To engage students as readers, we all know that book access and choice are key. But how do we know which books are most likely to spark a love of reading and a desire to read more? We need to look at the titles kids are choosing to read!   

Thousands of school districts and teachers across the country use our free Booksource Classroom tool to manage their classroom libraries and track the books their students are checking out, so we recently took a look at the most checked out titles in Booksource Classroom to see what kids are reading most.  

Here’s what we learned about their book choices and reading habits. These insights can help you select books for your classroom library that are sure to fly off the shelves! 

1. Graphic novels are student favorites.

It’s always nice to see data that reinforces what many of us already know. The popularity of graphic novels has skyrocketed in recent years, in large part because they provide readers with engaging content and plenty of context clues that support comprehension and create a positive reading experience.    

In grades K-2, the top five most checked out titles in Booksource Classroom are all graphic novels, and all part of Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man series. In grades 3-5, graphic novels by Raina Telgemeier are among the most checked out, along with Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Stonekeeper, the first title in the Amulet graphic novel series. In grades 6-8, Raina Telgemeier’s graphic novels are again the most popular. Jerry Craft’s New Kid, the first graphic novel ever to be awarded the Newbery Medal in 2020, was also one of the most checked out books in grades 6-8. 

When you’re looking for new titles to add to your classroom bookshelves, consider recently published graphic novels (like the graphic novel adaptations of the classic Baby-Sitter’s Club series), and make sure you have well-loved graphic novels like Diary of a Wimpy Kid in your collection, too.  

2. Popular titles appeal to readers across reading and interest levels. 

When a book is popular with readers at one level, it’s likely popular with readers at other levels too. That’s why you’ll see titles like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Dog Man, The Hunger Games, Guts, The Hate U Give and Jason Reynold’s Long Way Down featured at multiple grade levels on our most checked out booklists. The biggest crossover occurs in grades 3-5 and grades 6-8, since both grade bands include middle grade readers. 

3. Students stick with series. 

Our checkout data shows that, if a series is popular, students are likely to read several of its titles. Readers at every level gravitate towards series books, but they are particularly beneficial for reluctant or striving reader since they offer familiar and repetitive characters and plot, providing a less intimidating reading experience. In grades K-2, five different titles from the Dog Man series are the most checked out, while three different titles from this series are in the top ten for grades 3-5. Other series books among our most checked out include Bad Kitty, I Survived, The Crossover, The Hunger Games and the Raina Telgemeier Graphic Memoir Series. 

But what do you do when students finish a beloved series? Recommend another title, or better yet another series, that’s similar! For example, if your students love Dog Man, recommend these similar books/series. If they love Raina Telgemeier, these similar books/series might belong on their “to read next” list. 

4. Early readers love Mo Willems.  

Five Mo Willems titles made our most checked out list for grades K-2. That’s more than Dr. Seuss! (Green Eggs and Ham was his only title on the list.) With simple dialogue, repetitive vocabulary and plenty of humor, it’s no wonder early readers love characters like Pigeon, Piggie and Gerald (Elephant).    

Click here to shop collections of Mo Willems titles for your classroom library >> 

5. High school readers prefer new and culturally relevant titles by popular, modern authors. 

Every one of the most checked out books in grades 9-12 was published within the last fifteen years, most within the past five. The list features books from popular, current authors like Angie Thomas (The Hate U Give and On the Come Up), Jason Reynolds (Long Way Down and All American Boys), Nic Stone (Dear Martin), Nicola Yoon (Everything, Everything and The Sun is Also a Star), John Green (The Fault in Our Stars, Paper Towns and Looking for Alaska and Elizabeth Acevedo (The Poet X). 

Books written by modern authors often feature modern stories where high school readers can see themselves, their daily lives and the issues facing our world today. High school readers gravitate towards modern, culturally relevant books and tend to read more when given the option to read these titles.  

See the full list of most checked out books at your grade level in our recent blog post, Most Popular Titles in Booksource Classroom for Every Grade.