Two “Harry Potter” Books on BBC Culture’s Greatest Children’s Books List

by · June 9, 2023

It will come as no surprise to fans of the Harry Potter series that two of the seven Potter books have made it onto BBC Culture’s list of the 100 greatest children’s books of all time.

Both Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban made it into the top 30, with Philosopher’s Stone just missing out on the top ten at No. 13 and Prisoner of Azkaban coming in at No. 28.

The top 100 books were decided by votes from 177 critics, authors, and publishing figures from 56 countries, who each listed their ten greatest children’s books. This exercise produced a total of 1,050 books, which were then scored and ranked to produce the final list of 100.

International House of Art for Children’s Hana Krizanova described Philosopher’s Stone, which celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, as “the most influential book for my generation for sure.” American children’s author Kathryn Erskine called it “creative, imaginative, and utterly engaging,” while Lestrarklefinn editor in chief Katrin Lilija commented on the immense impact the book has had on the original generation of Potterheads and continues to have on today’s younger generation.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone brought a new kind of magic to me as a young reader and continues to reach new readers still today. The magical world of Harry Potter has expanded greatly, but the books will always contain the greatest experience.

 

“Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” came in at No. 13 on BBC Culture’s list of 100 greatest children’s books of all time.

 

The two Potter books were beaten by several children’s classics, including Maurice Sendak’s 1963 book Where the Wild Things Are, which made it to the top spot at No. 1, Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland at No. 2, A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh at No. 8, E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web at No. 9, and Roald Dahl’s Matilda at No. 10.

 

 

Also included within the top ten are several books from other popular franchises that, like the Potter books, have subsequently been made into successful films, including J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass (known as Northern Lights in the United Kingdom), and C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe coming in at Nos. 5, 6, and 7, respectively.

What are your thoughts on the critics’ selections, and did your favorite Potter book make it onto the list?

Grace Hurley

I'm an animal-loving Ravenclaw with a Masters Degree in Writing and a passion for the Harry Potter universe since the age of five.