Thirteen Reasons Why"High school student Clay finds a box of cassette tapes on his doorstep. They have been recorded by Hannah Baker, a classmate of Clay who has recently committed suicide. On the seven tapes, she tells twelve people how they played a part in her decision to end her life. It's not always an easy read, as Asher is dealing with some very mature subjects, but it is well written. The characters are realistically complex, which is something that's not always found in YA books, and the situations sometimes disturbingly relatable. By the end, you may not like Hannah, but you will certainly be able to understand her loneliness."

Moon Over Manifest"It’s 1937, and thirteen year old Abilene is sent off to the shabby town of Manifest to live with a friend over the summer, while her father works on a railroad job. The mystery starts when she finds an old box full of old memento’s and dives deeper into her father’s past. The two tales of Abilene in 1937 and the twenty year old mystery she is researching are entwined very well, and the characters felt very real. A great piece of historical fiction for the youngsters."

Andersen''s Fairy Tales"Every childhood needs a good dose of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales. His tales are both full of a childish wonder at the world, and a darker, somewhat grim layer of meaning. This collection does not contain nearly all his stories, but it has the most well-known ones (such as The Snow Queen, The Mermaid, The Nightingale and The Emperor’s New Clothes) and it is beautifully illustrated by Edmund Dulac."

Seven Sorcerers"One morning, Nin wakes up to find that her little brother has ceased to exist. No one even remembers him, except for Nin. It turns out that Toby has been taken away to a magical land by Skerridge the Bogey-man. And he's coming back for her... This book for kids aged nine and up is great, imaginative story with a nicely complex plot and fun characters. It can even be enjoyed by adults who don't mind reading a kids' book now and then."

The Illustrated Mum"No matter how much you love them, sometimes family can be a real drain on your life. Nobody knows this like Dolphin, the main character in The Illustrated Mum. Dolphin and her older sister Star live with their mother Marigold. As Marigold is bipolar and sometimes gets drunk or stays out all night partying, their relationship is not always easy. There are some heavy themes here, such as mental illness and dealing with family issues, but the style is lighthearted and author Jacqueline Wilson shows great sensitivity and handling these touchy subjects."

Black Beauty"The classic kids’ novel Black Beauty is the tale of a young horse, from the meadow he was born in to the many owners he had in his lifetime, both kind and cruel. It’s not only a book about a horse’s life, but also about human nature, the way we treat animals and a picture of the times. It may seem like a typical girls’ book now, but it’s actually very suitable for boys too, as there is plenty of adventure and genuine emotion in it. I read this book so many times as a little girl and it never failed to move me."

Alice In Wonderland"I came relatively late to Alice in Wonderland. I had grown up with the Disney movie, which was never one of my favorite Disneys, and so I never really felt drawn to Lewis Carrol's crazy tale of tea parties, croquet and crazy cats. But when I had to read it in college I suddenly saw the brilliance of his play on words and subtle plea for non-comformity - even if it does all turn out to be a dream. I'm sure that, if I had read it as a child, I would have loved it just as much."

The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials"Lyra Belacqua lives in a world that is very similar to ours, but not quite. It is a steampunk world of zeppelins, horsedrawn carriages and the odd automobile. More importantly, everyone in Lyra’s world has a daemon, an animal companion spirit who is with them at all times. Lyra and her daemon Pan have to leave their comfortable home of Oxford College when her uncle Lord Asriel is imprisoned and her best friend Roger goes missing. She sets out on a trip of a lifetime to save them. The Golden Compass is an exciting fantasy book, filled with mystery, magic and many complex layers of storytelling."