Books for all ages

1. Adults Only, by Morris Gleitzman (Viking, £10.99 in UK)

1. Adults Only, by Morris Gleitzman (Viking, £10.99 in UK). Matters humorous and serious are juxtaposed in this Australian story of Jake, his teddy bear, his parents and the mysterious Mr Goff. (Age group: 11)

2. All Your Own Teeth, by Adrienne Geoghegan, illustrated by Cathy Gale (Bloomsbury, £9.99 in UK). Stewart rudely dismisses the animals who offer to pose for his paintings: but this is before he encounters the crocodile. (4)

3. Because A Fire Was In My Head, edited by Michael Morpurgo (Faber, £12.99 in UK). This, in its emphasis on the "fire" of the imagination, is the year's most original poetry anthology. (All Ages)

4. Calling A Dead Man, by Gillian Cross (Oxford, £6.99 in UK). The mysterious circumstances of John Cox's apparent death demand that his sister and his fiancΘe travel to Siberia to investigate, resulting in a powerfully gripping novel. (12)

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5. Fishbum and Splat, by Conor McHale (O'Brien, £4.33). Star-gazing demons, dancing angels and exploding stars populate this zany tale of travels from Hell to Heaven - and back? (6)

6. George Shrinks, by William Joyce (Collins, £9.99 in UK). This handsome reissue of a classic picture book brilliantly uses typography, layout, colour and text to convey the small child's view of a big adult world. (4)

7. Ignis, by Gina Wilson, illustrated by P.J.Lynch (Walker, £10.99 in UK). Lynch's appropriately volcanic pictures of Dragonland embellish this tale of how Ignis, a young dragon, acquires his fire. (8)

8. I'm A Tiger Too!, by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick (Wolfhound, £9.99). A small boy's loneliness is conquered through his imagination and sympathetically conveyed in both text and illustration. (4)

9. In The Light Of The Moon, by Sam McBratney (Kingfisher, £16.99 in UK). Here are eight new "bedtime" stories, simply and entertainingly written, with "reading aloud" very much in mind. (4)

10. Jim Hawkins And The Curse Of Treasure Island, by Francis Bryan (Orion, £12.99 in UK). Ten years on from Stevenson's classic, Jim is visited by a beautiful stranger and her son. High adventure ensues. (11)

11. Mr Benn - Gladiator, by David McKee (Andersen, £9.99 in UK). Mr Benn enters his costume shop and emerges a Roman gladiator: thumbs up for the droll storyline and the mischievous illustrations! (6)

12. My Dream Bed, by Lauren Child (Hodder, £12.99 in UK). Childhood beds of all sorts and for all sorts of circumstances provide numerous opportunities for fun with the tabs and flaps. (4)

13. Shakespeare: His Work & His World, by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Robert Ingpen (Walker, £12.99 in UK). Rosen's skill in bringing to life the "extraordinary and dangerous times" of Shakespeare and his plays is dazzling. (10)

14. Story Of The Titanic, by Eric Kentley, illustrated by Steve Noon (Dorling Kindersley, £12.99 in UK). In this superb information book, the coloured illustrations and imaginative presentation combine to provide a fascinating history of the famous ship. (9)

15. The Breadwinner, by Deborah Ellis (Oxford, £4.99 in UK). This topical novel deals candidly, but compassionately, with contemporary Afghanistan and with one girl's courage in confronting the brutality of Taliban rule. (10)

16. The Magical Worlds Of Harry Potter, by David Colbert (Puffin, £5.99 in UK). Stacked with insights into the "myths, legends and fascinating facts" behind the novels, this is one of the more laudable Potter spin-offs. (8)

17. The Magic Lands, by Kevin Crossley-Holland (Orion, £12.99 in UK). Sub-titled "folk tales of Britain and Ireland", this collection of some 50 stories provides remarkable value and variety. (9)

18. The Rag And Bone Shop, by Robert Cormier (Hamish Hamilton, £10.99 in UK). The "taboo" subject of child murder comes under powerful scrutiny in this tense, psychological thriller. (14)

19. The Rainbow Book Of Nursery Rhymes, illustrated by Sam Childs (Hutchinson, £19.99 in UK). Over 100 nursery rhymes are presented here in delightful technicolour, creating an exuberant and indispensable collection. (All ages)

20. The Ropemaker, by Peter Dickinson. (Macmillan, £12.99 in UK). This epic, mythic story, based on the motif of the quest, sees young and old co-operate in restoring magic to their native valley. (11)

21. The Story Giant, by Brian Patten (Harper Collins, £12.99 in UK). If the story missing from his collection remains unfound, the Giant will perish. Enter, significantly, four children, in this parable about story and its importance. (9)

22. The Stretford Enders Away, by Trevor J. Colgan (Red Fox, £5.99 in UK). Life, love and football make their interweaving demands on 15-year-old Luke and his dreams of sporting fame. (14)

23. The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip, by George Sanders (Bloomsbury, £10.99 in UK). The most eccentric and most idiosyncratically illustrated - by Lane Smith - children's book of 2001, this is a sparkling satire on small-town manners. (9)

24. The Wide Window, by Lemony Snickert (Egmont, £5.99 in UK). Third in the "series of unfortunate events", this continues the lugubrious, but hilarious, story of the Baudelaire orphans and their battle against a malevolent universe. (10)

25. Three Scary Stories, by Frieda Hughes (Collins, £3.99 in UK). There is enough of the strange and the unexpected here to ensure that the pages will be quickly - if sometimes nervously - turned! (9)

26. Toro! Toro, by Michael Morpurgo (Collins, £9.99 in UK). Spain in the 1930s serves as background for this dramatic story of a boy, his beloved black bull and their participation in national events. (9)

27. Truth Seeker, by Deborah Lisson (O'Brien, £5.47). Sigfrid, a young Viking who has travelled to Dublin to embark on a warrior's life, begins to question many of his heroic assumptions. (11)

28. Ug, by Raymond Briggs (Jonathan Cape, £10.99 in UK). The multi-layered story of Ug, "boy genius of the Stone Age", is narrated in Briggs's words and cartoon-style strips with tremendous and playful gusto. (8)

29. Voyage To Victory, by Kieran Fanning (Mentor, £4.99). In this journey back to Viking times, Sam and Lisa have to be helped by the reader's participation in games and puzzles. (9)

30. You Don't Know Me, by David Klass (Viking, £12.99 in UK). The irony and self-deprecation of John, the hero, see him through the vicissitudes of home, family and first date: young adult book of the year. (14)