Meet our Book Doctor... Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of A Secret of Birds and Bone

How can I find books that are more representative of our diverse society for my [5-year-old] mixed-race son (i.e. books in which Black, Asian and minority ethnic children take lead roles, not simply filling in the background!)? – Matthew

It's no secret publishing has a problem with putting its money where its mouth is in terms of reflecting the society we live in. Luckily, publishers such as indie Knights Of are shaking things up, and retailers are finally understanding that we all need and want diverse books. For your five year old, I'd recommend the Waterstones Children's Book Prize winning Look Up! by Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola, Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love, The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael Lopez, and Tom Percival's series including Ravi's Roar and Ruby's Worry. When he moves into the next reading bracket, keep an eye on the Jhalak Prize and Little Rebels Prize, which especially celebrate diverse and wonderful books.

Any suggestions for how to get boy reluctant readers to enjoy reading for pleasure would be very welcome, please. How do I make reading cool? – Janet

There's such a wealth of books out there, it's just a case of finding the right one for them. If they have particular interests, try finding them stories that reflect them – being very assumptive here, if they like football then Kick by Mitch Johnson or Mal Peet's Keeper, if they like spies then Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider series had me gripped as a child.

Otherwise, try something that is impossible to put down, like White Rabbit, Red Wolf by Tom Pollock – a complete thrill ride of a book – Alex Wheatle's brilliant Crongton Knights trilogy, or Patrice Lawrence's award-winning Orangeboy. These books read like films, fast paced and highly engaging. I'm not sure what age you're looking for, but these are all suitable for readers 12-16+.

My [7-year-old] daughter is showing signs of dyslexia. Are there any books/authors you can recommend for her to read? – Jennie

Your first port of call should definitely be Barrington Stoke. This publisher exclusively publishes for dyslexic and reluctant readers, and the quality of the authors and stories are amazing. Some personal favourites are Malorie Blackman's Grandpa Bert and the Ghost Snatchers, Katherine Woodfine's Rose’s Dress of Dreams, Michael Morpurgo's We Are Not Frogs, and Lisa Thompson's Owen and the Soldier. Their website is beautifully laid out, and I recommend having a browse with her to see what catches her eye!

Alternatively, consider comics/graphic novels. This is how I engaged with a lot of stories as a child, such as Asterix and Obelix, and Tove Jansson's The Moomins. Recently I especially enjoyed highly illustrated books such as Liz Pichon's Tom Gates series, Chris Riddell's Goth Girl, and Cressida Cowell's How To Train Your Dragon and Wizards of Once series.

I'm finding it hard to pick a book that really keeps me entertained because I often read at night and if the book is boring, I just end up falling asleep! I would really love a good mystery book to dive into. – Earnest, age 13

There's nothing more exciting than a brilliantly told mystery, and Robin Steven's Murder Most Unladylike series is one of the best ever. If you haven't yet discovered Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong's adventures, I wholeheartedly recommend you read the whole series, which just this year culminated with its ninth and final novel, Death Sets Sail. Sharna Jackson's High Rise Mystery is brilliant, and the second in the series has just come out. If you're not encountered Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl series, they are fantastic – so exciting and twisty! If you can fall asleep reading that I'll be very surprised and a bit worried…

I find myself judging a lot of YA fiction by the cover and finding a lot of repetition in the story lines, and as a result I'm finding it hard to pick anything to read. Could you recommend any books with unique story lines, maybe set in schools? – Sinead, age 16

If you haven't read Holly Bourne's Spinster Club series, please, please pick it up. They are so funny, and demolish just about every trope you can think of. Katherine Webber's Only Love Can Break Your Heart does not go where you think it's going to. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder is the perfect mystery read, entwined in a school project. Some other favourites that aren't set in schools are Catherine Doyle's Blood for Blood trilogy – so gripping and twisty and hilarious – The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury, Yaba Badoe's A Jigsaw of Fire and Stars, and if you don't mind crying your heart out, Jamila Gavin's Coram Boy is one of my all-time favourites.