Don’t Stop Believin’: NYT Bestsellers
I keep an eye on both the New York Times Bestseller list and the American Bookseller Association list to see which kids books are popular, but I dream of a different list entirely. The dream list I speak of would be a national list of the most checked out children’s books from public and school libraries. See, the NYT and ABA give a snapshot of what’s moving units, but who is it making the purchases? Aside from the occasional busted piggie bank, it’s adults ponying up the cash. I want the unfiltered view of what kids like. Give me that and I would be a happy man. Until that becomes a reality, I bring you the books that may (or may not) be the most popular with America’s youngsters:
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| PICTURE BOOKS | |||
| This Week |
Weeks On List |
||
| 1 | GALLOP!, written and illustrated by Rufus Butler Seder. (Workman, $12.95.) Animals seem to move when you flip the page. (Ages 4 to 8) | 32 | |
| 2 | ALPHABET, by Matthew Van Fleet. (Wiseman/Simon & Schuster, $19.99.) An interactive safari ABC. (Ages 2 to 6) | 11 | |
| 3 | READ ALL ABOUT IT!, by Laura Bush and Jenna Bush. Illustrated by Denise Brunkus. (HarperCollins, $17.99.) A boy is surprised to discover that he loves story-books. (Ages 4 to 8) | 9 | |
| 4 | LADYBUG GIRL, by Jacky Davis and David Soman. Illustrated by David Soman. (Dial, $16.99.) Creativity and the right outfit let a little girl feel bigger. (Ages 4 and up) | 14 | |
| 5 | DON’T BUMP THE GLUMP!, written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein. (HarperCollins, $17.99.) His first collection of nonsense verse, originally published in 1964. (Ages 5 and up) | 11 | |
Gallop, folks, Gallop. The Scanimation powerhouse just keeps on keepin’ on. Look for Rufus Butler Seder’s new book “Swing!” when it is released on October 15.
| CHAPTER BOOKS | |||
| This Week |
Weeks On List |
||
| 1 | DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES, by Jeff Kinney. (Amulet/Abrams, $12.95.) How Greg embarrassed himself on his vacation; a sequel to “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.†(Ages 9 to 12) | 23 | |
| 2 | DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney. (Amulet/Abrams, $12.95.) The travails of adolescence, in cartoons. (Ages 9 to 12) | 62 | |
| 3 | LOCK AND KEY, by Sarah Dessen. (Viking, $18.99.) A free-spirited high school girl is sent to live with her wealthy older sister. (Ages 12 and up) | 9 | |
| 4 | SEEKERS: THE QUEST BEGINS, by Erin Hunter. (HarperCollins, $16.99.) The adventures of three bear cubs. (Ages 12 and up) | 4 | |
| 5 | THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET, written and illustrated by Brian Selznick. (Scholastic, $22.99.) A novel in words and pictures; an orphaned thief must decipher his father’s last message. (Ages 9 to 12) | 64 | |
Both “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” installments are still on top. I bet you a buck they’ll still be in the top 5 when the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw” comes out in January 17, 2009.
Filed under: News
About Travis Jonker
Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.
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