I think I was 10. I was having a party. The weather was good, so my mother was keeping us all outside, so we'd break nothing and get sick on the grass. One of my friends handed me a present. He looked a bit embarrassed. I knew what it was before I opened it. A book... I thanked him and tore off the paper. Great Expectations. I eventually read it. Pip in the graveyard, the escaped convict - more than 40 years later, I'm still reading Dickens

Veritably perfect for any young space-lover . . . I can only imagine how enthralling it must seem for the young space enthusiasts.

Has always been a favourite of mine… This book is one for the hall of fame

Wonderful

Endlessly charming

I can think of few greater pleasures in reading aloud to a bookish child than to read that child first Gulliver's Travels and then Mistress Masham's Repose... It is a stunning book for a child to know

A book I read again and again is Mistress Masham's Repose... you're in awe of the imagination behind it. When I read it as a child I thought it had really happened.

Open Mistress Masham's Repose, by T H White, and you stop into a magical place... The book is an idyll.

A Boy and a Bear in a Boat is an absolute gem of a book. It is a beautifully tender and enchanting story of a developing friendship between two most unlikely characters, in the most improbable of settings...The story broaches many themes including friendship, hope and courage to name a few, but touches on them with lightness and wonderful humour, including some particularly funny moments and splendid repartee...The book, as an object, is absolutely stunning. The cover itself is marvellous, complete with tea stain and worn edges and one must applaud the publisher for taking a possible risk by choosing style and beauty over a more "commercial" cover. The inside illustrations work in perfect unison with the tone of the text. The bear is particularly glorious; there something so kind and safe about his demeanour.

This is an insightful read that is both poignant and laugh out loud funny. The developing relationship between the boy and the bear is beautifully observed. It captures the everyday minutiae of situations every child experiences - boredom, questioning authority, making things worse while trying to help - and sets these in a surreal world of a boy in a boat rowed by a bear encountering adventures whilst "not lost" on the high seas.