Roald Dahl tops list of teachers' favourite authors, while Julia Donaldson's The Gruffalo wins best children's book

By Deborah Arthurs - PUBLISHED: MailOnline, 12 March 2012 

Roald Dahl (left) has been voted primary school teachers' favourite author.A survey found five of his works are among their top 10 books for children under the age of 11.
The man behind The Twits and Charlie And The Chocolate Factory was named by almost twice as many teachers as Julia Donaldson and JK Rowling who shared second place.

The prolific author, who wrote dozens of children's books across his lifetime, died in 1990 at the age of 74.
Donaldson's The Gruffalo was voted the best book for children in the survey of 848 primary school teachers by the education resources website Teachit Primary.
The popular title has proved a hit with children, parents and, it seems, their schoolteachers too, as since its publication it has been made into an animated film and a theatre production.
Siobhain Archer, founder,of Teachit Primary said: 'The Gruffalo was teachers' overwhelming favourite book at the moment, polling more than twice as many votes as Louis Sachar's Holes in second place.
'But five of Roald Dahl's books appeared in the top 10 and when counted together with all those who could not name a favourite title but who said any of Dahl's books were a hit with their classes, a staggering 17 per cent of primary teachers named him as their favourite children's author.

Above: Julia Donaldson, currently Children's Laureate, had her bestselling book The Gruffalo named as the best children's book by teachers

'Michael Morpurgo, author of War Horse and teachers' fourth favourite behind Dahl, JK Rowling and Julia Donaldson, was the standout choice as the person teachers would most like to visit their class.

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