The Moon King - Softcover

Having grown up in Galway and Donegal, Siobhan Parkinson has lived most of her adult life in her native Dublin. She studied English literature and German at Trinity, and went on to take her doctorate in English literature. She has worked for many years as an editor, a profession that very closely resembles that of writing. She concentrates more on her writing these days, but is also a very active member of the writers-in-schools scheme, and she gives workshops in creative writing and talks on her work in all sorts of situations. She has held various writing residencies and has been editor of, Inis -- The Children's Books Ireland Magazine, and Bookbird, the IbBy International magazine. Her books have won numerous awards and been translated into lots of languages, her favourites being Latvian, because it is so different, and Japanese, because it is back to front. Her husband, Roger Bennett, is a woodturner and teacher, and her son Matthew is almost grown up. Being her son didn't do him too much harm, he claims, but time will tell. Her book Sisters ... no way! won the Bisto Book of the Year award. Four Kids, Three Cats, Two Cows, One Witch (maybe) won a Bisto Merit Award. Siobhan's next book, The Moon King, also won a Bisto Merit Award and was on the iBbY Honour List 2000, in Ireland's first year as a member of iBbY. Siobhan was Ireland's first Laureate na nOg (Children's Laureate) from 2010-2012.

'... a superb book. It explores the world of foster care and damaged children as it follows the story of Ricky, an abused child, who is settled in foster care with the noisy, vibrant Kelly family. Ricky has turned inward, and hides himself ... Ricky's thoughts are presented in the disjointed inner-speech of a wounded child, with his thoughts in a different typeface from the narrative text. This is an adventurous book, and a brave choice of topic for both author and publisher.' -- Children's Books in Ireland * Children's Books in Ireland * 'Siobhan Parkinson is a cunning and practiced hand at storytelling, and getting under her characters' skin, and this is a dead cert for readers from ten upwards' -- Books Ireland * Books Ireland * 'written sensitively and beautifully, The Moon King is sure to be another winner' -- Dublin Echo 'Original and fascinating story . . . stylishly and thematically, Parkinson's novel credibly demonstrates the power of the imagination to reshape and transform experience' -- The Irish Times * The Irish Times * 'A sensitive portrayal of a child's struggle to rebuild his life' -- Best Books