Classroom Novels recommended for 8yrs+
Contact your local library to request the title you are looking for. We would encourage teacher's to browse the catalogue for alternative titles also in case your first choice is already on loan. Contact details and open hours for your local library can be viewed here.
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Fiona Buckley wrote this book on her summer holidays at age 12yrs. The story is set during the famine in Ireland, it is such an inspirational story, Fiona's teacher sent it to Emu Ink where it was soon published.
It's 1845 in Ireland and Mary, a typical young girl who loves nothing more than spending time with her family, and her friends in the local hedge school, is devastated when her world is turned up-side-down by the potato blight, neighbours and friends fall foul of dreaded disease. Mary is forced to work and make ends meet but the family are split up, all going to different workhouses for food and shelter. Mary longs to reunite her family and live happily ever after....Their only hope? Granda's gold... |
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Will's brother Marty is always playing practical jokes. But when he tells the bloodcurdling story of the cutthroat pirate Captain Crow, Will is terrified. Is it another one of Marty's tricks, or could Captain Crow's ghost really be out to get him?
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Will has four brothers and it's chaos in his house! If he's not being teased by his big brother Marty, he has to deal with the terrible, three-headed bundle of cuteness that is his three younger brothers. Even worse, his mother has the brilliant idea of packing Will and Marty off to the library during the holidays. She just doesn't understand! Not only is the library no fun, it's also the habitat of the legendary librarian Spud Murphy. If you put a foot wrong, it's rumoured she will use her dreaded gas-powered spud gun and you don't want that. Just ask Ugly Frank how he got his nickname! Eventually Will and Marty discover a love of books and that Mrs Murphy isn't so bad after all!
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Noah's dream is to become a professional footballer and the School's World Cup qualifying tournament might just be his ticket to getting signed up. He's definitely the best player in school but when he's banned from the team for a fight he didn't start, all Noah's dreams come crashing down. With the help of his best friend Stevie and some very unlikely new teammates, Noah is determined to make it - even if that does mean playing for St Mary's School for Girls!
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Jacques Papier thinks that everyone hates him. After all, teachers ignore him when he raises his hand in class, nobody ever picks him for sports teams, and his sister, Fleur, keeps having to remind their parents to set a place for him at the dinner table. But then Jacques discovers an uncomfortable truth: He is NOT Fleur's brother; he's her imaginary friend! And so begins Jacques' quest for identity ... what do you do when you realise that the only reason you exist is because of someone else's imagination? The whimsical "autobiography" of an imaginary friend who doesn't know he's imaginary.
Matilda is a brilliant and sensitive child, but her parents think of her only as a nuisance. Even before she is five years old, she has read Dickens and Hemingway and still her parents think of her as a pest. So she decides to get back at them. Her platinum-haired mother and car salesman father are no match for her sharp genius, and neither is the cruel headmistress Miss Trunchbull. And then she - a child prodigy - discovers she has an extraordinary psychic power that can save her school and especially the lovely kindergarten
An enormous escaped rhinoceros from London Zoo has eaten James' parents. And it gets worse! James is packed off to live with his two really horrible aunts, Sponge and Spiker. Poor James is miserable, until something peculiar happens and James finds himself on the most wonderful and extraordinary journey he could ever imagine..
Danny thinks his dad is the most marvellous and exciting father a boy could wish for. Life is happy and peaceful in their gipsy caravan, until one day Danny discovers his dad has been breaking the law. What's more, soon Danny has to join his father as they attempt to pull off a daring and devilish plot against their horrible, greedy neighbour, Mr Victor Hazell.
"The Witches" by Roald Dahl has made many a child quiver with fear and delight! Witches really are a detestable breed. They disguise themselves as lovely ladies, when secretly they want to squish and squelch all the wretched children they despise. Luckily one boy and his grandmother know how to recognize these vile creatures - but can they get rid of them for good? ".
