Hot off the shelves: Gifts that are cool to kids

With the official holiday gift-buying season starting Friday, here's a cheat sheet of what's cool for kids this year.

For the fifth year in a row, Barbie tops the holiday wish list for girls, according to the National Retail Federation.

Transformers rank No. 1 with boys.

"It's always a race for parents to find the year's sought-after toys," National Retail Federation President and CEO Tracy Mullin said in a statement.

"The best advice for parents is to shop smart and shop early to make sure the items on your kids' list don't sell out before you make it to the store."

TOP GIFTS FOR GIRLS

- Barbie

- Bratz

- Dolls (generic)

- Dora the Explorer

- Disney Princess

- Disney's Hannah Montana

- Nintendo Wii

- Webkinz

- Elmo

- American Girl

TOP GIFTS FOR BOYS

- Transformers

- Video games

- Nintendo Wii

- Cars (generic)

- Spider-Man

- LEGO

- Thomas the Tank Engine

- Xbox 360

- Elmo

- Remote-controlled vehicles

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Source: National Retail Federation

The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead and the Herald are Forum Communications Co. newspapers.