The Nation's Favourite Children's Books

Copyright Waterstones

During 1997 Waterstone's announced two polls - one to find the Books of the Century, another to decide the Nation's favourite children's books. The results of those polls, one with Channel 4, the other with BBC's Bookworm, have been a source of widespread debate and interest ever since - from Richard and Judy to the New Yorker. By popular request we have now combined the two - so here they are side-by-side. The debate rages on about the relative merits of Dahl and Tolkien, the representation of poetry, writing by women authors, and 'new' books versus old.

1. Matilda Roald Dahl
2. The Wind in the Willows Kenneth Grahame
3. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe C.S. Lewis
4. Winnie the Pooh A.A. Milne
5. The Hobbit Tolkien
6. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Roald Dahl
7. Swallows and Amazons Arthur Ransome
8. The BFG Roald Dahl
9. Alice in Wonderland Lewis Carroll
10. The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett
11. James and the Giant Peach Roald Dahl
12. The Witches Roald Dahl
13. Little Women Louisa May Alcott
14. The House at Pooh Corner A.A. Miln
15. George's Marvellous Medicine Roald Dahl
16. The Twits Roald Dahl
17. The Lord of the Rings Tolkien
18. Goodnight Mr Tom Michelle Magorian
19. Fantastic Mr Fox Roald Dahl
20. Anne of Green Gables L.M. Montgomery
21. Charlotte's Web E.B. White
22. Double Act Jacqueline Wilson
23. Danny, the Champion of the World Roald Dahl
24. Mystery at Witchend Malcolm Saville
25. The Dark is Rising Susan Cooper
26. The Faraway Tree Enid Blyton
27. Watership Down Richard Adams
28. Northern Lights Philip Pullman
29. Mariel of Redwall Brian Jacques
30. Black Beauty Anne Sewell
31. Tom's Midnight Garden Philippa Pearce
32. Ballet Shoes Noel Streatfield
33. The Famous Five Enid Blyton
34. The Silver Sword Ian Serraillier
35. The Borrowers Mary Norton
36. The Sheep Pig Dick King-Smith
37. Redwall Brian Jacques
38. The Weirdstone of Brisingamen Alan Garner
39. Boy Roald Dahl
40. Treasure Island R.L. Stevenson
41. Peter Rabbit Beatrix Potter
42. Stig of the Dump Clive King
43. Bad Girls Jacuqeline Wilson
44. Pigeon Post Arthur Ransome
45. Dolphin Boy Blue Felice Arena
46. We Didn't Mean to go to Sea Arthur Ransome
47. The Eagle of the Ninth Rosemary Sutcliff
48. The Folk of the Faraway Tree Enid Blyton
49. The Story of Tracy Beaker Jacqueline Wilson
50. Winter Holiday Arthur Ransome
51. The Enchanted Wood Enid Blyton
52. Children of the New Forest Frederick Marryat
53. The Water Babies Charles Kingsley
54. Bed and Breakfast Jacqueline Wilson
55. A Little Princess Frances Hodgson Burnett
56. Dogger Shirley Hughes
57. Alice Through the Looking Glass Lewis Carroll
58. Where's Wally? Martin Handford
59. Where the Wild Things Are Maurice Sendak
60. The Borrowers Afloat Mary Norton
61. Heidi Johenn Spyri
62. Peter Pan J.M. Barrie
63. Malory Towers Enid Blyton
64. The Railway Children Edith Nesbit
65. The Suitcase Kid Jacqueline Wilson
66. Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone J.K. Rowling
67. The Box of Delights John Masefield
68. The Worst Witch Jill Murphy
69. Just William Richmal Crompton
70. The Little White Horse Elizabeth Goudge
71. Five on Treasure Island Enid Blyton
72. The Magician's Nephew C.S. Lewis
73. Thomas the Tank Engine Rev. W. Awdry
74. Say Cheese and Die R.L. Stine
75. Going Solo Roald Dahl
76. The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eric Carle
77. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Sue Townsend
78. One Day at Horrorland R.L. Stine
79. The Secret Seven Enid Blyton
80. Coot Club Arthur Ransome
81. The Phantom Tollbooth Norton Juster
82. Five Children and It Edith Nesbit
83. The Girl who Cried Monster R.L. Stine
84. What Katy Did Susan Coolidge
85. Mossflower Brian Jacques
86. Tom Sawyer Mark Twain
87. When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit Judith Kerr
88. Junk Melvin Burgess
89. Famous Five go to Dead Man's Rock Enid Blyton
    There is no such book, likely Famous Five Go To Demon's Rock
90. Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator Roald Dahl
91. The Cat in the Hat Dr. Seus
92. 101 Dalmations Dodie Smith
93. The Little Prince Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
94. Milly Molly Mandy Joyce Lancaster Brisley
95. The Owl Service Alan Garner
96. The Pearls of Lutra Brian Jacques
97. The Demon Headmaster Gillian Cross
98. The School at the Chalet Elinor Brent-Dyer
99. How I got my Shrunken Head R.L. Sinte
100. The Just So Stories Rudyard Kipling