In 2003, Varjak Paw won the Nestle Smarties Book Prize Gold Award, but what makes the book such a good read?
Author SF Said spends an afternoon with Year 4 teacher Carl Taylor and his class at Applegarth Junior School, Croydon. As fans of the book, they seize the opportunity to ask the author about his inspirations, as he explains themes of trust, authority and friendship.
Guardian critic and CLPE co-director Julia Eccleshare comments on the book's strengths and on the role of fiction in children's lives.
