Harry Potter beats Paddington Bear to top of favourite heroes list | Books | Entertainment

It’s World Book Day, the internationally celebrated holiday where literature is praised around the globe, and children are encouraged to pick up a book and put down their phones.

Of course, there are an almost infinite amount of loveable characters from hundreds of years of publishing.

And while Alice in Wonderland, Katniss Everdeen and the Famous Five are all-timers… it’s a modern hero who has come out on top.

Harry Potter has been crowned children’s favourite literature character (from train-related books, anyhow).

Trainline, the leading independent rail ticketing app, has teamed up with celeb Vogue Williams to bring together the full list of kids’ best characters, who have dropped the heartening statistic that almost two-thirds of children (60 percent) of children flick through a book on their train journeys.

Williams said: “I’m excited to be working with Trainline to create this costume guide for World Book Day. As a busy mum, I wanted to make sure I could create fun outfits this year for Theodore and Gigi without having the stress of needing to go to the shops and buy a whole outfit they may only wear once.

“Plus Otto is growing up fast so I will have three costumes to think about soon! I hope this guide gives fellow parents a helping hand with some tips to pull together a fantastic homemade costume quickly and easily. I’m constantly encouraging my children to read and hope that by dressing up as their favourite book characters, children will be inspired to keep reading.”

Top 10 favourite train-related children’s book characters:

1. Harry Potter
2. Paddington Bear
3. The Conductor on the Polar Express
4. Alice in Wonderland in The Wonderland Railway
5. Hero Boy in the Polar Express
6. George in the Famous Five
7. TinTin in the Adventures of TinTin
8. The Mad Hatter in The Wonderland Railway
9. Katniss in The Hunger Games