'Human beans is not really believing in giants, is they? Human beans is not thinking we exist.' On a dark, silvery moonlit night, Sophie is snatched from her bed by a giant. Luckily it is the Big Friendly Giant, the BFG, who only eats snozzcumbers and glugs frobscottle. But there are other giants in Giant Country. Fifty foot brutes who gallop far and wide every night to find human beans to eat. Can Sophie and her friend the BFG stop them?
George Kranky's Grandma is a miserable grouch. George really hates that horrid old witchy woman. One Saturday morning, George is in charge of giving Grandma her medicine. So-ho! Ah-ha! Ho-hum! George knows exactly what to do. A magic medicine it will be. One that will either cure her completely...or blow off the top of her head.
The magical story of the adventures of a lost toy rabbit from a New York Times bestselling author, twice winner of the Newbery Medal. Abilene loves her blue china rabbit, but Edward Tulane is extremely vain and only loves himself. On a voyage from New York to London, Edward falls overboard and from there finds himself on an amazing journey. He travels with tramps, works as a scarecrow, comforts a dying child ...and finally learns what it is to truly love.
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This edition includes The Giggler Treatment, Rover Saves Christmas and The Meanwhile Adventures. Join Rover the wonder-dog and the eccentric but lovable Mack family as they get into one madcap adventure after the other! The poo is about to hit the shoe. Riotously funny and packed full of bizarre humour and imagination.
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The earth has shifted on its axis and a mysterious dark mark has appeared on the sun - the whole world is in peril! But billionaire tech genius Howard Hansom has a plan. When Grian's sister goes missing he's convinced she has run off to Hansom's new city to help save the world. But when Grian and his two friends Jeffrey and Shelli track her there they find that nothing is quite as it seems. Why is everything so secret? Where is the mysterious Area 13? What does Howard Hansom want with all the people he has enticed to live in his city? The days are getting darker but what's really happening to the sun?
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An action adventure set in winter, starring two hungry young foxes called Misty and Ash. Misty and Ash are two young foxes, and they’re determined to get food for their family. But they also have to out-fox an ugly hound called Raptor, and his nasty scheming owners, the MacLugs. Can they do it? Fast, furious and warmly humorous, good readers & reluctant readers will enjoy this tale.
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The war in Troy has been raging for ten long years. Areon, Nesa and Osban can no longer remember the world outside the Great Wall. When an opportunity arises to explore this forgotten world they decide to take it. It is a decision they may regret for a long time to come. The world outside this is a world of deadly danger. Once they have set foot there.......they may never Return to Troy.
Accompanying activity book available to loan. |
Boggle hats are the latest thing. Everybody at school wants one - but only Lola, expert parent-nagger, actually has one. So she decides to form a club to show the other children how best to nag their parents into buying them one.
Tactics range from the "Oh, please, please, please" Nag to the Huffy Nag and the Blazing Tantrum.
But when the children try out some of these nags, they get mixed results - and discover that the best way of all is either just to be pleasant and polite and say please, or even earn a bit of money and buy one for themselves!
Tactics range from the "Oh, please, please, please" Nag to the Huffy Nag and the Blazing Tantrum.
But when the children try out some of these nags, they get mixed results - and discover that the best way of all is either just to be pleasant and polite and say please, or even earn a bit of money and buy one for themselves!
Until the angel came, Penny, Mark and Marigold were bitterly unhappy. 'Fat.' 'Freak.' 'Smelly.' Barry Hunter was bullying them and everyone at Nitshill Road School knew it. But the angel brings a clever solution. Life at school is going to be very different from now on.
A lively fast read, entertaining and thought provoking. Anne Fine has a rare genius for building a funny, enriching and moving story around the nuts and bolts of school life.
A lively fast read, entertaining and thought provoking. Anne Fine has a rare genius for building a funny, enriching and moving story around the nuts and bolts of school life.
