1984 by George Orwell
Yes, it is the classic terrifying dystopian novel, but it's a classic for a reason. And Orwell's tale of an impossibly powerful and repressive government that has absolute control over art, writing and even people's thoughts is as provocative today as when it was first published.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Amazing, and in some ways even scarier than 1984 because it seems so much closer to reality. In Bradbury's future America it is not the government repressing thought and imagination – it is the people themselves who are burying themselves in a constant flood of colour and sound from TVs and radios. Thus books, harbingers of knowledge and independent thought, are burnt alive.
Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
Even bypassing Woolf's criticism of English society, its class system, its prejudice against women and the narrow-minded conformity it encouraged, this book still had a huge effect on me. Why? The way Virginia Woolf writes. Her stream of consciousness style and flowing, evocative prose completely transformed my notions of what words can do.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Another dystopian world that presents some interesting questions about the importance and nature of happiness. Is it better to be drugged with "soma" and be perpetually happy, or think and feel and suffer?
My Name is Mina by David Almond
Mina's story is interwoven with her poems, interesting facts and "extraordinary activities" – "write an empty page. This is quite easy. Now look closely at the emptiness. This is quite easy, too, and quite delightful." A celebration of the beauty and power of words like "paradox", "spaghetti pomodoro", "destrangification" and "skylark", Mina makes you look at the world in a completely new way.
The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
The final book in His Dark Materials trilogy, The Amber Spyglass makes me marvel at Pullman's courage. The issues he tackles – love, death, religion – are so big and controversial that few dare touch them. But not only does The Amber Spyglass challenge some of the most fundamental religious tenets and ideas, it is also a great adventure story, beautifully written, that passes through myriad vivid, imaginative worlds.
If you have a top five you'd like to share, or you'd like to add your own favourites to Firebird's list, email us at childrens.books@theguardian.com"
