BOOKS by Dr Seuss, Harper Lee and George Orwell are among NSW Premier Nathan Rees's favourites for children and teenagers.

Ruth Park, Nicholas Fisk and Pamela Allen top Education Minister Verity Firth's list.

The pair, who support the Premier's Reading Challenge, have given The Sun-Herald their top five book lists.

No 1 on Mr Rees's list is Dr Seuss's Oh, The Places You'll Go. Next comes The Ballads Of Robin Hood and The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier and Harper Lee's classic To Kill A Mockingbird. George Orwell's Animal Farm comes in at No.5.

Ms Firth, mother of a toddler, revealed her favourite five children's books.

Classic Playing Beatie Bow, by Park, tops her list. Grinny, by Fisk, is second, followed by Mr McGee And The Biting Flea, by Allen. Seven Little Australians, by Ethel Turner, is next, then Robin Klein's Hating Alison Ashley. Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children is now her favourite.

¡ The Premier's Reading Challenge is a NSW Government initiative, incorporating media partner The Sun-Herald, principal partner Dymocks Literacy Foundation and supporting partners Laubman & Pank and OPSM.

Is your school doing something interesting for the Premier's Reading Challenge? Send details to: s_price@fairfaxmedia.com.au.