Galway author and Laureate na nÓg Patricia Forde wants children to be able to see themselves in books – ‘whether they trace their lineage back to Fionn Mac Cumhaill or have only recently arrived on our shores’.

She was speaking as she launched Children’s Books Ireland’s newest reading guide celebrating Irish children’s books at a special event on Culture Night.

Curated by Children’s Books Ireland, ‘Recommended Irish Reads 2024’ spotlights authors, illustrators and publishers from or based in Ireland and features 200 titles, in Irish and English.

The guide includes titles for readers aged from 0–18 years, including the latest books by authors such as Maggie O’Farrell, Manchán Magan and Sarah Webb.

Also featured are début titles such as ‘Who Watches This Place’ by Amy Clarkin and ‘Into the Witchwood’ by Méabh McDonnell.

“This reading guide is an essential resource for parents/carers, educators, librarians and booksellers in Galway and of course, our young readers themselves! And it will definitely come in handy for anyone starting to think about gift-buying for young readers in the coming months!” said Patricia Forde.

“Why does it matter that the writers and illustrators featured call Ireland home? Because our children need to see stories that reflect their identities and surroundings, from artists who understand and can relate to their lived experiences.

“Children in Galway need role models to pave pathways that will help them to realise their dreams. We see it in sport, we see it in theatre and film, and we need to see it in the realm of children’s books,” she added.

The ‘Recommended Irish Reads 2024’ guide is available to download from the Children’s Books Ireland website. With 25,000 copies distributed across the country, it will also be widely available free of charge through local libraries and participating bookshops in Galway.

Pictured: Laureate na nÓg, Patricia Forde at the launch of Recommended Irish Reads 2024, the new guide from Children’s Books Ireland, at a Culture Night event in Dubray Books on Grafton Street.