wraps presents, writes to Santa, she is wishing, wishing ...

Four very short stories about the everyday life of a little girl and her mum, by Ireland's first Children's Laureate.Alexandra’s adventures include changing her name, bedtime fears and a plaster disaster. In each story, Alexandra's mum helps her to learn about herself and the world by allowing her to make her own discoveries.These warm stories by Ireland’s first Children’s Laureate were originally broadcast on Ireland's state broadcaster, RTE, and are great for reading aloud to children. Gentle and lovely illustrations create a warm and loving atmosphere between Alexandra and her mum.

In this collection of illustrated stories for young children, we join Alexandra on four different adventures. First she wishes to change her name - Alexandra is so awfully long, you know - and finds that a different name can make you a different person altogether. In the Plaster Disaster, Alexandra doesn't follow the rules and ends up with a sore knee, but mum knows how to fix it (they always do!). Alexandra doesn't like getting her hair washed either - the water gets into her eyes and ears and mouth - so how can her mum change her mind? In the final tale, we bid good night to Alexandra and learn how she keeps away her fear of the dark with a little help from mum.