Uncle Billy Being Silly, by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Korky Paul (Colour Young Puffin, £3.99)

Age 5-9

Rosen has a direct line to the logic young children use to build a picture of their lives. This fine collection of observations and poetry, not all of them new, skilfully combines Rosen's loose-limbed, laid-back style with Korky Paul's riotous illustrations. Ideal for children emerging from the disciplines of the reading scheme, this can also inspire their creative writing. Rosen is not locked into a beginning-middle-end technique, and the results are therefore airy but penetrating. The end result can even seem precarious and chaotic, but don't be fooled - it speaks directly to the audience, encouraging everyone to speak for themselves.

The Leap, by Jonathan Stroud (Red Fox, £4.99)

Age 12-16

Launching a new teenage imprint, Definitions, The Leap makes uncomfortable, compelling reading. Charlie has witnessed the drowning of her best friend, Max, but is convinced that he can still be reached and that she is the one to do it. Her distress at the death translates into bizarre behaviour, dreams and nightmares, witnessed by her perplexed brother and mother. It is the relationship between brother and sister that provides the spine of the story. James is frustrated at Charlie's apparent heedlessness, but ultimately tries to understand and so saves her life. The boy's short fuse, in the face of his sister's distracted grief, is sensitively depicted, as is Charlie's devastation at her loss.