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This is the first in a new series of Cass and the Bubble Street Gang books. Do you want to know a secret? Well, I can’t tell you. So begins The Clubhouse Mystery, a lively and funny book centred around Cass and her friends Lex and Nicholas. Together they comprise the Bubble Street Gang, a secret society named after the road on which they live (which is actually called Berbel Street, but who wants to me a member of the Berbel Street Gang?). When mini muffins begin to disappear from their secret clubhouse, and incriminating crumbs are left behind, the gang set about discovering who, exactly, has been invading their private hideaway.
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When toy robot, Boot, wakes up at a scrapyard, it has no idea how it got there and why it isn't with its owner, Beth. It only has two and a half glitchy memories, but it knows it was loved, which means something important to humans. Boot soon realises its emotions make it different to other robots, who just function and don't think. Boot is scared but tries to be brave, which is hard when its screen keeps showing a wobbly, worried face. Luckily Boot meets Noke and Red - other 'advanced' robots who have learned to survive in secret. With its new friends by its side, Boot is determined to find Beth and the gang set off on a dangerous adventure. Everything Boot thought it knew about the world is changing and things aren't as simple as it remembers . . . Boot is a story that will take you by surprise and make you think about the world around you.
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The Super Energy Activists Ireland are four kids (and one dog) who are Super Focused on finding out about sustainable energy and Super Energised about protecting the environment. Unfortunately their arch-nemesis Max Siphon and his gullible sidekick Guzzler seem to be Super Set on being Super Wasteful! Can SEAI kids foil Max's odious energy wasting plans? This book is devised and published by Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).
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Moving to a new area and a new school, Louis is horrified to discover his parents changing into ultra-competitive parents, wanting him and his younger brother to get straight ‘A’s at school and join all sorts of after-school clubs and activities like the other kids in the area. Suddenly Louis's life is no longer his own - until he meets Maddy, who claims to have trained her parents to ignore her- But does Louis really want to be ignored? A truly contemporary tale with characters kids will recognize instantly!
Uncle Ginger sets up a treasure-hunt for his niece Harmony, but the prize is just an old fifty-pence piece. It looks like any other coin. But is it?
The coin is a magic one, and when you rub the Queen’s Nose your wishes come true . . . if you believe in magic, that is!
The coin is a magic one, and when you rub the Queen’s Nose your wishes come true . . . if you believe in magic, that is!
The first in Caroline Lawrence's internationally bestselling Roman Mysteries series, re-issued with a fantastic new cover look. Flavia Gemina is a natural at solving mysteries. The daughter of a ship's captain living in Ostia, the port of Rome, in AD79, she and her three friends, Jonathan, a Jewish boy (and secretly a Christian); Nubia, an African slave girl; and Lupus, a mute beggar boy, must work together to discover who is beheading the watchdogs that guard people's homes, and why.
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'If you look back over Irish history, you will probably find no other person who made such an impact as O'Connell. At a time when the people were downtrodden he raised them and showed them how to defeat their conquerors...he showed the power of the people when they speak with one voice. O'Connell is one of the most significant of Irish politicians. An innovator of democratic politics and a believer in the path of peace. Long given a secondary role in the story of Irish freedom, this short biography will open up this fascinating figure to younger readers.
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Since it sank on a cold April night in 1912 the Titanic has held a special mystery and fascination. It is the most famous sea tragedy, in which over 1500 lives were lost. This new book explains this most famous sea tragedy to young readers. The description of the voyage from Europe to the USA, the collision with the iceberg, and the sinking, focus on the passengers and crew, survivors and doomed alike, their heroism and their bravery or cowardice. The rescue efforts and aftermath of the tragedy, and the finding of the wreck in the 1980s, are also included.
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When the farm cat warns Runtling the pig of his approaching fate, he realises that the trip to market is one which he must avoid at all costs and he rushes off to warn his long-lost siblings of the danger. Together the thirteen pigs escape and make their way across country, learning all sorts of new things about themselves, about humans and about the world outside the farmyard. It seems that their troubles are over when they find an abandoned farm. Then the new owners take possession of their land and the pigs fear that their escape has been in vain. But Nick and Polly Faraway have strange, alternative ideas about farming and a lifestyle which may work to the benefit of pigs and humans. Maybe there can be a happy ending after all!
