KEY POINTS:
The reading spell that boy wizard Harry Potter cast on Kiwi kids is still working.
The J.K. Rowling series was yesterday again unveiled at the top of the Whitcoulls Kids' Top 50 list of books - a position it has held since 2001.
A mix of old favourites
and more recent hits rounded out the top five, with Christopher Paolini's Eragon, Anthony Horowitz's Stormbreaker, Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Dav Pilkey's The Adventures of Captain Underpants.
Despite Harry Potter's fame, Glendowie 8-year-old Sophia Reid said mystery stories rather than magic tales were top in her book.
She wasn't put off that her favourite - the classic Nancy Drew series - didn't make the Top 50 list and wasn't sure why so many readers loved Harry Potter.
Mikaele Ymker, 5, also liked adventure stories, naming the Rainbow Magic series by Daisy Meadow, ranked 15th, as the best.
The list, which started in 1998, attracted 45,000 votes this year and was presented by Olympic gold medallist Hamish Carter.
Just three Kiwi titles made this year's cut: Lynley Dodd's Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy, Dawn McMillan and Ross Kinnaird's Why Do Dogs Sniff Bottoms and Betty and Alan Gilderdale's The Little Yellow Digger.
Surprisingly, J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit was among the regulars to have dropped off the list.
Another to go was Carter's childhood favourite, Bryce Courtenay's Power of One.
And while all six of the Potter books tied for first place, J.K. Rowling was not the most named author. Jacqueline Wilson had nine titles in the top 50, while Roald Dahl had eight.
WHAT THEY'RE READING
1. Harry Potter series J.K. Rowling
2. Eragon Christopher Paolini
3. Stormbreaker Anthony Horowitz
4. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Roald Dahl
5. The Adventures of Capt. Underpants Dave Pilkey
6. Matilda Roald Dahl
7. Charlotte's Web E.B. White
8. The BFG Roald Dahl
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe C.S. Lewis
10. A Series of Unfortunate Events Lemony Snicket
11. Holes Louis Sachar
12. The Cat in the Hat Dr Seuss
13. Green Eggs and Ham Dr Seuss
14. Judy Moody Megan McDonald
15. Rainbow Magic series Daisy Meadows
16. The Twits Roald Dahl
17. Best Friends Jacqueline Wilson
18. Utterly Me, Clarice Bean Lauren Child
19. Lola Rose Jacqueline Wilson
20. Geronimo Stilton series Geronimo Stilton
21. Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy Lynley Dodd
22. The Witches Roald Dahl
23. Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism Georgia Byng
24. James and the Giant Peach Roald Dahl
25. Deltora Quest: The Forest of Silence Emily Rodda26. Chinese Cinderella Adeline Yen Mah
27. The Diamond Girls Jacqueline Wilson
28. Just Crazy Andy Griffiths
29. Artemis Fowl Eoin Coffer
30. Eldest Christopher Paolini
31. Double Act Jacqueline Wilson
32. The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eric Carle
33. Badjelly the Witch Spike Milligan
34. Candyfloss Jacqueline Wilson
35. Famous Five series Enid Blyton
36. Fantastic Mr Fox Roald Dahl
37. The Gruffalo Julia Donaldson
38. George's Marvellous Medicine Roald Dahl
39. Vicky Angel Jacqueline Wilson
40. Secret Seven series Enid Blyton
41. Cherub series Robert Muchamore
42. Clean Break Jacqueline Wilson
43. Where the Wild Things Are Maurice Sendak
44. Why Do Dogs Sniff Bottoms Dawn McMillan & Ross Kinnaird
45. Bad Girls Jacqueline Wilson
46. Black Beauty Anna Sewell
47. Secrets Jacqueline Wilson
48. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy J.R.R. Tolkien
49. The Little Yellow Digger Betty and Alan Gilderdale
50. Tomorrow When the War Began series John Marsden
