Christmas stocking-filler.

Your book review of Peter's Railway persuaded me to buy, and it's received a hugely enthusiastic response from my young children (Back Stop, PE 1 October).

It's very refreshing to read a heart-warming story blended with a clear explanation of the basic engineering involved in steam trains, and the fun of building things. We went on our local steam railway again having read the book several times, and my five-year-old son was full of excitement, having a grasp of how it all worked.

Too few children's books address science and engineering in an intelligent and accessible way. Perhaps some more in this vein will inspire our youngsters to pursue a career in engineering. We're looking forward to the next in the series.

I'd recommend anyone with young children to look at www.petersrailway,com.

Martin Soltau

Winchcombe, Gloucestershire