Books for children

The World War Il Tales-the Apple Spy by Terry Deary (A&C BLACK €6.30)

But they detour to see the Edinburgh express. As they chat with the station master, a man and woman with strange accents arrive on the platform. The twins feel there¹s something dodgy about them, especially in the dangerous atmosphere of World War 11. Thus begins a whirl of train journeys as the youngsters set out on their spying mission. Suitable for eight and up.

The Hard Nuts Of History- Ultimate Quiz And Game Book and Play The Game both by Tracey Turner (Bloomsbury; €7.55 each)

The quiz features multiple-choice questions on the earlier books in the series. We learn fearless Attila the Hun couldn¹t even defeat a nosebleed which killed him, and the beheaded Blackbeard just might have swum around even after his execution. The right mix of history and fun, with Jamie Lenman¹s hilarious illustrations. Play The Game is a collection of Hard Nuts¹ cards with simple instructions for nights of fun. Suitable for age 10 and upwards.

If You Were Me by Sam Hepburn (Chicken House; €8.80).

The dual narrative features (1) Aliya, who on escaping from The Taliban threat finds her brother in deep trouble in Britain accused of plotting a bombing atrocity. (2) Dan, who witnesses something which puts him in great danger. When their paths cross, Dan offers to help Aliya, but his help is conditional on not landing his dodgy father in trouble.

The two youngsters are up against a drugs empire and every move they make is viewed with suspicion by their families, and by some rather sinister individuals. Aliya bares the full brunt of racism and struggles to understand the British way of life as she tries to clear her brother¹s name.

Dan is torn between his innate decency and protecting his own father who is suspiciously well off.

The interplay between two teens from different cultures is the driving force of the novel, Suitable for 12 and upwards.