Staff Picks - Recommended Reads 2020: Irish Language Books for Children and Teens

Daideo le Áine Ní Ghlinn
Úrscéal do Dhéagóirí (13 – 18)

Tá buachaill ina aonar ar an traein. Tá sé ag déanamh a dhícheall chun éalú ón cigire ticéad ann agus a thuismitheoirí sa bhaile. Buaileann sé le comhchealghaire, seanfhear ar an traein. Tá sé ag éalú óna chlann freisin. An bhfuil siad abálta an turas fada a dhéanamh le chéile? Is scéal iontach liriciúil, dorcha, tapa agus lán le teannas é, Daideo.

A boy is on his own on the train. He is doing his best to escape from the ticket inspector there and his parents at home. He meets a conspirator, an old man on the train. He is escaping from his family too. Daideo is a wonderfully lyrical, dark, fast and tense tale.

Míp, Scríofa le Máire Zepf agus Maisithe le Paddy Donnelly
Dó pháistí óga (3 – 6)

Is scéal tarraingteach é, Míp. Is róbat an-chliste í, Míp. Tá misean aici chun fháil amach an bhfuil eachtráin ar Mars. Tá an scéal seo greannmhar agus tá na léaráidí tharr barr.

Míp is a enjoyable story. Míp is a very clever robot. She has a mission to find out it there are aliens on Mars. This story is funny and the illustrations are brilliant.

Dialann Emily Porter: An Jailtacht, Scríofa le Richie Conroy agus Maisithe le Don Conroy
Úrscéal do dhaoine óga agus déagóirí (12 – 18)

Níl Emily Porter sásta in aon chor. Bhí plean aici don a laethanta saoire samhraidh i 1994 ach sheol a tuismitheoirí Emily chuig Coláiste Samhraidh sa Ghaeltacht, nó mar a déir Emily, Jailtacht. Tá an scéal seo greannmhar is suimiúil chomh maith agus tá na léaráidí go hiontach freisin.

Emily Porter isn’t at all happy. She had plans for her summer holidays in 1994 but her parents sent Emily to Coláiste Samhraidh in the Gaeltacht, or as Emily puts it, Jailtacht. This is a funny and interesting story and the illustrations are great too.

Lísín - Criú Nua ar Bord! Scríofa le Patricia Forde agus Maisithe le Joëlle Dreidemy
Úrscéal beag do pháistí (5 – 9)

Tá an scéal seo greannmhar agus tá na léaráidí go breá. Is foghlaí mara í Lisín. Tá sraith leabhar aici, agus tá siad go hiontach. Seo ceann amháin, thug sí cuireadh do na páistí deasa ag a scoil chun teacht don codladh thar oíche. Ach, bhí a clann go léir amach an oíche sin. Tharla rud ar an long foghlaithe agus tá eagla ar na páistí deasa.

This is a funny story and the illustrations are great. Lisín is a pirate. She has a series of books, and they are great. Here is on, the gave an invite to her nice friends from her scoil to sleepover. But, her whole family were out that night. Something happened on the pirate ship and the nice kids are scared.

Asterix na nGallach, Scríofa le René Goscinny agus Maisithe le Albert Uderzo, Aistrithe le hAntain Mac Lochlainn
Sraith – Úrscéalta Graifice do pháistí (8 – 13)

Is aoibhinn liom aistriúcháin agus tá a lán le fáil anois. Mar shampla, Dónall Dána (Horrid Henry le Francesca Simon), An Seachtar Stuama (Secret Seven le Enid Blyton), Bran (Spot le Eric Hill) agus Dialann Dúradáin (Diary of a Wimpy Kid le Jeff Kinney) is a lán sraitheanna eile. Is breá liom Asterix agus rinne Dalen Éireann aistriúcháin iontach den sraith, Asterix. Tá na híomhanna spleodrach agus fíorbharrúil. Tá an scéal san leabhar seo go hiontach. Tá Asterix agus a chairde ina gcónaí i mbaile beag san Ghaill. Tá a saol go hiontach ach tá fadhb beag acu, tá said timpeallaithe le Rómhánaigh. Tá rún ag Asterix agus a chairde. Tá éilicsir rúnda acu agus as sin, tá sárneart ag muintir an tsráidbhaile. Tá na Rómhánaigh i dtrioblóid mór.

I love translations and there are a lot available. For example, Dónall Dána (Horrid Henry le Francesca Simon), An Seachtar Stuama (Secret Seven le Enid Blyton), Bran (Spot le Eric Hill) agus Dialann Dúradáin (Diary of a Wimpy Kid le Jeff Kinney) and other series of books into Irish. I love Asterix and Dalen Éireann did some great translations of the series, Asterix. The illustrations are hilarious and action-packed. The story in this particular book is great. Asterix and his friends live in a village in Gaul. Their lives are great but they have a small problem, they are surrounded by Romans. Asterix and his friends have a secret. They have a secret elixir and because of that, the villagers have super-strength. The Romans are in big trouble.