Arthur Quinn And The World Serpent by Aidan Early

In preparation for World Book Day tomorrow, we had a visit today from Irish author, Alan Early, whose novel Arthur Quinn and the World Serpent' was published last year by Mercier Press.  Students were thrilled an delighted by Early's tales of Viking myths and legends.  He was kind enough to read from sections of his book and answered many questions from eager students about his inspiration and writing technique.  It was a lively discussion and many students were already planning to get their copy of the novel in time for their next book assignment as the made their way back to class. And here is a synopsis of what is in store for them:  

'Something wicked has awoken under the streets of Dublin ...

When his dad is offered a job working on the new Metro tunnel, Arthur has to move to Dublin with him. While exploring the dangerous tunnel and a hidden underground river, Arthur and his new friends Will and Ash find a mysterious glowing pendant. The pendant depicts a giant snake strangling the trunk of a tree. The friends soon figure out that the pendant is a warning, a sign that something evil is waiting underneath the city. Something that's been imprisoned for a thousand years, something left by the Vikings, something that can - and will - destroy first the city, then the world.

What did the Vikings bury under the city of Dublin and why did they leave it there? Who is the dark man that spies on Arthur and what is his evil plan? In the end, only Arthur and his friends can save the world from the dreaded World Serpent.....'