When Michael is washed up on an island in the Pacific after falling from his parent's yacht, the Peggy Sue, he struggles to survive on his own. But he soon realises there is someone close by, someone who is watching over him and helping him to stay alive. Following a close-run battle between life and death after being stung by a poisonous jelly fish, the mysterious someone--Kensuke--allows Michael into his world and they become friends, teaching and learning from each other, until the day of separation becomes inevitable.
A lyrical and moving tale of a young boy growing up in Africa, and his lifelong friendship with a white lion. "All my life I'll think of you, I promise I will. I won't ever forget you." Bertie rescues an orphaned white lion cub from the African veld. They are inseparable until Bertie is sent to boarding school far away in England and the lion is sold to a circus. Bertie swears that one day they will see one another again, but it is the butterfly lion which ensures that their friendship will never be forgotten.
Kaspar the cat first came to the Savoy Hotel in a basket - Johnny Trott knows, because he was the one who carried him in. Johnny was a bell-boy, you see, and he carried all of Countess Kandinsky's things to her room. But Johnny didn't expect to end up with Kaspar on his hands forever, and nor did he count on making friends with Lizzie beth, a spirited American heiress. Pretty soon, events are set in motion that will take Johnny - and Kaspar - all around the world, surviving theft, shipwreck and rooftop rescues along the way. Because everything changes with a cat like Kaspar around. After all, he's Prince Kaspar Kandinsky, Prince of Cats, a Muscovite, a Londoner and a New Yorker, and as far as anyone knows, the only cat to survive the sinking of the Titanic...
The bag wasn't just drifting gently along, it was turning of it's own accord. There was something inside it, squeaking and squealing in terror. Patrick didn't think about it. He shrugged off his school bag and leaped into the canal. For Best Mate, being rescued from drowning as a young puppy is only the start of his adventures. From unwanted burden to favourite companion, and from pet to champion race dog, this remarkable greyhound proves that it's not just cats who have more than one life. Cast aside, kidnapped, adopted or living rough on the streets, Best Mate can always find a way to survive. But will he ever find a real home?
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Easter 1916. The Great War rages in Europe with two hundred thousand Irishmen fighting in the British Army. But a small group of Irish nationalists refuse to fight for Britain and strike a blow for Irish freedom. Caught up in the action in Dublin, is twelve-year-old Molly O'Donovan. Her own family is plunged into danger on both sides of the conflict. Her father, a technical officer with the Post Office dodges the crossfire as he tries to restore the telegraph lines while her wayward brother runs messages for the rebels. Molly a trained First Aider, risks her own safety to help the wounded on both sides. As violence and looting erupts in the streets of Dublin alongside heroism and high ideals, Molly records it all. The Proclamation at the GPO, the battle of Mount Street, the arrival of the British Troops. But will Molly's own family survive and will she be able to save her brother? This is her diary.
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'How do you play every game?' yelled Mick. 'Like the All-Ireland Final!' cheered the whole dressing room. Danny Wilde wants one thing more than anything else in the world and that's to get his GAA team, Littlestown Crokes, to the top of the League. With the help of his dad, their coach, Mick, he knows they can win. Things go wrong, when Danny stays with his horrible uncle and aunt, who know nothing about GAA, can the Crokes can make it after all? Danny comes up with a brilliant plan, but needs a whole lot of help to make it work!
