'Paddy started into his customary speech with his usual over-enthusiasm.

The class was distracted, though. Some sort of commotion was brewing right outside. Paddy was really getting stuck into it when there was a loud shriek, followed by a series of snappy barks.'

Lunch money just got serious! 

Set in a rural Irish secondary school, this is the hilarious story of a bunch of pupils who have the genius idea of pooling their savings, setting up a bank and lending money to their schoolmates at extortionate interest rates. With sure-fire investments like a dating app and performing piglets, our lunch-break bankers are on a roll. But everything that booms must bust, sooner or later, and before long the whole thing starts to unravel.

Fast-paced and hilarious, this book – with its clever parallel to the Irish banking crisis – is worth its weight in gold.

'Breathless, high-stakes hijinks.' – Kirkus Reviews

'A high-concept read that’s less financial primer and more cautionary tale.' –  Publishers Weekly

‘Sharp, funny and fast-paced, Bank is the latest triumph from Little Island Books … an original and remarkable debut’ – Inis Magazine, Children’s Books Ireland

'I loved that this was told from the point of Finn, who is really secondary to most of the business dealings. We get to experience all of the loans and schemes through his eyes, and see that Finn really has not thought through any of this!' – YA Books Central

'A fun read with wonderful plot twists, but honestly, what I enjoyed most was the dialogue and laugh out loud characters.'  – All Done Monkey

‘A real strength in the book is the dialogue. It fizzes with energy, and Quigley rolls out typical teenage banter with a skill that makes it seem effortless. Each chapter bursts with imaginative characters, and draws on the reality of those school days where everyone of note has a nickname, often gleaned from a single event or trait that they will never be allowed to outgrow… The similarities with the banking crisis are more than just plot-related. There is also the attitude of the participants, the greed and the apathy, that sense of forging onward without considering the consequences.’ – Dublin Inquirer

‘A cast of vivid characters and spot-on banter between the teens adds up to a great read for this age.’ – Inis Reading Guide, Children’s Books Ireland

‘The story is driven by the various ups and downs of the improvised bank, but it’s really propelled by the unpredictable coterie of characters. I enjoyed the world of Bank so much that I’d love to read another story … Bank is a fun and easy read, with wide appeal and humour to spare.’ – Derek Carney

Emma Quigley lives in Dublin with her partner and teenage son. By day she works as a freelance writer in the IT world, but by night she writes stories for children and scripts for television and theatre.