CHILDREN’S NON-FICTION

GOOD NIGHT STORIES FOR REBEL GIRLS

by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo (Particular Books €24.99) WHAT does Elizabeth I have in common with Serena Williams? Or Florence Nightingale with Virginia Woolf? They all dreamt bigger, aimed higher and fought harder to achieve against the odds. This tribute to 100 women who broke through barriers to excel in their chosen fields, whether those be science, the arts, sport or politics, is a welcome reminder to girls that nothing stands in their way — except a lack of self-belief.

This book started as a crowdfunded project and has become a best-seller.

THE LOST WORDS

Age 8+ by Robert MacFarlane, illustrated by Jackie Morris (Hamish Hamilton €28) IN 2007, the Oxford Junior Dictionary dropped from its listings many words from the natural world, words such as acorn, conker, otter and kingfisher, supposedly as a reflection of modern children’s lives.

They hadn’t, however, reckoned on an impassioned response from nature lover and writer Robert Macfarlane.

His plea for young people to reconnect with nature culminated in this stunning collaboration with artist Jackie Morris.

It’s a rallying cry from the heart and this book, which is huge in every sense, should find a place in every home. All ages