We launched this year's Bookbag roll-out at St. Brendan's on Friday, April 20th!

And it was SUPER! Literally, as that was this year's theme!

St. Brendan’s is a Senior Boys National School based in Artane with 148 students. And marks our fourth year rolling out the Bookbag project!

Following a consultation meeting with the school’s library committee, this year’s specially curated list primarily focused on a wide range of fantastic non-fiction books full of fascinating facts, figures and eye-catching illustrations. The library selection also included a large selection of high-interest, low ability titles for reluctant readers, a variety of advanced picture books and graphic novels and a broad array of brand new fiction titles as featured in Children’s Books Ireland’s Inis Reading Guides.

We kicked off the launch with our artist, Danny Shiels, leading a quick masterclass on how to create a Super Hero character as modelled on Brown Bag's very own Sarah Lonsdale!

We then had an amazing 'Super Doodle’. All the boys were partnered up to draw their friends' portrait and focused on capturing their positive characteristics and each other's unique superpowers! The boys depicted each others' talents which ranged from being exceptional football and basketball players to being awesome at science, maths and art.

Check out the SUPER artwork! As you can clearly see, we've got some future creative hero's in this bunch:

In addition to the books for the school library, each student received their own book to keep.

Everyone then formed a human chain to deliver the books to the school library!

The Bookbag team also organised illustrator and picture book maker Peter Donnelly and authors Dave Rudden and Shane Hegarty to drop in and do workshops with the children!

Thanks to all the teachers, parents and kids for making it such a spectacular launch!

Special thanks to Niamh Sharkey, Ciara Houlihan, our special guests who gave workshops, our Brown Bag volunteers and the fabulous gang from Children's Books Ireland.

Bookbag is a joint initiative of Brown Bag Films and Children’s Books Ireland delivered by Children’s Books Ireland.

Bookbag was initiated by picture book-maker Niamh Sharkey during her term as Laureate na nÓg (2012–2014). Niamh campaigned throughout her tenure for a universal book-gifting scheme, which would ensure that every baby born in Ireland receives the gift of a book in their first year of life. For more info on Bookbag, please visit: Bookbag