Book details

  • Genre:children's fiction
  • Sub-genre:Fairy Tales & Folklore / Adaptations
  • Age Range (years):7 - 11
  • Language:English
  • Series Title:Ballynoosle
  • Series Number:2
  • Pages:100
  • eBook ISBN:9798350938937

The Banshee and the Bees

By Aideen Mooney

Overview


There is trouble in Ballynoosle. The bees are in grave danger, the goat is sick and Kilter, the Leprechaun, can't be found. To make matters worse, the Banshee has been heard wailing in the wood. Has she merely lost her comb or has someone stolen it? Anika Das is one of four dyslexic children living on a barge which is moored near Ballynoosle. It is time.
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Description


You are about to read a highly enjoyable, absorbing, vibrant and original children's story. Prepare to enter the world of the Irish Fae at a place where it meets the Human world. That place is Ballynoosle, a small lakeside village in the west of Ireland which receives government funding to help Faeries and Humans live together in harmony. Four children have arrived in Ballynoosle and are living on an old barge moored outside the village. They are all dyslexic. They may not be good at reading and writing but they are good at plenty of other things. Sam is courageously tackling the problem of how to save the bees; Danny is supporting his neighbour, BombAlong, in his time of need; Amber is caring for the school goat and is an example of how to relate to an enchanted community that you might not fully understand. Anika Das is the protagonist of the story and steps up in a time of crisis when commanded to by the Faery Queen. She is also helping her friend Felim in his struggle to accept his two sides, for he is meascán which means half and half. His mother being a Lake Maiden and his father a Human eel fisherman. This is an adventure with a moral heart which subtly guides. Young readers will love the colourful characters with their mischief and magic. And they will learn a great deal about the environment along the way.
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About The Author


Aideen is the daughter of an Irish father who joined the British navy during the war. She always wanted to live in Ireland and always felt Irish. She was proud to have an Irish name. But when she moved here in 1985, she realized that people didn't see her as Irish. At first, she was disappointed but then she learnt to embrace her two sides just as Felim and Mr Tuttle do as they live their lives in Ballynoosle. Aideen believes that adults need to read children's books. People lose something as they grow up. It may be hope, or a sense of adventure, or the ability to be totally immersed in a story. Children's books can help them to find it again. After an English and Philosophy degree at Bristol University Aideen trained to be a teacher. When she realized that she wanted to help dyslexic students she did a master's in dyslexia at the University of Wales. She has now retired from teaching but still loves to help anyone with dyslexia. She feels she needs them in her life because of their fresh and unusual way of thinking. Sometimes she wishes that she herself could be dyslexic.
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