I think that if it's made part of the curriculum then the kids should have to read it and do the work, but if the teacher has a choice of books then maybe picking one that most of the kids can relate to would be best. Each class would be a bit different. I personally would have loved to read HP instead of Lord of the Flies.
I have heard good things about the HP books getting kids interested in reading. Since each book in the series is longer than the previous one that is a lot of reading! I read them as an adult and enjoyed them, my 7 yr loved listening to them in audiobook format but won't be ready to read them for a few more years. It did open the door for him to listen to the Narnia books though.
