Harry Potter comes nowhere near Silas Marner--but you are comparing apples and oranges when you put them together. In the realm classed as "modern children's literature" the Harry Potter books are well-written (and I didn't think they were boring). But, when you put them next to classical literature, they definitely lose their edge. <br><br>I wouldn't go so far as to say every kid deep down would prefer Silas Marner. It has a fairly mellow plot compared to the adventure of the Harry Potter books--the thing I like about Silas Marner is its style and imagery, not its storyline. But, I would say that every kid deep down would prefer a classic piece of literature, once exposed to it. My favorite book when I was younger was the Count of Monte Cristo--I think that book would have beat out Harry Potter any day.