Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




Great St. Patrick's Day Reads for Children & Teens


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Cover art for BOG CHILD
CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 9, 2008

"Pitch-perfect in capturing the often futile struggles for the many victims of Irish independence over the millennia. (Fiction. 12 & up)"
This haunting, suspenseful novel follows the parallel stories of Fergus, facing the final high-school exams that will decide his future, and a murdered Iron Age "bog child" he names Mel after he discovers her well-preserved body in a peat marsh. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE NEW POLICEMAN
CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 1, 2007

"Charming. (Fantasy. 12-14)"
J.J. Liddy sometimes wishes he could go clubbing like the other boys instead of playing fiddle at his family's dances every weekend. Read full book review >
Cover art for SOMETHING INVISIBLE
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 1, 2006

"Told with humor and insight, Jake's story should appeal particularly to quiet, sensitive kids. (Fiction. 8-12)"
In this thoughtfully crafted story, an engaging, overly analytical Irish boy learns the importance of family and friendship. Read full book review >
Cover art for A POT O’ GOLD
CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 1, 2004
by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by David McPhail

"A real treasure. (Anthology. 5+)"
This handsome edition includes over a dozen Irish stories; poetry by the likes of Allingham, Tynan, and Yeats; riddles, oaths, and curses; battle cries and blessings; ancient folk cures and recipes for Irish soda bread, stew, and marshmallow crackers. Read full book review >
Cover art for BLACK POTATOES
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 1, 2001

"An illuminating discussion of the Great Irish Famine and how emigrants contributed to the growth of cities around the world. (Nonfiction. 10-14)"
Using illustrations from mid-19th-century newspapers and stories of people actually involved, Bartoletti has written a fascinating account of a terrible time. Read full book review >
Cover art for ACROSS A DARK AND WILD SEA
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 1, 2001
by Don Brown, illustrated by Don Brown

"This works on many levels to delight and to inspire: as a stirring read-aloud, as a saint's biography, and as a beautiful picture book. (bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 6-10)"
Brown (A Voice from the Wilderness, 2001, etc.) continues his series of picture-book biographies of lesser-known figures with a tale of the life of Saint Columcille, the sixth-century prince and monk better known by the Latin form of his name, Columba. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE NAMES UPON THE HARP
CHILDREN'S
Released: Nov. 1, 2000
adapted by Marie Heaney, illustrated by P.J. Lynch

"If readers are inspired by Heaney's retellings to further explore traditional Irish literature, the excellent source notes and suggestions for further reading are a good place to start. (Folklore. 6+)"
Brave warriors, connivers, beautiful women, and beings with supernatural powers populate the eight strongly told stories in this lavishly produced collection of Irish tales. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE GRAVE
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 17, 2000

"A riveting adventure. (Fiction. 12-14)"
When Tom Mullen was one, his mother abandoned him in a toy store in Liverpool, England. Read full book review >
Cover art for TALES FROM OLD IRELAND
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 1, 2000
adapted by Malachy Doyle, illustrated by Niamh Sharkey

"An engagingly readable, and tellable, sampler drawn from a deep and still-vital storytelling tradition. (Folktales. 10-13)"
Seven briskly retold traditional tales are illustrated with dot-eyed, appealingly ingenuous figures from the illustrator of Tolstoy's Gigantic Turnip (1999). Read full book review >
Cover art for LEPRECHAUN GOLD
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 15, 1998
by Teresa Bateman, illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger

"The soft watercolors are full of funny, smudged details, and the full-face portrait of the lady with the golden hair captures the magic of the text. (Picture book. 5-9)"
This charming tale has an Irish lilt that would certainly withstand an energetic reading out loud—and not just on St. Read full book review >
Cover art for NEVER WERE MEN SO BRAVE
CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 1, 1998

"The book is unflinching in its accounts of the deaths and injuries of so many of the Irish Americans defending this country; their legacy, which will be unfamiliar to most readers, receives an intelligent and thorough treatment. (b&w photos, maps, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 10-12)"
 Beller (To Hold This Ground, 1995, not reviewed, etc.) returns again to the Civil War, focusing on the heroic exploits and origins of the Union army's 535-member Irish Brigade. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE DREAMS OF MAIRHE MEHAN
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 1, 1996

"So is her story. (Fiction. 11+)"
 In this haunting, eloquent story, the barriers between inner and outer vision dissolve as a young immigrant loses the men she holds dear during the Civil War. Read full book review >