Los Angeles Times Children’s Bestsellers

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Rankings are based on a Times poll of Southland bookstores.

*--* April 14, 2002

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*--* 1 PRINCESS IN LOVE by Meg Cabot (HarperCollins: $15.99) In this third in “The Princess Diaries” series, 14-year-old Mia has a crush on her friend’s older brother. (Ages 12 and older) 2 THE BAD BEGINNING by Lemony Snicket (HarperTrophy: $9.95) The darkly comic story of the orphaned Baudelaire children, who go to live with a creepy relative who’s out to get their inheritance. (Ages 9-12) 3 THE RECESS QUEEN by Alexis O’Neill (Scholastic: $15.95) A little girl becomes a hero when she uses kindness to handle a playground bully. (Ages 4-8) 4 THE ADVENTURES OF SUPER DIAPER BABY by Dav Pilkey (Blue Sky: $16.95) Move over, Captain Underpants, fourth graders George and Harold create a mini comic book hero who saves the universe. (Ages 8-12) 5 AQUAMARINE by Alice Hoffman (Scholastic: $16.95) It’s the end of summer, and two 12-year-old girls facing an end to their friendship encounter a wise mermaid. (Ages 10-14) 6 ARTHUR’S EASTER ACTIVITY BOOK by Marc Brown (Little, Brown: $7.95) Help Arthur, D.W. and the gang paint eggs, design hats and color plenty of pictures as they get ready for the big day. (Ages 4-8) 7 THE AUSTERE ACADEMY by Lemony Snicket (HarperTrophy: $9.95) The Baudelaire children’s misadventures continue as they arrive at the dreary Prufrock Preparatory School and meet the dreadful Vice Principal Nero. (Ages 9 and older) 8 PASSOVER FUN FOR LITTLE HANDS by Katherine Janus Kahn (Kar-Ben Publishing: $3.95) Activities for small children focusing on the Seder meal, the history of the Israelites in Egypt and others. (Ages 4-8) 9 CLEVER BEATRICE by Margaret Willey (Atheneum: $16) A clever young girl uses brains against a giant’s brawn to win his gold and put porridge on her poor mother’s table. (Ages 4-8) 10 CITY OF ANGELS by Julie Jaskol and Brian Lewis, illustrated by Elisa Kleven (Dutton: $16.99) A vividly imagined portrait of the character and history of Los Angeles. (Ages 4-8)

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