Parents want their children to read Charles Dickens' classic 'A Christmas Carol' more than any other book during their lifetime.

A survey by the University of Worcester discovered one in five parents wanted their children to experience the Victorian Christmas tale more than any other fictional novel.

2000 adults were asked to reveal which books they considered to be must-reads for the next generation.

The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling was a close second, followed by The Lord of The Rings triology by JRR Tolkien in third place.

Others in the list were Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Animals Farm by George Orwell.

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien, which is set to appear in cinemas as a Hollywood blockbuster later this year, sits at ninth in the list, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is the tenth must-read.

The findings mark the opening of The Hive - Europe's first joint University and public library.

Anne Hannaford, Director of Information and Learning Services at the University of Worcester, said: "It is interesting to see that most of the popular books to pass down the generations have strong moral messages entwined in them.

"The books that feature in the top 10 all provide thought-provoking content and characters, so it is clear that parents value these books for providing challenging thoughts which can last a lifetime.”

From the poll, it was also revealed 'Alice in Wonderland' is today's most-read book, with 41 percent of adults having read it.

More than one third have read CS Lewis' 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe', which was following closely by Kenneth Grahame's 'The Wind in The Willows' and Roald Dahl's 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' with 37 percent and 36 percent of adults having read these books.

The University of Worcester's top-ten of must-read titles:

1. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens

2. The Harry Potter Series, JK Rowling

3. The Lord of The Rings, JRR Tolkien

4. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

5. Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll

6. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, CS Lewis

7. Animal Farm, George Orwell

8. Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens

9. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien

10. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee

(Read by Rosie Tuck. Rosie Tuck is a journalist at the China Daily Website.)

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(Agencies)