I had the urge to share my favourite Children's characters and books with you. Working in the Children's Department of my local library gives me a wonderful opportunity to read books I wouldn't normally have considered (you often find that some books aimed at children are wittier and more amusing than those intended for the adult market). I also get to talk to the readers themselves (who, incidentally we call Borrowers!) and their recommendations and input is a big bonus too.

So...here goes...tange's Top 10 Children's Books and the characters that make them special!

1 ~ MINTY CANE FROM MOONDIAL.

Moondial, by Helen Cresswell, is a book about Time Travel, ghosts and mystery ~ pretty much a list of my favourite story elements. Moondial was dramatised and shown on the BBC when I was a teenager and I was hooked immediately. I WANTED to be Araminta (Minty) Cane and have the adventure she does. I thought her name was cool AND she got to go and stay in a beautiful village with her Aunt! The story itself gives Minty a lot of opportunity as a character ~ she is drawn to a sundial at Belton House by supernatural forces, thus involving her in a mystery that covers centuries. It really is a story that I recommend you read ~ and I defy you not to want to Minty too!

2 ~ GED FROM A WIZARD OF EARTHSEA.

A Wizard of Earthsea is the first part of an epic tale by Ursula Le Guin. This is a story written way back in the 60's ~ a tale that, for me, rivals Harry Potter as a tale of wizards and magical power. Ged is a young apprentice wizard, who is plucked from his home surroundings. He must learn how to control his magic, understand the responsibilities that come with such power and also cope with the usual traumas of growing up! This is the best book in Le Guin's story (originally released as a Trilogy, but it has since been expanded on) and has a lot of atmosphere and mystery. Ged is a strange character to deal with - he is not likable at first, but as he learns, he progresses and becomes a stronger character. To begin with he is cursed we pride and anger, but events and the knowledge he accumulates lead him to develop courage and strength.

3 ~ DANNY LODGE FROM BROTHER IN THE LAND.

Brother in the Land, written by Robert Swindells, is the story of a post-Nuclear age society. Danny Lodge, an ordinary teenage boy, survives a nuclear attack and then has the unenviable task of learning to live in a world of hunger, pain and death. It isn't a nice story, but

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