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Originally published Monday, May 5, 2008 at 12:00 AM

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Harry Potter can't match magic of longtime children's classics

Children have welcomed the Harry Potter books in recent years like free ice cream in the cafeteria, but the largest survey ever of youthful...

The Washington Post

What kids are reading

Top five books 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

WASHINGTON — Children have welcomed the Harry Potter books in recent years like free ice cream in the cafeteria, but the largest survey ever of youthful reading in the United States will reveal today that none of J.K. Rowling's 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 of 78.5 million books read by more than 3 million children who logged on to the Renaissance Learning Web site to take quizzes on books they read last year. Many works from Rowling's Potter series turned up in the top 20, but other authors also ranked high and are likely to get more attention as a result.

"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 so integral to understanding our past and contemporary books that help us understand our world."

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."

Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company

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