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A sequel to the story of Little Red Riding Hood, Wolfgran is a wonderfully irreverent take on the world of fairy tales. Granny has sold her house to the three little pigs and moved into the Happy- Ever-After Home for Retirement Characters from Fairy Tales. But the Big Bad Wolf is still on her trail! Disguised as a little old lady, the Wolf is causing mayhem as he prowls the city streets, swallowing anybody who gets in his way, including several very polite policemen. Hot on his case are Chief Inspector Plonker, who thinks he has a werewolf on his hands, Sergeant Snoop, who has to melt down his darts trophy to make silver bullets, and a very clever little girl guide in a red hood. But will they get to the wolf before he gets Granny? And who will let all those little old ladies out of their cells in time for bingo?
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Written by Kerry author, Tommy Frank O'Connor, this is a wonderful story about a small orphan girl, her two bird friends, and their fight to save the forest. Her fight changes her life and the lives of others more than she could ever have imagined.
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Tom Gates is the master of excuses for late homework: dog attacks; spilt water; and, lightning. Tom's exercise book is full of his doodles, cartoons and thoughts, as well as comments from his long-suffering teacher, Mr Fullerton. After gaining five merits for his "Camping Sucks" holiday story, Tom's work starts to go downhill - which is a pity, as he's desperate to impress Amy Porter, who sits next to him...
There has been a terrible mistake. Wayside School was supposed to have been built with thirty classrooms all next to each other in a row. Instead it was built with the thirty classrooms all on top of each other - thirty storeys high! That may be why all kinds of strange stuff happens at Wayside School. Especially on the thirtieth floor. It is a school full of unusual characters too. Mrs Gorf, the meanest teacher in the world. Terrible Todd who always gets sent home early. John who can only read upside down. It is a crazy mixed-up school, brilliantly brought to life by the irresistible Louis Sachar.
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Tom Crean was no ordinary man, and his chilling adventures in the Antarctic raise goosebumps in this stirring story of survival in extraordinary conditions. He saved comrades from drowning in frozen waters, and rescued others from freezing snow, whilst following his leaders - Captain Scott and Ernest Shackleton, the famous Polar explorers. Written by Crean's biographer who wrote the best-selling "An Unsung Hero", this is a boy's own story of courage, strength and determination sure to thrill any young reader.
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At sixteen, Irishman Ernest Shackleton left school, joined the navy and became a legendary explorer. His extraordinary adventures in the Antarctic have thrilled generations. Here, for the first time, a best-selling author on Polar exploration writes about Shackleton's gripping exploits especially for children. This inspiring story of Shackleton, whose men called him 'The Boss', involves four expeditions to the snow and ice of Antarctica over 20 years between 1901 and 1922. His adventures included a breath-taking march to within a few miles of the South Pole and the amazing saga of survival on the famous Endurance expedition.
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Mr Gum is a complete horror who hates children, animals, fun and corn on the cob. This book's all about him. And an angry fairy who lives in his bathtub. And Jake the dog, and a little girl called Polly and an evil, stinky butcher all covered in guts. And there's heroes and sweets and adventures and EVERYTHING. You're a Bad Man, Mr Gum! is the first book in the internationally best-selling series by Andy Stanton, which has won everything from the Blue Peter Book Award (twice) the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and the Red House Children's Book Award.
Trevor's mum has offered him £30 to walk the dog every day of the holidays. But Streaker is no ordinary dog, she's a rocket on four legs with a woof attached. Trevor's sure there must be a way to control her and Tina, his best friend, knows about training dogs. Their attempts involving such things as a pair of roller skates, a mobile phone and a bicycle, always lead to trouble. Horrid Charlie Smugg bets Trevor he can't train Streaker before the end of the holidays. But Trevor and Tina construct a dream plan and Charlie has to eat his words.
I liked playing trains with my dad when I was seven or eight. But I'm eleven now. Where's the excitement ...Where's my life?' Tim's family is the most boring family in the world and he's fed up. He wants fun! Thrills! Adventure! And school's just as boring too. But one day a phantom message about Tim appears and everything changes. Who is the day-glo scribbler - and what's so special about chickens anyway?
