In the Classroom: Independent Reading and Nonfiction

"I like adventures. Not atlases!" was my 11-year-old nephew's reaction to recent probing by this auntie of his reading habits.

I should have known better. Anthony Horowitz warned in a recent interview about the perils of "auntie's choice" when it comes to what kids read: "Children choose the books they want to read. Children's books belong to children; they're not something that your auntie picks out for you at Christmas any more."

And of course said nephew is a big Alex Rider fan. But perhaps...