This is where you find an in-depth review of the books that we think are outstanding. Click on a title to get the review. The books are listed here in alphabetical order.
Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Alpha Force 6: Hunted by Chris Ryan
The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
And The Stars Were Gold by Gaye Hicyilmaz
The Angel Factory by Terence Blacker
An Angel for May by Melvin Burgess
Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer
Artemis Fowl: the Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer
Arthur and the Forbidden City by Luc Besson
Arthur and the Minimoys by Luc Besson
Arthur: The Seeing Stone by Kevin Crossley-Holland
Bag of Bones by Helen Cresswell
Barnaby Grimes: Return of the Emerald Skull by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
Barnaby Grimes: Curse of the Night Wolf by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
The Beguilers by Kate Thompson
Best Friends by Jacqueline Wilson
The Big Bazoohley by Peter Carey
The Bold Enchanter by Weem Whitaker
Boy in Darkness by Mervyn Peake
Boy Proof by Cecil Castellucci
Boy Soldier by Andy McNab and Robert Rigby
Bud Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Bullies at School by Theresa Breslin
The Candle House by Pauline Fisk
Carried Away by Michael Harrison
Cart and Cwidder by Diana Wynne Jones
Caught on a Train by Carlo Gebler
The Changeover by Margaret Mahy
Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones
Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming
The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
Clemency Pogue, Fairy Killer by J T Petty
Clockwork or All Wound Up by Philip Pullman
Cloud World by David Cunningham
The Coral Island by R M Ballantyne
Corby Flood by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
Count Karlstein by Philip Pullman
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
The Curse of the Gloamglozer by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster
Daisy Chain War by Joan O'Neill
Dead Gorgeous by Malorie Blackman
Death and the Arrow by Chris Priestley
The Death Collector by Justin Richards
The Demon Headmaster by Gillian Cross
The Devil's Toenail by Sally Prue
The Diamond Girls by Jacqueline Wilson
Dimanche Diller by Henrietta Branford
Divided City by Theresa Breslin
Dreaming in Black and White by Reinhardt Jung
The Dungeon by Lynne Reid Banks
Dustbin Baby by Jacqueline Wilson
The Eclipse of the Century by Jan Mark
Eight Days of Luke by Diana Wynne Jones
Elementals: Water by Robin McKinley and Peter Dickinson
Elephant Ben by Geoffrey Malone
The Empty Hand by Catherine Fisher
Facing the Demon Headmaster by Gillian Cross
The Fellowship of the Ring by J R R Tolkien
The Fire-Eaters by David Almond
Five Children and It by E. Nesbit
Fly, Cherokee, Fly by Chris d'Lacey
The Forging of the Sword by Mark Robson
Freaky Green Eyes by Joyce Carol Oates
Friedrich by Hans Peter Richter
Futuretrack 5 by Robert Westall
The Ghost Behind the Wall by Melvin Burgess
The Girl Who Knew by Sandra Glover
Glint by Ann Coburn
Going For Stone by Philip Gross
The Golem's Eye by Jonathan Stroud
Goodbye Marianne by Irene N Watts
Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian
Hamish and the Fairy Gifts by Moira Miller
A Handful of Magic by Stephen Elboz
Happy by Keith Gray
Harry and the Wrinklies by Alan Temperley
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding
Hazel's Phantasmagoria by Leander Deeny
Highway Robbery by Kate Thompson
Hitler's Daughter by Jackie French
Home is a Place Called Nowhere by Leon Rosselson
The Hounds of the Morrigan by Pat O'Shea
The House of Rats by Stephen Elboz
The House of Windjammer by V A Richardson
Huntress of the Sea by Alan Temperley
Hurricane Force by Malcolm Rose
I Have Lived A Thousand Years by Livia Bitton-Jackson
In the Middle of the Night by Robert Cormier
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
Joe's Story by Rachel Anderson
Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson
Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo
The Killer's Cousin by Nancy Werlin
A Kind of Wild Justice by Bernard Ashley
Kiss the Dust by Elizabeth Laird
Kit's Wilderness by David Almond
The Kite Rider by Geraldine McCaughrean
The Last of the Sky Pirates by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
The Last Wolf by Michael Morpurgo
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C S Lewis
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Little Soldier by Bernard Ashley
