Children's book reviews: Magical urchins, a fearful fur ball, and a pubescent trainee banshee

Pet O’Connell rounds up a fresh selection of the latest children’s books, with tales of an enchanted hotel, a school full of fairies, and a dog afraid of absolutely everything

Above from left: Kate Sheehy with her own dog, the inspiration for Fraidy Dog; Sinéad O’Hart, who had many careers including butcher, bookseller, and lecturer, before becoming an author; and Lee Newbery, who lives in West Wales and works for an arts charity.

The Moonlighters by Lee Newbery (Puffin, €13.05)

The worlds conjured by children’s authors are littered with magical artefacts.