For many families, and definitely mine, the festive season means lots of long car journeys. We have to trek around the country visiting far-flung friends and family. Great-Great-Aunt Evelyn is all the way up in Liverpool. Thank goodness that most children, unlike most adults, seem to be able to read a book in the car without feeling sick.

When Storme was younger, I tried to amuse her with dot-to-dot and colouring books. But the crayons never lasted beyond the first few miles, when they became buried somewhere at the back of the car, emerging several months later sticky with Capri Sun.

So, before she could even read, I abandoned anything other than proper books. To keep it in place, I stuck a piece of Velcro on the back cover, and another to the tray of her car seat.

Now 10, she no longer needs the Velcro, but she still needs a good book that will keep her occupied all the way up to Junction 13. And it has to be paperback, so if it doesn't make it back to London, nobody's too bothered. But anything I choose is met with a disgusted look and sneer of "Bor-ing".

That's why the results of the Nestle Smarties Book Prize (booktrust.org.uk), announced this week, are so handy. The winners are chosen, not by adults, but by kids; 25,000 schoolchildren vote for their favourite book.

The Gold Medal for Storme's age - 9-11s - went to first-time author Philip Reeve for Mortal Engines (Scholastic £5.99), a tale about cities like London moving about the country and fighting each other. For the 20-month-old twins, there are five-and-under prizewinners Pizza Kittens by Charlotte Voake (Walker £10.99) and Oscar and Arabella by Neal Layton (Hodder £4.99).

But if you have any suggestions for best kid's book for the car, let me know, whether or not they need Velcro.

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