Grades
PreK - 12
Most Checked-Out Library Books of All Time
Refresh your classroom library with the New York Public Library's most checked-out books of all time!
To celebrate its 125th anniversary, the New York Public Library released a top ten list of its most checked-out library books of all time, with several classic children's and young adult books featuring prominently among the beloved (and immensely popular) titles.
With an astonishing 485,583 check-outs, the library's most borrowed book of all time is the Caldecott Medal-winning picture book The Snowy Day, by author/illustrator Ezra Jack Keats. First published in 1962, The Snowy Day is universal in its appeal as a young boy delights in the magical new world that appears after the first snowfall.
Wake up with Peter to a snow-covered day where adventure awaits in this Caldecott Medal-winning picture book.
The other picture books ranking among the NYPL's most checked-out include the wild rumpus of Maurice Sendack's Where the Wild Things Are (borrowed 436,016 times), and Eric Carle's charmingly illustrated The Very Hungry Caterpillar (189,550). For middle-grade readers, the most checked-out titles include E.B. White's 1952 classic Charlotte's Web (337,948) about the endearing friendship between a spider and a pig, and the wildy popular first entry in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (231,022), by J.K. Rowling. First published in 1998, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone skyrocketed to #9 on the NYPL's top ten list with only 22 years of circulation (compared to The Snowy Day's 58 years)!
A whimsical fantasy about a young boy whose imagination transports him far away from problems at home to a land where almost anything can happen.
A hungry caterpillar eats his way through a varied and very large quantity of food until, full at last, he forms a cocoon around himself and goes to sleep.
This Newbery Award-winning classic is a powerful tale of friendship and self-worth which has warmed the hearts of millions for over half a century.
This first installment in the Harry Potter series assembles an unforgettable magical world and sets the stage for many high-stakes adventures to come.
Rounding out the most checked-out library books are three classics which deal with complex themes of racism, censorship, and authoritarian control. Borrowed 441,770 times since its publication in 1949, George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four predates modern dystopian young adult fiction by decades, while remaining prescient and relevant well into the 21st century. The Pulitzer Prize-winning To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee has been adapted for the stage and screen and was checked out 422,912 times. Another dystopian classic, Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 (316,404) is set in a world where a fireman tasked with burning books discovers the power of the written word.
George Orwell's chilling prophecy about the future. And while 1984 has come and gone, Orwell's narrative is more timely that ever.
A bold exploration of race, oppression, and morality, this book has been a must-read for generations thanks to its warm, witty, and approachable tone.
In a future world where books are forbidden, fireman Guy Montag loves to watch books burn, until he discovers the value of written knowledge and fights to preserve it.
An honorable mention was given to the popular bedtime story Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. Although the book was first published in 1947, the NYPL didn't start carrying it until 1972. With 25 extra years of circulation, Goodnight Moon may have topped this all-time list!
In this picture book classic, a little rabbit says goodnight to all his familiar possessions before going to sleep.
