Halfway’s Books Of The Year 2023

Winner, winner!

ast night, Trish Hennessy brought together a motley crew of fellow book lovers to select their 2023 Books Of The Year.

Which, given that Halfway Up The Stairs just won Bookshop Of The Year means a mighty stamp of approval for the talented authors and illustrators – and their chosen tomes.

Laureate na nÓg Patricia Forde

And the winners list makes for a handy cut-out-and-keep guide for those not quite sure what to get Kid A this Christmas.

So, without further a-dopey feckin’ around, over to Trish…

There were so many wonderful books published in 2023, it was very difficult to choose our Books of the Year!

Our team of children’s booksellers carefully selected their favourite books of the year in each category. We added together all these and came up with our overall selection.

And from these books we chose our unanimous overall winner…

Which, we are delighted to announce, is The Girl Who Fell to Earth by our Laureate na nÓg, Patricia Forde! A thought-provoking, sci-fi adventure, perfect for age 11+. And for adults who still have their imagination and sense of wonder intact.

Our Picture Books Of The Year are The Mermaid Moon by Briony May Smith (age 4+), Kevin’s In A Mood by Sarah Bowie (age 3+), It’s Too Dark Puffling by Erika McGann and Gerry Daly (age 3+) and Little Wolf by Peter Donnelly (age 4+).

In the age 6+ category, our Books Of The Year are The Wishkeeper’s Apprentice by Rachel Chivers Khoo (age 7+), Bear and Bird by Jarvis (age 6+), and Adventuremice: Mice on the Ice by Philip Reeve & Sarah McIntyre (age 6+).

Our age 9+ Books Of The Year are The Rescue of Ravenwood by Natasha Farrant (age 9+), Tyger by SF Said (age 11+), Milly McCarthy is a Complete Catastrophe by Leona Forde, illustrated by Karen Harte (age 8+), The Girl Who Fell to Earth by Patricia Forde (age 11+), and The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow, illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton (age 11+).

The Teen Books Of The Year are A Game of Life or Death by Triona Campbell (age 13+) and Freya Harte Is Not A Puzzle by Méabh Collins (age 13+), whilst our Young Adult Books Of The Year are Catfish Rolling by Clara Kumagai (age 15+), Murder on a School Night by Kate Weston (age 15+), and Wise Creatures by Deirdre Sullivan (age 15+).

For those looking for exquisite stocking fillers this year, our Gift Books Of The Year are Gods Don’t Cry by Ellen Ryan, illustrated by Conor Merriman (age 8+), I Am The Wind, edited by Lucinda Jacob and Sarah Webb, illustrated by Ashwin Chacko (age 8+), and The Swing by Britta Teckentrup.

The Irish Language Books Of The Year are Dogman Scaoilte Amach (Unleashed) by Dav Pilkey (age 8+) and Gealach agus Grian by Muireann Ní Chíobháin, illustrated by Brian Fitzgerald (age 2+), whilst our Graphic Novels Of The Year are Bumble & Snug and the Shy Ghost by Mark Bradley (age 6+) and Mexikid by Pedro Martín (age 11+).

Finally, other strong recommendations for 2023 include Standing On One Leg Is Hard by Erika McGann and Clive McFarland, The President’s Dog by Peter Donnelly, The Skull by Jon Klassen, The Thing At 52 by Ross Montgomery, Wild Wonders short story anthology by various writers and illustrators, Sally In The City Of Dreams by Judi Curtin, Wider Than The Sea by Serena Molloy, Fairy Hill by Marita Conlon-McKenna, The Silver Road by Sinead O’Hart, Juniper’s Christmas by Eoin Colfer, Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell, The Stories Grandma Forgot (And How I Found Them) by Nadine Aisha Jassat, Glitter Boy by Ian Eagleton, Something Terrible Happened Laast Night by Sam Blake and The First Move by Jenny Ireland.

You can find all of the above online right here, check out 2022’s winners over here, and go explore Christmas 2023 in Greystones right about here.