Author of Chocolat presented MBE
The Queen has voiced her concerns about children being attracted to computer games and e-books rather than reading traditional paper books.
Her comments came as she presented Barnsley-born author Joanne Harris with an MBE for services to literature.
Harris, whose books have been published in more than 40 countries, came to prominence when her 1999 novel Chocolat topped the best-seller lists in 1999. The 2001 film version, which starred Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp, brought the story of a single mother who divides opinion in a small French village when she opens a chocolate shop, to an even wider audience.