What are you looking for in a pile of books? If you're between seven and eleven, probably just about anything. Sometimes I found my children reading really quite difficult and demanding novels. Sometimes they had their noses stuck in a tattered old Beano. So here's a list of things you'll often find lying about second hand that'll suit you in one mood or another.

Never pass up the chance of a Beano Annual. (You can fall upon the Dandy and Rupert annuals as well, and any of the others, but we all know the Beano is King.)

If you see a copy of Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf, by Catherine Storr, buy it and read it one last time before passing it on to someone younger.

My children always loved How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell, though I could never quite bring myself to read it.

If you ever see a copy of Hating Alison Ashley by Robin Klein, snatch it up. And I'd buy anything by her, even if I had to keep it to read when I was older.

I can't move on to the slightly older books without admitting that Enid Blyton was my favourite writer for years and years (until I discovered Jennings books). I loved the Island of Adventure and the Circus of Adventure, and all the Famous Five books. (I could never be doing with the Secret Seven.) But my very favourite of her books was called The Boy Next Door. (I even married someone called Kit, like the hero, which shows you how powerful fiction can be.)

You must have heard the William tapes, read by Martin Jarvis. Well, don't forget there are dozens of William books, all brilliant. (I mean that. My favourites are William's Crowded Hours, and William the Outlaw, but they're all brilliant.) They're by Richmal Crompton. You find them with all sorts of covers. Don't miss them.

While we're on books where you can collect the whole set, don't forget Anthony Buckeridge's terrific Jennings books: Jennings goes to School. Jennings and Derbyshire, etc. If you ever secretly wanted to go to Hogwart's Academy, try Jenning's boarding school for size. (And you'll still see plenty of Frank Richards' Bunter books lying around in second hand shops. They're boarding school stories too.)

Do you like ghost stories? Try Alison Prince's collections, especially The Ghost Within, if you can find it.

If you like Harry Potter, you're going to love Similon by Kathryn Cave.

Don't miss the Bagthorpe Saga, by Helen Cresswell. The Bagthorpes are a completely batty family. Start with Ordinary Jack, and Absolute Zero (he's their dog), and after that every book about them has Bagthorpe in the title. They are my eldest child's favourite books ever.

One of my passions as a child was Willard Price's Adventure series: Gorilla Adventure, South Sea Adventure, African Adventure, and so on. You'll still find loads lying around in charity shops and jumble sale boxes, and as long as you bear in mind how old they are (look for the copyright date in the tiny writing on the front page and do the maths), you'll probably enjoy them.

No house should be without a copy of Charlotte's Web by E B White. (The film is not enough. If you see the book, go for it.)

Robert C O'Brien wrote a book called Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. It's wonderful. And I see it around often.

You have probably heard of Noel Streatfeild. Curtain Up, White Boots, Party Frock, The Circus is Coming, and several more. Especially if you like books about performances, don't miss out on these.

Some people just assume they won't like historical novels. But do have a go. It's hard to choose between Henry Treece (try Legions of the Eagle, Viking's Dawn and Viking's Sunset), Geoffrey Trease (try Cue for Treason) and Rosemary Sutcliffe (The Eagle of the Ninth, The Witch's Brat). All three write terrific, nail-biting tales.

Most second hand bookshops get the odd battered paperback by Roger Lancelyn Green. Look for Adventures of Robin Hood, Luck of Troy and Myths of the Norsemen.

And when you've finished all that lot, you'll be ready for almost anything. So look at my list of good reads for even older readers you're bound to find second-hand, before you leave us and vanish into teenage and adult reading.