Lizzie Dripping by Helen Cresswell
Lola Rose by Jacqueline Wilson
The Lost Grandad by Geoff Steward
Lyra's Oxford by Philip Pullman
The Machine-Gunners by Robert Westall
Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff
The Man Who Was Hate by Paul Shipton
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson
Maximum Ride: School's Out Forever by James Patterson
Maximum Ride: The Final Warning by James Patterson
Measle and the Wrathmonk by Ian Ogilvy
The Merlin Conspiracy by Diana Wynne Jones
The Midnight Folk by John Masefield
Midwinter Lucie by Alan Porter
Milrose Munce and the Den of Professional Help by Douglas Anthony Cooper
Mondays Are Red by Nicola Morgan
Monster Blood Tattoo: Foundling by D M Cornish
Monster Blood Tattoo: Lamplighter by D M Cornish
Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve
Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C O'Brien
Music on the Bamboo Radio by Martin Booth
The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
The New Policeman by Kate Thompson
Nicholas by Renee Goscinny and Jean-Jacques Sempe
Northern Lights by Philip Pullman
Not Just Rescuing by Helen Flint
Not the End of the World by Geraldine McCaughrean
Ordinary Jack by Helen Cresswell
The Other Side of Truth by Beverley Naidoo
The Other Wind by Ursula Le Guin
Otto and the Flying Twins by Charlotte Haptie
Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper
The Palace of Laughter by Jon Berkeley
Parvana's Journey by Deborah Ellis
The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau
Pictures in the Dark by Gillian Cross
Power of Three by Diana Wynne Jones
Predator's Gold by Philip Reeve
Ptolemy's Gate by Jonathan Stroud
Pure Dead Brilliant by Debi Gliori
Ragboy, Rats and the Surging Sea by Alan Temperley
Raven's Gate by Anthony Horowitz
Remembrance by Theresa Breslin
The Ropemaker by Peter Dickinson
Ryland's Footsteps by Sally Prue
Sam and the Griswalds by Emma Barnes
The Scarecrow and his Servant by Philip Pullman
The Scavenger's Tale by Rachel Anderson
Sebastian Darke, Prince of Fools by Philip Caveney
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Secret of the Black Moon Moth by John Fardell
The Secret of the Crocodiles by Karen Wallace
The Shark Callers by Eric Campbell
Sharp Shot by Jack Higgins with Justin Richards
The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier
The Skin I'm In by Sharon G Flake
Slaves of the Mastery by William Nicholson
Small-Minded Giants by Oisin McGann
The Smugglers by Iain Lawrence
The Snow-Walker's Son by Catherine Fisher
Something's Fishy, Hazel Green by Odo Hirsch
The Soul Thieves by Catherine Fisher
The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Seeing Stone by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi
The Spook's Apprentice by Joseph Delaney
The Starlight Conspiracy by Steve Voake
The Sterkarm Handshake by Susan Price
Stig of the Dump by Clive King
Stop the Train by Geraldine McCaughrean
Storlax by Robert Jackson and Bubbi Morthens
Storm by Suzanne Fisher Staples
Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
Stravaganza: City of Flowers by Mary Hoffman
Stravaganza: City of Masks by Mary Hoffman
Stravaganza: City of Stars by Mary Hoffman
The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer
Sure Fire by Jack Higgins with Justin Richards
Tell Me No Lies by Malorie Blackman
Temmi and the Flying Bears by Stephen Elboz
Temmi and the Frost Dragon by Stephen Elboz
The Third-Class Genie by Robert Leeson
Tom Fletcher and the Angel of Death by Sarah Matthias
Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce
Toro! Toro! by Michael Morpurgo
The Tower at Moonville by Stephen Elboz
Trail of the Huntress by Mark Robson
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Troll Fell by Katherine Langrish
Troll Mill by Katherine Langrish
Troy by Adele Geras
True Believer by Virginia Euwer Wolff
The Two Towers by J R R Tolkien
Underworld by Catherine MacPhail
Walkabout by James Vance Marshall
The Weathermonger by Peter Dickinson
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr
When Marnie Was There by Joan G Robinson
Where Were You, Robert? by Hans Magnus Enzensberger
Why the Whales Came by Michael Morpurgo
The Wind Singer by William Nicholson
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin
The Wolf-Sisters by Susan Price
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
Worm in the Blood by Thomas Bloor
The Wreck of the Zanzibar by Michael Morpurgo
The Wrong Hands by Nigel Richardson
Yoss by Odo Hirsch
You Don't Know Me by David Klass