With the Easter holiday fast approaching I have chosen some children’s books to recommend.

For younger readers, Stinky and Jinks: My Hamster Is A Genius series, pbk, £5.99 each. “My mum had a long history of unusual punishments, and, thanks to the sticky-taping incident, she announced that she was buying me a pet.”

This is how we meet nine-year-old Benjamin Jinks and his grumpy hamster, Jasper Stinkybottom. Benjamin is a very normal boy who hates maths. Stinky is a genius hamster, who likes carrots.

Together they are an unstoppable team. But can their hair – brained plots overcome the evil scheming of Ben’s maths teacher, Beardy McCreedy or foil burglars in the local neighbourhood?

For ages 8-12 the Dear Dumb Diary series are a great giggle, pbk, £6.99 each. The (nearly) true confessions of Jamie Kelly include lots of funny antics from school For readers who have outgrown Dear Dumb Diary, Tom Gates and Wimpy Kid, The Private Blog of Joe Cowley may be for you, paperback, £6.99.

This is the cringe-worthy secret blog of 14-year-old Joe (wannabe comic artist and repeller of girls) in which he confesses to gaining the nickname Puke Skywalker after vomiting over Louise Bentley on the waltzer and being subjected to daily wedgies by his arch-enemy Gav James.

Can Joe change his life for the better or is he destined to end up like ‘Mad Morris down the park’?