Los Angeles Times Children’s Bestsellers

September 24, 2000

1. HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS by J.K. Rowling (Arthur A. Levine Books: $17.95) Harry risks his life to solve a mystery at Hogwarts School. (Ages 9 to 12)

2. HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE by J.K. Rowling (Arthur A. Levine: $5.99 paper) Unhappy at home, a young boy discovers that he is a magician with great powers. (Ages 9 to 12)

3. HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE by J.K. Rowling (Scholastic: $ 25.95) Harry, now 14, competes in the great Triwizard Tournament and is pursued by the sinister Lord Voldemort. (Ages 9 and up)

4. HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN by J.K. Rowling (Scholastic: $19.95) Sirius Black, an escaped convict, is on the loose, and he’s after Harry. (Ages 9 to 12)

5. LORD BROCKTREE: A TALE FROM REDWALL by Brian Jacques (Philomel Books: $22.95) The 13th novel in the series about the fearsome badger-warrior. (Ages 9 to 12)

6. WHERE DO BALLOONS GO? by Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell (HarperCollins: $16.95) When a little boy accidentally lets go of his balloon, he begins an imaginary adventure. (Ages 4 to 8)

7. WEMBERLY WORRIED by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow: $15.95) A little mouse girl besieged by worries, about things both big and small, is about to begin school. (Ages 4 to 8)

8. CLIFFORD’S FIRST SCHOOL DAY by Norman Bridwell (Scholastic: $3.25) The big red dog begins school and gets to try out fingerpainting, cookie-baking and other messy pursuits. (Ages 4 to 8)

9. ROBERT CROWTHER’S DEEP DOWN UNDERGROUND: POP-UP BOOK OF AMAZING FACTS AND FEATS by Robert Crowther (Candlewick: $14.99) Tunnels, caves, mines, sewers and more. (Ages 4 to 8)

10. FIRST DAY JITTERS by Julie Danneberg and Judith Dufour Love (Charlesbridge: $6.95 paper) A tale of beginning-of-school angst shows that teachers are people too. (Ages 4 to 8)

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Rankings are based on a Times poll of Southland bookstores.