To celebrate World Book Day, Westfield Primary Community School headteacher Mark Barnett enlists the help of teachers and pupils for a round-up of all that's best in children's literature

THERE certainly is a world of books. Children of all ages still love to read a good book; it's not all computers and Game Boys.

Reading is fun, exciting and will transport children to magical lands. They will use their imagination to become characters in stories and a particularly good story might inspire them on to greater things in later life.

We know reading can be educational - but it's great fun as well. Children from the earliest age will read picture books, then progress on to books with pictures and a few words and then on to full stories.

Parents help their children to become fluent readers. A few minutes each day reading to and with your child will work wonders. Reading is like riding a bike - once you've learnt you never forget. When learning to read, children need lots of encouragement from teachers and parents, as well as praise.

So, which books do children really enjoy? Some of the classics are still popular - children's versions of Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens are enjoyed by older children.

All youngsters seem to like anything by Roald Dahl - Matilda and George's Marvellous Medicine in particular. Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne and the Paddington Bear Books by Edward Bond are often taken from our school library.

We all know about the Harry Potter Books by JK Rowling, read by young and old alike. It's amazing too how a television series or a film can turn children to reading.

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkein is a popular book with older children, perhaps because they saw Lord of the Rings at the cinema and wanted to read the original story. Dick King-Smith is popular with all young readers - he wrote the "Babe" books, the adventures of a pig.

Other favourite books, however, may not be as famous as some of the above. Here are few of the most popular books in our school, put into age ranges, as decided by the children. Most of the paperback titles cost £3 - £5, with hardbacks costing more.

Three to five

Dinosaur Roar! by Paul and Henrietta Stickland (Puffin, £4.99). A lasting favourite that can be read again and again. The dinosaurs in the story have one thing in common, they're HUNGRY! It's very well illustrated with lots of rhyming text. This is one to read together.

Little Lumpty by Miko Imai (Walker, £4.99) appeals to the daredevil in every child. It delivers several important personal safety messages in a fun way.

The Gotcha Smile by Rita Phillips Mitchell and Alex Aycliffe (Orchard, £4.99). Great for helping pre-five children understand how to make friends and influence people!

Sixes And sevens

Monster Poems by John Foster and Korky Paul (Oxford University Press, £4.99 ). The children love the illustrations, humour and imagination of these poems, even though the language is quite challenging. "Dinosaur Poems" is in the same series.

Children enjoy the large format and great photographs included in Amazing Animal Facts by Christopher Maynard (Dorling Kindersley, £8.99, though it may be currently out of print). The question and answer format explaining weird and wonderful facts is informative.

Jim And The Beanstalk by the ever popular Raymond Briggs (Picture Puffins, £4.99) is a wonderfully inventive story inspired by the traditional tale of Jack and the Beanstalk. The children enjoy the giant character, surprisingly different to the giant in the original tale. This one is old, short-sighted with bad teeth! The illustrations are great as well.

Seven to nine

Lightning Lucy by Jeremy Strong (Puffin, £4.99) is about Lucy King who has extra-special powers, flying from one amazing adventure to another, often landing in trouble. The author is coming to visit our children later this year - a real author and a chance for the children to ask questions about story writing.

Whistling Jack by Linda Newbery (Collins, £3.99) is just the book for those who like stories about dogs. You may think the title is the name of the dog but you would be wrong - it's the name of the boat which Roger the dog lives on. But poor Roger is frightened of the tunnels on the canals. He overcomes his fear and gets lost in the process.

A favourite of both teachers and children alike is Elephants Don't Sit On Cars by David Henry Wilson (Macmillan, £3.99) - a collection of funny stories. Jeremy James asks a lot of questions, just like little children do, and tells some unlikely stories. His parents don't believe his tales and ignore them. Guess what?

Then there is My Naughty Little Sister And Bad Harry by Dorothy Edwards, illustrated by Shirley Hughes (Mammoth, £3.99). This is one of a series of similar stories involving a naughty little sister. There's double trouble when little sister and Bad Harry get together.

Ten to eleven

A series of stories about Fudge, also known as Farley Drexel Hatcher, are very popular amongst this age range. Double Fudge by Judy Blume (Macmillan, £10.99) is the latest adventure in the series. This is definitely a book that can be read alone or shared. Fudge becomes obsessed with money and this leads to one big heap of trouble.

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo (Macmillan, £4.99) is about a horse sent to the front line in the First World War. It's a fascinating book following the fortunes of the horse and its owners. A challenging read covering a difficult subject written for this age range.

Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt (Collins, £5.99) is another challenging read, a modern classic. It's an adventure story where, abandoned by their mother, Dicey takes charge of the family, taking care of them and keeping them together. Does she find the family a home? You'd better have the tissues ready.

...and finally

One of the best things you can do with children is to take them to the local library and let them choose a book for themselves. There is also the experience of choosing a new book from a bookshop. There are thousands of children's titles to choose from, but your child will be an expert in buying the book of their choice.

So, whether it's fact, fiction, picture books or any form of reading material including comics and the back of cereal packets, all children gain great enjoyment from the written word and the shared reading time they have with you.

Updated: 08:42 Wednesday, March 05, 2003