Taking the time to sit with your child and delve into a fun book is not only a great way to bond and share enjoyment of an activity together, but is also a great way to encourage the habit of reading. So here are a few suggestions to get you started.

Fantasy novels offer us a chance to venture into a future which may never exist, or a past unrecognisable to the one we know of. Literature of this kind comes in all sorts of varieties and can vary from the almost possible to complete fantasy and everywhere in between.

The Institute of Education has reported that children who read for pleasure are likely to do significantly better at school than their peers, even in subjects not traditionally related, such as maths.

For the first time last year, research showed that children are reading more on computers and other electronic devices than they are reading printed books, magazines, newspapers and comics.

It is sometimes easy to forget that a wealth of literature is full of comedy. Many of Oscar Wilde's novels are humorous, but for a hearty chortle, look no further than The Importance of Being Earnest.