ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Sunday, June 16, 1996                  TAG: 9606150001
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 1    EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MIKE HUDSON 

THE KIDS' PICKS

We asked some of the kids at Highland Park Learning Center Magnet School in Roanoke to tell us their favorite books.

WHITNEY DICKERSON, 9

``Shaq Attaq,'' by Shaquille O'Neal with Jack McCallum

This biography of the pro basketball star is Whitney's favorite. His especially likes the part where it compares the Orlando Magic center's career to the career of Chicago Bull's star Michael Jordan.

Whitney also likes anything from R.L. Stine's ``Goosebumps'' and ``Fear Street'' series.

CHASE GROGAN, 10

``Shiloh,'' by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

"It's about a boy and his dog, and they go around and play in the field and stuff. I was in third grade. My teacher read it to me."

``Twenty Ways to Lose Your Best Friend,'' by Marilyn Singer

"It's about two girls, and they're best friends and then another girl moved into the neighborhood. And they started breaking up. Then they got to be best friends again, and they were making up names for if they got a dog together."

JACKIE HANLEY, 10

``Charlotte's Web,'' by E.B. White

After Jackie saw the animated movie, she went and read part of this classic tale of friendship between a pig and a spider. Then last summer, when there weren't a lot of kids around to play with, she was looking for something to read. "Instead of something easy for little kids, I wanted to try something harder. So I tried `Charlotte's Web.'" She liked it so much she read it four times.

``Ghost Beach,'' by R.L. Stine

One of the ``Goosebumps'' series. "My baby sitter gave it to me for like a little present.''

CAROLYN LEPER, 10

``On My Honor,'' by Marion Dane Bauer

This is a book about two best friends. One boy drowns trying to swim a river, and the other one runs away and tries, at first, to keep this terrible secret from the rest of the world.

``Number the Stars,'' by Lois Lowry

Another book about best friends. This one is set in Copenhagen in 1943. "One of them is Jewish, and the war is going on and they're hiding her from the Germans. They have to take this trip so she can get to the boat.''

The most frequently checked-out books, according to Highland Park's librarians:

EASY READERS

``Corduroy,'' by Don Freeman

``Yo, Yes!,'' by Chris Raschuka

``Miss Nelson is Missing,'' and ``Miss Nelson is Back,'' by Harry Allard

INTERMEDIATE FICTION

``Matilda,'' by Roald Dahl

``Goosebumps'' series, by R.L. Stine

``The Chronicles of Narnia,'' by C.S. Lewis

``Bridge to Terabithia,'' by Katherine Paterson

INTERMEDIATE NONFICTION

Drawing books

Any dinosaur book

Classic car books

Joke and riddle books

``Where the Sidewalk Ends,'' by Shel Silverstein

``New Kid on the Block,'' by Jack Prelutsky

LENGTH: Medium:   80 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  PHILIP HOLMAN/Staff Carrie Cardwell, 10, browses through
          the shelves at HighlandPark School for a good read. Color. Also, 
          headshots of Jackie Hanley  and Chase Grogan. Color