Irish Child

The four children of King Lir are happy when their father marries again. Aoife, their new stepmother is very kind to them. But, in her heart, she is jealous of the children and uses her secret magic powers to cast a spell on them, changing them from children into swans. They spend long years on lonely lakes and frozen seas, until one day the spell is broken, and they are human again. Though everyone they loved is long gone, they know they are home at last. 

Three tales from The Canterbury Tales, read in the original Middle English by Richard Bebb under the direction of Britain's foremost Chaucer scholar, Derek Brewer.

Released in our new Young Adult Classics format, Henry James's classic ghost story is a masterpiece of the supernatural. The tale is taken from the diary of a governess, who describes her mounting sense of paranoia at the relationship between her two wards and the ghostly figures that haunt the estate.

One guards a secret that governs your life, Painful and sharp like the cut of a knife. Two of your number are not who they seem. Two steal away as the dawn robs a dream. One will abandon the cause near the end. One has judged right between villain and friend. Five will be gone ere the struggle is done, ’Til one friend remains, to stand with The One.

Have you ever heard the story of Cu Chulainn? Etain and Midir? Finn and the Giant? Well, if you love Irish stories, you've found the right collection. Here you can find these and many more....

Cat and her friends are preparing for Halloween night in Clonbridge. While they are planning their routes for trick-or-treating, a troop of fairies and supernatural creatures are also making plans for their annual Revels at Ráth Glas, a ringfort outside Clonbridge. These fairy folk enjoy mischief and chaos and have a tendency to steal human children and swap them with fairies or Stocks. As Cat and her granny have the gift of Sight, they’re aware that something special is happening in the town this Halloween.

Intended for parents to listen along with their children: This is a beautifully descriptive retelling of the original Hansel and Gretel story set in modern-day Montana. Told by Gretel herself, it weaves into the fairy tale wonderful new oddities and characters.

This story is about three children who stay with their grandparents for a holiday in County Leitrim in Ireland. This is a misty, enchanting place known for its fairy hills, gurgling streams, lakes, and hidden caves. They find a baby, but it's so tiny, it couldn't possibly be an ordinary child and soon they realize that she's a fairy. They tell no one about her and secretly try to take care of her themselves. Where did she come from and who does she belong to? It doesn't take long for them to find out and that's when the trouble begins.

Have you heard of Eithne the supernatural scholar or Fand the shape-shifting eco-warrior? What about Bé Mannair, a gender-fluid spy who challenges an entire army, or Bé Binn, a giantess who gets her own back on her bullies? From mermaids and fashionistas to athletes and farmers, meet goddesses of all shapes and sizes from Ireland’s ancient myths. Stand by their sides as they wield magic, fight monsters, and protect the powerless—and you might discover that you, too, are a force of nature.

Mirabelle is part of a very unusual family. Between Uncle Bertram transforming into a ferocious grizzly bear and Aunt Eliza’s body being made entirely of spiders, it’s safe to say they are an extraordinary lot. To the human residents of Rookhaven Village, the family is a threat. So long ago, a treaty was reached between them - in return for sundries and supplies, the monsters won’t eat the townspeople - and an invisible glamour was set around the perimeter of the Manor to keep strangers out. But it also keeps Mirabelle and her family hidden from those who would do them harm.

The Nun's Priest's Tale is one of The Canterbury Tales by the 14th century Middle English poet Geoffrey Chaucer. Read in Middle English by Robert Ross.

How can Ann find a grandfather who's just right? With so many aunts and uncles, why doesn't Ann Riley have a grandfather? Her friend, Katie Murphy, has a special grandfather who tells stories and remembers all the things he did at home in Ireland. When Katie's little sister tells Ann that everyone has to have a grandfather, Ann decides to find one of her own. She asks all her neighbors around Boltonville to be her grandfather.

The Parliamentry troops believe he will hide in the home of Colonel Beverly, a famous Cavalier - they surround the house believeing they will smoke him out. No King is found and they are told that they have killed the four children who were in the house - but they escape with the old forester, Jacob Armitage, who must now teach them to lose their lace, and velvet manners and behave and look like Puritans

Once caring for Buster becomes too strenuous for them, his family decide to abandon him at the edge of Merlin Woods. Now homeless, he nearly perishes but for the kind Billa who decides to care for him. Together a beautiful friendship develops. When Mrs Joyce, who comes to the woods every day to feed the birds and animals, nearly gets mugged, Billa and Buster rush to her aid. The story is about friendship and how kindness is a circle.

Aine, an Irish name pronounced Awn-Yah, is worried that her gifted little brother Olan will ruin her First Holy Communion day with his nonstop flow of chatter. Being gifted means he never stops talking unless he is asleep. He loves calling out long lists of tractors and animals to anyone who will listen. What if he gets up onto the altar during the First Holy Communion day and starts listing animals?

Dublin’s dogs are mysteriously disappearing! No guard dogs means thieves are running riot, and with no sheepdogs to herd the animals in Smithfield market, the city is overrun with sheep and goats…and even worse, Dublin’s cats are having an absolute field day! The dwindling doggy population is being blamed on a curious creature known as the Irish Yeti, a tall, terrifying shaggy beast with snow-white fur and red, glowing eyes. Bram Stoker, Molly Malone and the Sackville Street Spooks are fascinated by this monster, but when Molly’s own dog goes missing, the friends decide enough is enough.

“What class of bobarún are you at all not to recognise the queen of Irish literature? It’s Peig Sayers that I am and 'tis ashamed you should be not to know it." That is how little Caoimhe introduces herself to the trick or treating group.The bigger girls are not too impressed by the seanchai (storyteller) costume but it turns out that Peig Sayers has quite a way with words and the trick-or-treating does not go quite as expected.

On December 7th, 1955, Kitty McInerney lay dying in a New York hospital bed. The 47-year-old Irish immigrant, suffering from severe toxemia, was preparing for an emergency c-section to give birth to her 17th child. As a Catholic priest performed her last rites, Kitty succumbed to a rare moment of quiet reflection.

Mum and Dad are always delighted when the Aunties visit. In this story, Auntie Dee and Auntie Di take their nephews, Tommy and Teddy, to the supermarket to pick up the educational items that the boys need—sweets and Zombies are on the list.

"My Irish grandfather, Thomas Lawrence Downey, was a great storyteller. I never tired of sitting on his knee - and later, when I was a bit too big, sitting at his feet with one of my baby sisters on his knee - listening to his wonderful tall tales. Among the stories I loved the best were the ones about the Irish - and the Downey family in particular. In those tales, I'm afraid, 'dramatic flair' and artistic liberties took over for fact. But as any good storyteller knows, to embellish is to make the tale interesting, especially to a young Tomie."