A Bath independent school cancelled a visit from a top children’s author because it was concerned that her work was not in keeping with its Christian ethos.

Meg Rosoff, whose latest book is entitled There Is No Dog: What If God Were A Teenage Boy?, had been due to go to Monkton Combe School as part of the Bath Festival of Children’s Literature.

But her invitation was withdrawn after concerns about the content of the novel, which imagines God as a sex-mad 19-year-old called Bob. Monkton head teacher Richard Backhouse said he did not believe the book was “appropriate” for a Christian school.

He said: “Parents in this part of south west England have a rich choice of schools. As a school, we take seriously our responsibility to honour the choice parents have made by providing an education which reflects our ethos.

“At the start of this term, we made the decision that hosting the author Meg Rosoff to talk about her latest book, There Is No Dog, and subtitled What If God Were A Teenage Boy?, was not an appropriate reflection of our ethos.”

Rosoff, who visited King Edward’s School this week as part of her tour to Bath, said she was disappointed by the decision.

She wrote on her blog: “I’ve been called blasphemous. Moi? I know. Hard to imagine, isn’t it?”

In a statement, she added: “I have never written out of a desire to be controversial.

“It’s disappointing that some schools feel that the subject of my book is unsuitable for their pupils as I consider it part of my job as a writer to explore sensitive issues, and to let my adolescent readers find hope, humour and redemption in a world full of danger and loss.”

Penguin, Rosoff’s publisher, said it was “a great shame that a school would see fit not to give their pupils the opportunity to explore their beliefs and to engage with such universal issues as religion with a hugely popular author of Meg’s calibre”.

Meanwhile, students at KES enjoyed their visit from Rosoff, who along with fellow authors David Almond and Melvin Burgess, signed copies of her book and chatted to the pupils about her writing career.

Head teacher Martin Boden said all three authors offered the pupils an insight into the world of literature.

He said: “King Edward’s School was delighted to host three internationally renowned authors as part of the Bath Festival of Children’s Literature.

“Melvin Burgess, David Almond and Meg Rosoff all spoke eloquently about their latest books and fielded questions from a very interested group of KES pupils about their work as authors, their reflections on growing up and what inspired them to write their most recent novels.

“It proved to be a very stimulating and rewarding session which gave the pupils much food for thought, as well as providing an insight into the craft of such gifted writers.”

Meanwhile, youngsters at the King Edward’s pre-prep and nursery have also been holding a book week, with a variety of author and illustrator visits.

Children’s author Tracy Courderoy and illustrator Owen Davey joined classes to talk about their jobs and help the pupils create their own work.

Bath-based baker and chef Richard Bertinet, from The Bertinet Kitchen, also visited the school to run a bread-making workshop as part of a day of activities themed around the classic story, The Little Red Hen.