June 4, 2019 - Anastasia Suen

Ronan Boyle and the Bridge of Riddles
by Thomas Lennon (Author) and John Hendrix (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Fourteen-year-old Ronan Boyle is the youngest and lowliest recruit to the secret Garda, an Irish police force that handles the misdeeds of numerous magical creatures. Ronan’s parents are in jail, but Ronan is convinced that they were framed by the wee people. So, despite his small size, poor eyesight, and social awkwardness, he’s determined to learn all he can in the Garda in order to prove his parents’ innocence. To show he’s got what it takes, he’ll have to confront a fiery leprechaun, a sinister harpy, and a whole world of monsters hidden in plain sight next to real-life Ireland.

Snippet: In a moment, I would understand why our noses were plugged: because leprechauns, especially when they’re trapped or in distress, can create awful smells. It’s a defense mechanism, much like that of a skunk, to which leprechauns are not related.

And I was about to meet my first leprechaun.

When I saw the little man, I gasped so hard that I popped the earplugs from my nose. My nostrils were immediately flooded with the smell of the worst fish soup in the history of the world. Soup that if served to them would make French prisoners riot. I scrambled to replug my nose. Pat Finch hiked his straining belt and said, “He’s musking. It’s how you know the little devil is lying.” He gave the leprechaun a firm kick. The leprechaun hissed back at him.