A fast-paced adventure story full of heart, courage - and horses.

Ella and Johnny are distraught when Johnny's horse Storm disappears from his field. Johnny knows that he has been taken by 'the pound man'. This is plain stealing.

Ella, Johnny and Ella's granny aren't going to let Storm go that easily. They round up the evidence and set off to the pound, where they confront the officials with proof that Storm is a well-cared-for animal who was snatched from a field.

But it isn't so easy and Johnny and Ella will have to find another, daring plan to rescue Storm.

A pageturner adventure tale of Irish Traveller children and their fight to keep their horse.

Contact grainne.clear@littleisland.ie

About the Author

Paula Leyden won the Eilis Dillon award for her first children's novel The Butterfly Heart, which is set in Zambia; its sequel, The Sleeping Baobab Tree, won the Children's Books Ireland special judges' award. She lived in Kenya, Zambia and South Africa before moving to Kilkenny, where she now works extensively with the Travelling community and horses.

Reviews

Leyden's fast-paced tale provides a snapshot of modern Ireland and the power of intergenerational relationships ... Tackling prejudice and intolerance in an enlightening way.

* Inis Magazine Reading Guide *

Leyden captures Ella's emotional life with great conviction as she struggles to deal with her fraught family life... The prejudice that drives the plot is subtly introduced and resolved with great compassion.

-- Sara Keating * The Irish Times *

Keepsake tackles the issue of animal rights, particularly the treatment of horses and the Traveller community in Ireland with its misunderstandings and stigma. Beautifully written, it demonstrates real passion and offers an adventure with much heart and courage. This is a classic 'horse story' with many contemporary elements and an inter-generational view ... A carefully crafted, deliberate plot line never loses its rhythm and carries the reader on a fast-paced journey with exactly the right amount of drama and tension leading to an exciting, bold conclusion. Keepsake offers much, and it does not disappoint! A wonderful wonderful read for everyone.

-- Mary Esther Judy * Fallen Star Stories *



Book Information
ISBN 9781910411575
Author Paula Leyden
Format Paperback
Page Count 180
Imprint Little Island
Publisher Little Island
Weight(grams) 200g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 13mm