The idea that we should trust modern writing as discussed in Samantha Shannon’s article for The Guardian yesterday has been spiking in my head for some time. I too, would love to see some cracking new fiction in the ‘must read’ lists.

Her article is in response to the BBC’s #LoveToRead poll which put forward ten books children should read. It turned out that most of those suggested could be called ‘classics’, and all of which I hear mentioned repeatedly.

For me the primary role of a book for children is to encourage them to open the next one. This is closely followed by not treating the reader as if he/she were a ‘child’. Of course, I also believe that the present is waiting in the future not in the past, and while there are many lessons to be learned from the ‘classics’ we should always be looking around the next corner and listening for the new voices.

Rather that just grumble over the lack of new fiction recommended to expand, engage and enthral, I thought I should also offer one book that I rate as a novel that manages to do all three. I read Eye of the Wolf by Daniel Pennac (ISBN: 9781406352573) with my son when he was nine. What impressed us both was how the author conveyed the ideas of trust and respect through the animal and child characters.

Are there any recent children’s books that you would recommend?