'Middle Grade' refers to young readers aged between 8 and 12, a group keenly fought over by the publishing industry for which this is a vibrant market.

Thousands of titles are published each year, and increasingly they feature illustrations designed to make a child's book that much more accessible and welcoming.

Many adults are members of local book groups which give them the chance to enjoy an informal get together and discuss a book - which is sometimes not the sort they would choose for themselves and therefore opens up new reading experiences.

Now Sue Porter at Linghams has created a Book Group for youngsters which will meet for the first time on March the 23rd between 4pm and 5pm.

It will be run by Linghams staffers Jane Chance and Kerry Keight, and tickets are £10.00 - which covers the cost of the book and refreshments.

The first book is the novel 'Sabotage on the Solar Express' by MG Leonard, described as "a thrilling, action-packed ride across the Australian Outback.

"The fifth instalment in the bestselling Adventures on Trains series sees Hal and Uncle Nat embark on the maiden voyage of the glorious Solar Express – only to discover someone has tampered with it."

Sue Porter says: "A Middle Grade book club is something I have been thinking about for a while. During the pandemic we held 550 events online and some of the most popular featured children's authors.

"So I thought a proper book club and not a virtual one would be something we could look into and get kids excited about reading.

"One important thing - the club will run during term time only and booking is essential. We will either post copies of the book out to our guests, or if they prefer they can pop into the shop and collect."

To order a book and place for a Middle Grade person in your life, please click or tap here.