The Bookseller.com

2nd December 2008

Narnia voted top kids book

21.02.08 Alison Flood

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the best children's book of all time, according to a new survey from Booktrust. The Very Hungry Caterpillar came in second, with Enid Blyton's Famous Five series in third.

The poll of 4,000 people was conducted by Booktrust to support its Bookstart initiative, which gives free books to children in the UK.

The best loved author was Roald Dahl, who had six books in the top 50, followed by Blyton with five and Julia Donaldson with four.

The poll also showed that four out of five parents read their children a bedtime story every night, for an average of 22 minutes a time.

Viv Bird, director of Booktrust, said: "It's wonderful to see the enduring popularity of these books which are loved by generation after generation. At Booktrust we want everyone to enjoy reading, whether it be returning to old favourites or encouraging people to try something new. The final 50 are a fascinating mix of classic and contemporary titles which offers something for everyone."

The top fifty in full:
 
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis
The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle
Famous Five, Enid Blyton
Winnie the Pooh, A.A. Milne
The BFG, Roald Dahl
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling
The Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
The Gruffalo, Julia Donaldson
The Tales of Peter Rabbit, Beatrix Potter
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
Matilda, Roald Dahl
The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Cat in the Hat, Dr Suess
The Twits, Roald Dahl
Mr Men, Roger Hargreaves
A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
The Malory Towers Series, Enid Blyton
Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie
The Railway Children, E. Nesbit
Hans Christian Fairy Tales, H.C. Andersen
The Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum
The Witches, Roald Dahl
Stig of the Dump, Clive King
The Wishing Chair, Enid Blyton
Dear Zoo, Rod Campbell
The Tiger Who Came to Tea, Judith Kerr
Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Jan Brett
James and the Giant Peach, Roald Dahl
A Bear Called Paddington, Michael Bond
Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak
Aesop's Fables, Jerry Pinkney
The Borrowers, Mary Norton
Just So Stories, Rudyard Kipling
Meg and Mog, Jan Pienkowski
Mrs Pepperpot, Alf Proyson
We're Going on a Bear Hunt, Michael Rosen
The Gruffalo's Child, Julia Donaldson
Room on a Broom, Julia Donaldson
The Worst Witch, Jill Murphy
Miffy, Dick Bruna
The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery
Flat Stanley, Jeff Brown
The Snail and the Whale, Julia Donaldson
Ten Little Ladybirds, Melanie Gerth
Six Dinners Sid, Inga Moore
The St. Clares Series, Enid Blyton
Captain Underpants, Dav Pilkey

Book children's Narnia Alison Flood

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