CHILDREN’S BESTSELLERS

Rankings are based on a Times poll of Southland bookstores.

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*--* 1 I’m Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem by Jamie Lee Curtis (Joanna Cotler, $15.99) A young boy and girl learn lessons in poise and confidence throughout the school day. Ages 4-8

2 If You Take a Mouse to School by Laura Numeroff (Laura Geringer Books: $15.99) A little rodent with a love for learning joins his little boy sidekick for a fun day. Ages 3-7

3 Coraline by Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins, $15.99) A strange door in a little girl’s house conceals a creepy mirror-world where her “other mother” and “other father” live. Ages 9-12

4 Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt (Sunburst, $5.95) The Tuck family discovers a fountain of youth in a forest, then tries to protect it from a greedy stranger who suspects their secret. Ages 9-12

5 My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George (Penguin Putnam, $5.99) A young boy from New York City runs away to the Catskill Mountains to live on his grandparents’ old homestead. Ages 9-12

6 Triss: A Tale From Redwall by Brian Jacques (Penguin Putnam, $23.99) A band of adventurous woodland creatures escape slavery and are hotly pursued across the sea in this 15th book in the “Redwall” series. Ages 9-12

7 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (Scholastic, $6.99) Harry risks his life to solve a dangerous mystery at the Hogwarts School. Ages 9-12

8 America: A Patriotic Primer by Lynne Cheney (Simon & Schuster, $16.95) A red-white-and-blue romp through the alphabet that celebrates United States history. All ages

9 Fireboat by Maira Kalman (Putnam, $16.99) A picture book tells the story of the heroism of the fireboat John Jay Harvey during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Ages 5 and up

10 Giggle, Giggle, Quack by Doreen Cronin (Simon & Schuster, $15.95) When Farmer Brown takes a vacation, Duck and his friends live a life of barnyard luxury by fooling the farmer’s brother Bob. Ages 4-8

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