The Irish Invented Halloween, so Where are Our Stories?

Una Woods – ‘Have You Seen the Dublin Vampire?’ (O’Brien Press) The Vampire wakes up as the sun’s going down. He hops on the ghost bus and rides into town. Have you seen the Dublin Vampire? A funny, warm picture book set throughout Dublin, home to Dracula’s creator, Bram Stoker.

NEW! Patricia Forde illustrated by Sarah Warburton – Letters to a Monster (Bloomsbury) Sophie knows that there is a monster hiding under her bed, so she decides to send him a letter, asking him to leave. As the letters fly back and forth, Sophie begins to wonder if Monster isn’t as scary as she thought. What if he’s the friend she’s been looking for?

Shona Shirley Macdonald – ‘The Pooka Party’ (O’Brien Press) The Pooka is a magical shapeshifter who lives in the mountains all alone. The Pooka realises that its lonely and decides to throw a big party and invite all of its friends – with hilarious results!

Marie Whelton léaráidí le Frank Endersby – Oíche Shamhna: Dán Gutha (An Gúm) Céard a dhéanfaidh tú Oíchea Shamhna? Conas a ghléasfaidh tú? An mbeidh tú i do thaibhse? An ngléasfaidh tú mar chailleach? Nó an mbeidh tú i do vaimpír? Ar an oíche is spraíúla sa bhliain, cabhróidh an dán gutha seo leat róil éagsúla a ghlacadh.

Eoin Colfer, illustrated by Steve McCarthy – ‘Beanie the Bansheenie’ (Walker Books) Beanie is no ordinary herald of death. When she sees ‘her person’, a little girl called Rose, she decides to change her own – and Rose’s – fate. Instead of delivering bad news, Beanie must create a brand-new sound and a new way of being in the world.

Niamh Donnellan illustrated by Brian Fitzgerald – Little Irish Folklore Friends (Gill Books) Join Pádraig the Púca, Fiadh the Fairy and Seán the Selkie for lots of bedtime giggles. This new twist on Irish folk legends, inspired by the National Folklore Collection, will delight a whole new generation of young readers.

Oliver Jeffers – ‘There’s a Ghost in This House’ (HarperCollins) A young girl lives in a haunted house but has never seen a ghost. Are they white with holes for eyes? Are they hard to see? She’d love to know! Turn the transparent pages to help her on an entertaining ghost hunt, from behind the sofa, right up to the attic.

NEW! Sinéad O’Hart illustrated by Una Woods – Ellora McGee Trainee Banshee: The New School (Gill Books) Ellora is nervous. How will her new classmates react when she tells them she’s a banshee? Then her Wail gives a warning – something’s up at her new school, and unless she and her friends work out what’s going on, it will shut down! As Ellora works to solve the puzzle, she realises that being a banshee might save the day! 

NEW! Leona Forde – Milly McCarthy and the Haunted House Hullabooloo! (Gill Books) Milly and her class are running a Halloween fundraiser – turning the local GAA club into a haunted house! But things aren’t quite spooky enough for Milly, so she plans some truly ghostly goings on…and causes chaos in the process!

Natasha Mac a’Bháird – The Tower Ghost: A Sycamore Hill Mystery (O’Brien Press) Clare is excited to start her first term at Sycamore Hill but something strange is going on. She and her friends see a face at the tower window and hear the sound of crying – could the school be haunted? And does it have anything to do with the mysterious death of a pupil years earlier? No one seems to want to answer their questions, but Clare and her friends are determined to investigate.

NEW! Dave Rudden illustrated by Ali Al Amine ‘Tales of Darkisle: Conn of the Dead’ (Gill Books) After one misadventure too many, 11-year-old Conn is sent home from school. His aunt Doireann takes him to her office in UCD’s National Folklore Collection. Intrigued by a case marked ‘hazardous’, he opens it to reveal the skull of the Abhartach, an undead sorcerer. He releases the monster, and a terrifying chase through the university ensues. Can Conn defeat the Abhartach before it regains its true power?

Alex Dunne – The Book of Secrets (O’Brien Press) The Trooping Fairies arrive in Clonbridge for their revels, awakening other creatures with mischief in mind. Cat Donnelly and her friends are planning the ultimate trick-or-treating strategy, but with the Fairies in town, this Halloween she needs all her courage and cunning to save her family. 

Ellen Ryan – Gods Don’t Cry (illustrated by Conor Merriman, HarperCollins Publishers) Gods Don’t Cry reawakens Ireland’s forgotten immortals, whose tales often took place during Samhain – the time when they were most powerful. From Nera, who journeys to the Underworld, to Cas Corach, a monster slayer, discover ancient gods and monsters, from every corner of Ireland.

