Books for children by Mary Arrigan

Are You Sitting Comfortably byLeigh Hodgkinson

However, his comfort is about to be disturbed. First of all a buzzy bee hovers above his head, so he moves to another chair.

However, just as he opens his book again, an owl arrives with his loud hoots.

So the boy moves to yet another chair, but this one is beside a smelly bin.

Will he ever find peace to read his book as he moves from chair to chair as more animals come to see the pictures.

An excellent, funny book with background colours that complement every mood. Suitable for age five and upwards.

A Beginner’s Guide To Life by Gill Arbuthnott (Bloomsbury €11.50)

This is a child-friendly account of how life began on earth and the varied and marvelous species that surround us. Cells, organisms, fungi, plants, animals, mammals and humans are classified and defined, all complemented by Marc Jones’s cheery illustrations. Suitable for age eight and upwards.

Plain Jane by Kim Hood (O’Brien €8.99)

The story charts the misfortunes of a Canadian family torn apart by daughter Emma’s battle with cancer. Most affected is protagonist Jane who is also mourning the death of her grandfather, also a cancer victim.

The stress impacts on her life, with schoolfriends and at home. Her father is constantly exhausted as he works all hours to save his family from financial meltdown.

Her mother, who has supported the specialists in their three-year struggle to save Emma’s life, is at odds with Jane who is in despair at her sister’s suffering.

Jane’s relationship with her boyfriend Dell crumbles when she meets Farley who is the only one who acknowledges that she has a genuine understanding of what is happening.

What shines through is the sisters’ love for each other, and the empathy the author has for the ‘well’ siblings who often feel isolated. Suitable for age 12 and upwards.