Battled your way through Michael Morpurgo and looking for more inspiration? Tony Bradman recommends his top ten books about the conflictWant more? Look at Book Doctor's recommendations for First World War books for a 10-year-old and Paul Dowswell's non fiction choices

The first world war has cast a very long shadow over the last century. My parents were of the generation that lived through the second world war, but I grew up listening to my mother recounting her dad's tales about his terrible experiences during the Gallipoli campaign in 1915 and later on the Western Front. I never met my grandfather – he died in 1946 – but I always felt a strong personal connection to him because of those stories.

That's probably why I developed an early interest in the history and literature of the first world war. I studied Wilfred Owen for my English A Level, and that led me to Sassoon and Blunden, Rosenberg and Thomas. I read the great novels and memoirs: All Quiet on the Western Front, Memoirs of an Infantry Officer, Goodbye to All That, Undertones of War. And later, of course, there was Pat Barker's prize-winning Regeneration trilogy.

So it seemed natural for me to do something for the centenary this year. First to be published was Stories of World War One, an anthology of short stories by some of today's best children's writers. I've also written three books with my son and co-author Tom: My Brother's Keeper, a short novel about an under-age soldier in the trenches; Duel in the Sky, another short book about fighter aces; and Through Mud and Blood, a story about the involvement of US troops in the last weeks of the war.

Choosing a top 10 has been a challenge – there are so many great books for children and young people about the first world war. My top 10 has both old and new books in it, and they cover a wide age range. Some people might be surprised that I've missed out two modern classics - Michael Morpurgo's War Horse and Private Peaceful, but everyone knows about them anyway. And Mr Morpurgo does make an appearance…

1. Archie's War by Marcia Williams

This wonderful large-format picture/novelty book tells you almost everything you need to know about the war. Archie is 10 years old in 1914, and this is scrap book of what happens to him and his family and neighbours over the next four years. It's packed with drawings and letters and fold-out cards and terribly sad stories. Not to be missed.

2. Brothers At War by Sarah Ridley

This non-fiction picture book is subtitled 'A First World War Family History', and is based on the experiences of three brothers who fought on the Western Front. Using their letters and a diary written in a prisoner of war camp, Sarah Ridley has created a fascinating book that explores the impact of the war on the soldiers, and on their families at home.

3. War Game by Michael Foreman

One of the most famous incidents of the war is the Christmas 1914 football match played in No Man's Land between British and German soldiers. Michael Foreman's brilliant picture book follows four football-playing boys from the fields of Suffolk to the trenches of the Western Front, where they discover that war is far more than just a game.

4. The Great War by various, illustrated by Jim Kay

This handsome hardback is an anthology of short stories 'inspired by objects from the First World War' – a helmet, a Victoria Cross, a recruitment poster, etc. It has a stellar list of contributors – Michael Morpurgo, Adele Geras, Tracy Chevalier, Marcus Sedgwick, David Almond to name but a few – and Jim Kay's atmospheric illustrations are wonderful.

5. Poems from the First World War selected by Gaby Morgan

Any top 10 list of first world war books has to include some poetry, and there are plenty of anthologies to choose from. But this one stands out for me. It features all the poets you'd expect to find in such a book – Brooke, Owen, Sassoon, Rosenberg, Thomas – but there are lots more besides, including some great poems I hadn't encountered before.

6. Shadow of the Zeppelin by Bernard Ashley

We tend to think of air raids more as a part of the second world war, but they were also a feature of the first world war. Bernard Ashley's gripping novel tells the story from both sides. Young south Londoner Freddy is bombed out, while Zeppelin crew member Ernst has to deal with the conflict of duty and conscience – and the prospect of a terrible death.

7. Tilly's Promise by Linda Newbery

The war had an enormous impact on young women, and this short novel explores that beautifully. Tilly Peacock's sweetheart joins up, expecting to 'be home by Christmas', and she wants to do her bit too, so she becomes a nurse. Both soon discover the war is a monster that destroys pretty much all it touches. Devastating, but hopeful as well.

8. Valentine Joe by Rebecca Stevens

Hundreds of thousands of under-age boys joined the army in the early part of the war, and this is the story of one of them, 15-year-old Valentine Joe. Young Rose goes to Belgium with her grandfather to visit the graves of those who died in the war, and finds herself slipping back in time. A moving exploration of the war's impact resonating down the years.

9. Remembrance by Theresa Breslin

A massive historical event deserves a book that works on an epic scale to cover it, and this one certainly does the job. It's the story of how the war changes the lives of five young people forever, and explores a whole range of major themes: duty, idealism, courage, disillusionment. The new edition comes complete with some handy research notes.

10. Eleven Eleven by Paul Dowswell

There's nothing like a ticking clock to add plenty of tension to a story, and the run-up to the Armistice – 11am on 11th November 1918 – was probably the most lethal countdown in history. Paul Dowswell's utterly gripping, award-winning novel follows three young combatants in the last hours of the war, when survival could only be seconds away.