Colmán Ó Raghallaigh – Na Cailleacha Gránna (An Gúm) Nuair a dhéanann na tincéirí a gCampa ar bhruach na hAbhann, tagann sé chun solais go bhfuil páistí beaga á sciobadh óna leapacha ag triúr cailleacha gránna agus á gCoinneáil áit éigin i lár na coille. Ach cé go bhfuil buidéal draíochta ag na tincéirí, an leor é chun stop a chur leis na cailleacha? Leagan álainn nua-scríofa.

NEW! Eilish Fisher – The Waters and the Wild (Puffin) When her Dad dies, Rowan and her mum move from the desert to Ireland. As soon as Rowan arrives, she knows something’s not right. Why is it so cold, even in August? Why do lights turn on without warning? More mysterious is The Wall. It surrounds the town, but no one can tell Rowan who built it or how long it’s stood, or why it’s forbidden to cross over to the other side. So, when she spots a crack in the stone, Rowan can’t resist the temptation to explore.

NEW! Kevin Moran – The Doomsday Club (O’Brien Press) Jack and Conan’s friendship is officially dead. Stuck in detention with Yash and Jerry after an all-out brawl, it’s a terrible start to sixth class. And that’s before they witness a monstrous beast step out of a portal outside their school. When it wanders into the crumbling mansion across the road, the boys follow. They have to investigate, right?

NEW! Megan Wynne – The Spirit of Loughmoe Abbey (Our Street Books) Things change dramatically for Gwen when her mother becomes too ill to care for her and she is sent to Loughmoe Abbey, a boarding school full of mysteries. Set in 1986, this magical story handles themes of mental health and loss with care, weaving supernatural elements gently throughout.

Méabh McDonnell – Into the Witchwood (O’Brien Press) Surrounding Rowan’s home is the dangerous Witchwood. At the heart of it, sitting at the bottom of an ancient well, is a powerful witch. Six months ago, Rownan’s mother went into the woods and never came out. Nothing has been the same since, and there’s only one thing that can fix it: Rowan needs to bring her mother home. After all, she’s a witch too.

Eibhlis Carcione – Black Gables (Everything With Words) Rosella has just started a new school in the eerie town of Black Gables, where faces appear in the waters of the lake. There are tales of children who have disappeared. Under the watchful eye of her new headmaster, Mr Edge, Rosella tries to decipher what’s going on. And what she discovers is mind blowing.

Kieran Fanning illustrated by Mark Hill – Haunted Ireland: An Atlas of Ghost Stories from Every County (Gill Books) These thirty-two terrifying tales have been handed down from generation to generation. From witches to poltergeists, there’s a spooky story or site to discover, wherever you are in the country.

E.R. Murray – The Book of Learning: Nine Lives Trilogy (Mercier Press) Ebony Smart discovers she is part of a special tribe of reincarnated people – and a terrible curse. Ebony has just one week to break the curse or die; if she fails, the future of her family, and her people, is at risk – does she have what it takes to succeed?

Paul Bolger agus Barry Devlin – CÚ 1: Cosantóir (Leabhar Breac) “Cé go bhfuil bunchreatlach an scéil ar eolas ag go leor níl an leabhar seo teanntaithe ag an seanscéal agus dá bhrí sin ní fada go dtéann sé agus na pictiúir chorraitheacha i bhfeidhm ort … Éiríonn thar cionn leis. Chuirfeadh úsáid chliste na ndathanna From Hell nó 300 i gcuimhne duit.” — Eoin P. Ó Murchú, Nós

Amy Clarkin – Where the Shadows Hide (O’Brien Press) PSI – Paranormal Surveyance Ireland – are in deep water. When the operators of a luxury cruise ship ask for their help with a series of unexplainable events, the team are hopeful that this case won’t endanger their lives. As they try to blend in with the wealthy passengers, it quickly becomes clear that there is more lurking in the shadows than they’ve realised. With rising tensions threatening to tear the team apart, time is running out for PSI.

Clara Kumagai – Songs for Ghosts (Zephyr) When Adam discovers a diary in his attic, he is enthralled by its account of a Japanese woman’s life. A hundred years separate them yet she, like Adam, is caught between cultures, relationships and heartbreak. She also writes of the ghosts that have begun to seek her out, which Adam dismisses as fantasy – until he too, begins to be haunted.

Deirdre Sullivan – Wise Creatures (Hot Key Books) If anyone knows what it is to be haunted, it’s Daisy. The ghosts of her troubled past are ever present. Daisy has always done her best to shut away these wise creatures who used to whisper to her from the walls of the house. But now, something is humming in the house. Something dark, and unknown. And it’s targeting Nina, her beloved sister.