Top 10 Circulated Books of 2012: 5th-6th Grade
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We’ve covered my K-2 and 3-4 schools – today we wrap up this look back at the year that was with the most circulated books at my 5th and 6th grade school. A few expected, a few unexpected – all of them popular among this age group.
10. All the Lovely Bad Ones by Mary Downing Hahn
Our upper elementary students love Hahn. So much so that I’m considering (on a commenter’s recommendation) to use my creepy library statues in a Mary Downing Hahn display this coming school year.
9. Amulet, Book 3: The Cloud Searchers by Kazu Kibuishi
This likable fantasy graphic novel series rolls on, picking up new fans every year.
8. Old Man’s Cave (Bone, Book 6) by Jeff Smith
The popularity of Jeff Smith’s graphic novel series went from an 11 to a 10 this last year. It’s still more popular than just about anything else, but occasionally you could find one on the shelf.
7. These Days Are Just Packed: A Calvin and Hobbes Collection by Bill Watterson
I love seeing the Calvin & Hobbes show up here.
6. The Big Time: A Football Genius Novel by Tim Green
Don’t sleep on the Tim Green. Sports loving readers have been checking out this former NFL player’s books at a steady clip.
5. Guinness World Records, 2010
Now we’re getting into the more expected portion of this list – the perennial chart-toppers. Exhibit A right here.
4. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney
Our first Wimpy Kid appearance! It’s no secret that these remain wildly popular, although the first two books in the series did see a bit more shelf time this year – chalk that up to pretty much every kid on the planet having already read them.
3. Scholastic Book of World Records, 2011
The draw of world records cannot be stopped.
2. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney
This one may be my personal favorite of the series.
1. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney
You see how the drama goes away after you get about halfway through the list? The top 5 was dominated by Greg Heffley.
I’m curious to see which book will climb the charts in the 2012-13 campaign, which kicks off after Labor Day here in Michigan.
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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I love seeing Calvin and Hobbs being read by today’s kids too! I loved them as a kid myself.
Travis,
I love seeing what students read (via circulation stats. Thanks for posting.
Ed
PS I fully expect to see Mr. September posted to your blog!
I too am a longtime fan of Calvin and Hobbes. It’s good to see that it’s going on to the next generation. My granddaughter, a 6th grader who loves to read, recently read The Maze Runner. It’s a series of books and she absolutely couldn’t put it down. The genre is fantasy.
Who knew Calvin and Hobbes is still so popular? That makes me happy! 5th and 6th graders don’t seem to be reading as diverse a selection of books as I would have hoped!
If I had expanded this list to 20 or 30, I think you would have seen a much wider variety. This was just the very top in popularity.