Children are really beginning to take off with reading now and can handle challenging, longer reads. If your child still finds reading hard work, look for short stories - the collections by Paul Jennings are really popular - as it can be very liberating not to have to read a whole book! Poetry too is much enjoyed by this age group - look for collections by Benjamin Zephaniah as children love to read his work aloud. Read some of the novels yourself - you will enjoy them! Non-fiction too is worth looking at here. Keep the fun going to with writers such as Eoin Colfer, Zizou Corder, Charlie Higson, Rick Riordan and Paul Shipton.

Artemis Fowl series » Eoin Colfer Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is the cleverest criminal mastermind ever and his adventures with fairies, leprechauns and more are fast and thrilling.

Lion Boy trilogy » Zizou Corder Great stories for those already hooked to go on to but also ideal to start at 10+ - hugely creative, action-packed adventure/fantasy stories.

Silver Fin » Charlie Higson
The first in a new series of stories recording the amazing adventures of the teenage James Bond - brilliant!

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief » Rick Riordan
The first in a series of fast, save-the-world type fantasies. Percy's life is never the same after he discovers that he is half human and half god - yes, the Greek gods are alive and well and living in modern day America!

The Pig Scrolls
» Paul Shipton Gryllus, the hero, is a pig - changed by Circe when sailing with Odysseus and unlike the others, never changed back! He talks too which causes quite a stir in Ancient Greece.

Unmentionable! And other Un... titles
» Paul Jennings Brilliant short stories, quirky, funny and always different - very Australian but this doesn''t seem to put off young readers.

Talking Turkeys » Benjamin Zephaniah
Poetry written in today's language with strong rap rhythms - great to dip into with poems to entertain as well as some to make you think.

Boy Overboard » Morris Gleitzman This writer is always worth reading - he makes you laugh as you consider quite serious situations. This one is a family escaping from Afghanistan and finding themselves unwelcome in Australia - not as heavy as it sounds.