It all starts when Chloe makes friends with Mr Stink, the local tramp. Yes, he smells a bit. But when it looks like he might be driven out of town, Chloe decides to hide him in the garden shed. Now Chloe's got to make sure no one finds out her secret. And speaking of secrets, there just might be more to Mr Stink than meets the eye… or the nose.
The hotly-anticipated next novel from NUMBER ONE bestselling author, David Walliams Jack's Grandpa...*wears his slippers to the supermarket *serves up Spam a la Custard for dinner *and often doesn't remember Jack's name But he can still take to the skies in a speeding Spitfire and save the day...An exquisite portrait of the bond between a small boy and his beloved Grandpa - this book takes readers on an incredible journey with Spitfires over London and Great Escapes through the city in a high octane adventure full of comedy and heart
A hilarious, touching and extraordinary new fable from David Walliams, number one bestseller and one of the fastest growing children's author across the globe. Joe has a lot of reasons to be happy. About a billion of them, in fact. You see, Joe's rich. Really, really rich. Joe's got his own bowling alley, his own cinema, even his own butler who is also an orangutan. He's the wealthiest twelve-year-old in the land. Yes, Joe has absolutely everything he could possibly want. But there's just one thing he really needs: a friend...
Another hilarious and moving novel from David Walliams, number one bestseller and fastest growing children's author in the country. A story of prejudice and acceptance, funny lists and silly words, this new book has all the hallmarks of David's previous bestsellers. Our hero Ben is bored beyond belief after he is made to stay at his grandma's house. She's the boringest grandma ever: all she wants to do is to play Scrabble, and eat cabbage soup. But there are two things Ben doesn't know about his grandma. 1) She was once an international jewel thief. 2) All her life, she has been plotting to steal the Crown Jewels, and now she needs Ben's help...
From the bestselling author of Gangsta Granny and Demon Dentist comes another hilarious, action-packed and touching novel - the story of a little girl called Zoe. Things are not looking good for Zoe. Her stepmother Sheila is so lazy she gets Zoe to pick her nose for her. The school bully Tina Trotts makes her life a misery - mainly by flobbing on her head. And now the evil Burt from Burt's Burgers is after her pet rat! And guess what he wants to do with it? The clue is in the title...
Charlotte's Web is the classic children's story by E B White. The tale of how a little girl named Fern, with the help of a friendly spider, saved her pig Wilbur from the usual fate of nice fat little pigs.
Tim is thrilled when his parents allow his best friend Biscuits to come on holiday to Llanpistyll in Wales with them. He and Biscuits are having an absolutely brilliant time eating ice cream, having picnics and making sandcastles - until a Deadly Fiendish Enemy in the form of the bully Prickle-Head and his sidekick Pinch-Face arrive, and things begin to go wrong. The bullies tease Tim, kick down his sandcastle and pick on Biscuits, and before long Tim wonders whether it would be better to avoid the beach for a while and lie low. But Biscuits is determined to enjoy his holiday, and the chums soon find themselves in the middle of a Dire and Dangerous adventure. Luckily, help comes from a rather unexpected source and gives Tim the chance to become Super-Tim and save the day
From climbing & abseiling to canoeing and a Crazy Bucket Race, Tim's adventure holiday promises to be full of action. There's just one problem: he is hopeless at sports of any kind. Can Tim survive the horrors of a week absolutely packed with activity? Can his team - the Tigers - be the overall champions? There are some surprises in store for everyone!
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A mysterious circus is coming for the Writers' Week Festival, but something evil is coming in its wake. JayDogg, RosieRed and RayGunn find themselves in a desperate battle to save their town and the life they hold dear. A devilish fiend of old has returned to revenge himself on the people who forced him from the land so long before. Lucius Severin has brought The Othermen to wreak havoc on the inhabitants of the town. There will be a reckoning! Hope for Listowel lies in the hands of three young friends... This novel was written with children from local schools - Scoil Réalta na Maidine, Knockanure N.S. and Dromclough N.S.
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