Winnie the Pooh has topped the list of favourite childhood book characters in the Reading Agency’s annual Summer Reading poll, knocking the popular wizard Harry Potter off the top spot.
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| Image reproduced under license: Antonia Hayes, Flickr |
- Winnie the Pooh
- Harry Potter
- George from the Famous Five
- Bilbo Baggins, The Hobbit
- Matilda
- Lucy, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
- The Cat in the Hat
- Spot the Dog
- Charlotte, Charlotte's Web
- Tracy Beaker
The Summer Reading Poll revealed differences between the generations, whilst Pooh was a favourite across the ages, Harry Potter is a firm favourite with nearly half (48%) of 16-24 year olds, and those over 55 favoured George from The Famous Five and Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit.
When asked what they liked about our favourite characters almost half of people (45%) ranked an adventurous nature top, with a third choosing their favourite character because they felt like a good friend. A British sense of humour could have contributed to a third of people also saying cheekiness and sense of humour are key factors.
These books were also loved for their life lessons, with over a third saying their favourite character taught them 'It is okay to be different'. A third said they learned 'How to be kind to people' and a quarter learned 'How to get through difficult times'.
Sue Wilkinson, Chief Executive of The Reading Agency said "We know the power of picking up a book you love and discovering a favourite character amongst the pages. The Summer Reading Challenge gives children the chance to be transported and inspired by the adventures of their favourite characters, and read books that can go on to play a fundamental role in their lives.
"For this reason, we were curious about which characters would stand the test of time and stay with us into adulthood, and the ones that would remain firm favourites across the generations.”
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