Most Popular Books this Semester

 

We have checked out a lot of books this semester.  To be precise, we have checked out 3288 books this semester.  Last year at this time, we had checked out 2652 books.  So I am pretty proud we have increased the amount of books from one year to the next.

In looking at the actual books that have been checked out this year, the graphic novel section is overwhelming the most popular area of the library.  Here is the countdown of the 10 most popular books this semester which started on August 13 and ended today.

10 - Slam Dunk

9 - Shatter Me

8 - Death Note

7 - Big Shot (series: Diary of a Wimpy Kid)

6 - Assassination Classroom 

5 - Allegedly: a novel 

4 - One of Us is Lying  

3 - Naruto 

2 - Bleach 

1 - Demon Slayer

7 of the 10 listed here are graphic novels. 1 is Science Fiction, and 2 are Mysteries.  It always amazes me when I see Bleach and Naruto among the most popular.  Authors are cranking out manga like crazy; yet these 2 old school series are outlasting some of the newer books.  Then there is the Diary of a Wimpy Kid right there in the mix.  Yes, I teach at a high school, but the nostalgia runs deep. Everyone loves this series.  I even have a few volumes in Spanish and Arabic for our English Language Learners.

To learn more about our top 10 books, click on the links which will take you to a great resource called TeachingBooks.  There you will find a summary of the book, something about the author, book guides, activities & lessons, and sometimes even a book trailer or an audio exerpt.

Whether you are a fan of manga and graphic novels or not, the statistics don't lie.  Our high school students can't get enough of this genre.

Happy Reading!

Tuesday's Tome: The Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy

 

I will admit that I originally started this series due to the popularity of the NetFlix series based on these books.  The students in my library were requesting the books, and they were always checked out.  So I decided to give this trilogy a try. 

I really enjoyed the first book.  Two mothers take their children to the beach every summer.  The children have been going since they were little.  This year Belly (the main female character) is 15, turning 16.  And all of a sudden boys start to notice.  Every year, she was the tag-a-long baby sister, and a nuisance for sure.  To be honest, she is still a nuisance to her brother. However, the other 2 boys, Conrad and Jeremiah, seem to see Belly in a new light.  Jeremiah has always been Belly's best friend, and she has always had a crush on Conrad.  So needless to say the question becomes "are you team Conrad or team Jeremiah?"

Again, the first book was fun and a quick read.  The second and third books seemed really long, and to be honest, I sort of lost interest in which boy Belly was going to choose. It was just a bit too much team Conrad vs team Jeremiah for me.  However, I am not the audience for which this story was intended.  My 9th and 10th grade girls just love these books - all three of them.  I feel that The Summer I Turned Pretty is a solid stand alone book.  For those of you who are watching the NetFlix series, you might want to read all 3.  

I started the NetFlix series and had to turn it off.  I was so annoyed with book 2 and 3 that I let it interfere with my enjoyment.  I was ready for a "NetFlix and Chill" kind of evening, but what I got was "NetFlix and Frustration." I am sure it is a good series, but I'll have to try watching it later.

Happy Reading!