As a writer of books for children aged 9-12, I often hear the complaint that there are no books appropriate for children in this ‘in-between’ age group. There are, but they are sometimes hard to find. Following are my top 10. I’d love to know the books you remember.

1. BLUEBACK by Tim Winton. What can I say? This book should be read aloud to capture the beauty of Winton’s language. It is the story of a boy and his mother saving Blueback, the most beautiful fish the boy has ever seen. An achingly beautiful story with the relationship between the boy and his mother, and the boy and the fish stirring the emotions and making the story unforgettable.

2. DANNY, THE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD by Roald Dahl. Anything by Dahl is wonderful, but Danny is set apart for me by the strong relationship between the boy and his father. The story is funny and suspenseful and all made magic by William, the father every child would wish to have.

3. HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE by JK Rowling. A funny, heartwarming, story about Harry Potter who escapes from a terrible life with his ghastly relatives to the excitement and danger of the Hogwart’s School of Wizardry and Witchcraft.

4. LITTLE FUR: The Legend of Little Fox by Isobelle Carmody is the first of a wonderful series by this Australian writer about Little Fur, an elf troll, who tries to protect a small wilderness against development and the encroachment of the city. Warm, tender and a delight to read.

5. THE FAMOUS FIVE by Enid Blyton, or anything by Blyton. They are often not ‘politically correct’ but Blyton continues to capture the imagination of children as evident by the fact that every bookshop still carries her titles. The have a great sense of freedom and invention and a belief that children are smart and resilient. And she is a great storyteller.

6. WINNIE-THE-POOH by A.A. Milne. This book is perhaps at the lower end of the age range but so joyful to read that I think it’s suitable for all ages. What’s not to like about a book containing gems like:

• Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. “Pooh?” he whispered. “Yes, Piglet?” “Nothing,” said Piglet, taking Pooh’s hand. “I just wanted to be sure of you.”
• You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.
• You can’t stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.
• A day without a friend is like a pot without a single drop of honey left inside.
• It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn’t use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like “What about lunch?”
• I think we dream so we don’t have to be apart for so long. If we’re in each other’s dreams, we can be together all the time.
• Piglet: “How do you spell love?” Pooh: “You don’t spell it, you feel it.”
• Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.

7. THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE by C. S. Lewis is the second and most well known of his 7 book series. This fantasy story is about four children evacuated to an old country house during World War II. They discover a wardrobe that is the entryway to the country of Narnia. The children are sent on a quest to save Narnia from a witch who ensures “It is always winter, never Christmas’. This book can be read on many levels as well as simply a straight fantasy, adventure story.

8. I AM DAVID by Anne Holm tells the story of a young boy who, with the help of a prison guard, escapes from a concentration camp to go in search of his mother. It is full of hope, kindness, courage and determination.

9. THE HOBBIT by J.R.R.Tolkien. Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, preferring to stay in his own small village and rarely going any farther than his pantry or cellar. But one day the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep to whisk him away on a dangerous and exciting adventure. By the time Bilbo returns to his comfortable hobbit-hole, he is a different hobbit altogether – stronger, braver and more adventurous and ready for the dangers that unfold in Tolkien’s later classic trilogy, Lord of the Rings.

10. THE ENTWHISTLE EXPERIMENT BOOK 1: GLUED. Not quite a classic, but I must be cheeky and mention my own books. If I don’t have confidence in them why would anyone else? This is the story of thirteen-year-old science genius Horatio Entwhistle, the inventor of Stupendous Glue. When he discovers his parents have been kidnapped, he enlists his two best friends and embarks on a strange and rather sticky search-and-rescue mission. He needs courage, resilience and the strength of true friendship to solve the mystery and defeat the villains.

Confining the list to 10 books only is almost impossible. What about: The Secret Garden, Charlotte’s Web, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Artemis Fowl, The Little Prince…?

I would love to hear about your favourites.