One child's verdict on teachers' must-reads

Avid reader Tom Lamb, aged 11, says he has read most of the books on the list

With Charlie and the Chocolate Factory heading a teachers' list of books all children should read in primary school, the BBC asked one avid young reader for his views.

Roald Dahl's cautionary tale definitely deserves its place at the top, according to 11-year-old Tom Lamb, from Shenfield in Essex, who says he reads for about an hour every day.

"It's just quite amusing and exciting to read and not boring or anything. It's a lot of different adventures, not all the same thing," Tom told the BBC.

He particularly liked the way the more obnoxious characters in the book "get paid for what they do".

But what does Tom think about the other books on the list?

• Goodnight Mr Tom by Michelle Magorian

"We read that with the school and we had to do comprehension over it. It was really good and quite realistic. I can imagine that sort of thing happening.

"I think I liked Tom best because he persevered with stuff and adopted William when everyone wanted him to go to a special home for children."

• Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

"I probably will read this. I know she goes into another world. I have seen the movie."

• Matilda by Roald Dahl

"It was quite strange but quite amusing and exciting. I like the way he wrote it with lots of detail about Matilda's family life."

• The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson

"I thought it was quite scary but now I think it's quite a funny book.

"It's a very good book - quite short. So not long and boring."

Aslan the Lion from and Richard Dempsey as Peter Pevensie from a BBC adaptation of the Chronicles of Narnia

• The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis

"I haven't read this yet. I definitely know they go into another world and there are lots of different characters and adventures.

"I am quite keen to read it."

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

"It was quite easy and, when you are younger, quite a fun and enjoyable book to read with lots of good pictures to help younger children to understand what the words mean."

Tom's family have several of the top books in their home library

• We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen

"When I was younger it was really scary but very good. I was very scared at first - but when I read it afterwards I thought it was really funny. It's good the way it makes you pronounce the words again and again."

• Dogger by Shirley Hughes

"I was about seven when I read this. I enjoyed it. It was about something that could have happened to me."

• Where the Wild Things are by Maurice Sendak

"This was fun. The pictures were really good, they helped you understand the story a bit more."

So what else should be on the list?

For Tom the big surprise is that the list does not include a single Harry Potter book.

"I really think they should have been on the list. I am on the last one now. I read it every night. I like the last one best, more than the other ones.

"It's called The Deathly Hallows. The other ones are more about school and stuff. This is about when he's left school and it's a lot more exciting."