Harry Potter's popular, but not the No. 1 read among kids
The Washington Post
WASHINGTON -- Children have welcomed the Harry Potter books in recent years like free ice cream in the cafeteria. But the largest survey ever of youth reading in the United States will reveal today that none of J.K. Rowling's phenomenally popular books has been able to dislodge the works of longtime favorites Dr. Seuss, E.B. White, Judy Blume, S.E. Hinton and Harper Lee as the most read.
Books by the five well-known U.S. authors, plus lesser-known Laura Numeroff, Katherine Paterson and Gary Paulsen, drew the most readers at every grade level in a study on the Renaissance Learning Web site. The site surveyed more than 3 million children -- who had read 78.5 million books -- who logged on to the site to take quizzes on books they read last year.
"I find it reassuring ... that students are still reading the classics I read as a child," said Roy Truby, a senior vice president for Wisconsin-based Renaissance Learning. But Truby said he would have preferred to see more meaty and varied fare, such as "historical novels and biographical works."
Michelle Bayuk, marketing director for the New York-based Children's Book Council, agreed. "What's missing from the list are all the wonderful nonfiction, informational, humorous and novelty books as well as graphic novels that kids read and enjoy both inside and outside the classroom."
Renaissance Learning's Accelerated Reader software for monitoring reading progress online was the source of the survey.
Online: www.cbcbooks.org
WHAT CHILDREN ARE READING
The Renaissance Learning report "What Kids Are Reading" calculated the books most read by more than 3 million schoolchildren last year. Here are the top five at each grade level:
First grade
1. Green Eggs and Ham, Dr. Seuss
2. The Foot Book, Dr. Seuss
3. Are You My Mother? P.D. Eastman
4. Hop on Pop, Dr. Seuss
5. Biscuit, Alyssa Capucilli
Second grade
1. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Laura Numeroff
2. Green Eggs and Ham
3. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle
4. If You Give a Moose a Muffin, Numeroff
5. If You Give a Pig a Pancake, Numeroff
Third grade
1. Charlotte's Web, E.B. White
2. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Judi Barrett
3. Officer Buckle and Gloria, Peggy Rathmann
4. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, Jon Scieszka
5. Dogzilla, Dav Pilkey
Fourth grade
1. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Judy Blume
2. Sarah, Plain and Tall, Patricia MacLachlan
3. Because of Winn-Dixie, Kate DiCamillo
4. Charlotte's Web
5. Stone Fox, John Gardiner
Fifth grade
1. Bridge to Terabithia, Katherine Paterson
2. Hatchet, Gary Paulsen
3. Holes, Louis Sachar
4. The Sign of the Beaver, Elizabeth Speare
5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, J.K. Rowling
Sixth grade
1. Hatchet
2. Bridge to Terabithia
3. Holes
4. Number the Stars, Lois Lowry
5. The Bad Beginning, Lemony Snicket
Seventh grade
1. The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton
2. Holes
3. The Giver, Lowry
4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Rowling
Eighth grade
1. The Outsiders
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
3. The Giver
4. Holes
5. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Rowling
Ninth-12th grade
1. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
3. Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck
4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
5. A Child Called 'It,' Dave Pelzer
Source: The Washington Post
