Christmas list

Its beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.

I love giving or getting books for Christmas. It is so hard to know what to buy for kids to read. It always seemed easier when they were into picture books - I just looked for ones with a story I would enjoy reading at least twenty times with beautiful pictures to keep them entertained. Now it seems to be a lot harder - and there seems to be a definite gap in the book market for boys age 10 and up!!

I thought I would start the ball rolling though and tell you about the books that my boys (aged 8 and 10) have read during the year and would recommend. It's not a long list, but I'm hoping others out there have many more brilliant ideas and are happy to share...

All books listed (and photos) can be found at http://www.bookdepository.co.uk. (I should be getting a commission!)

The 10 year old is a mad reader but this is just a selection of his favourites:

• Eragon, Brisinger and Eldest by Christopher Paolini.

• Once, Then and Now by Morris Gleitzman.

Reviewed in Good Chapters here

• The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. (Ok I did give him this to read and he did enjoy it, but not perhaps as much as his mother!)

• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. (Ok I also gave him this to read and he did enjoy it, but not perhaps as much as his mother!)

• The Legends of the Guardian: The owls of Gahoole series by Kathryn Lasky. We have all enjoyed this series and there are 10 books in the series so it has lasted a long time.

• The Indispensable Calvin and Hobbes collection by Bill Watterson.

• The Guiness Book of Records - hours of fascinating reading for all.

The 8 year old has been mainly listening to stories read by his Dad (the ones that the 10 year old has already read but loved).

In addition to these, he has enjoyed:

• The 'How to train your dragon' series by Cressida Cowell

• The 'Boy vs Beast series by Mac Park

Aren't boy books delightful?