With schools shuttered due to the pandemic, are kids still reading? They are, according to data from Follett. 

“We have seen about a 15 percent increase in [book] usage compared to last year,” says Doug Thompson, a spokesman for the company, a leading provider of books in the K–12 market.

Based on circulation data derived from Destiny, Follett’s library management system used by more than 60,000 schools, the following lists of most popular ebook and audiobook titles reveal some surprises. The top three ebooks for kindergarten through third grade were Spanish language titles, including nonfiction about matter, birds, and rainbows. 

Top 25 titles for grades 3–6, on the other hand, were dominated by tried-and-true favorites from popular authors, such as Kate DiCamillo, Cece Bell, and Lincoln Peirce with his “Big Nate” series.

What trends can we expect? Meg Graham, Follett’s director of education content strategy and curation, says she anticipates the lists will increasingly feature academic titles, biographies, and informational texts.

Here are the top 25 lists for ebooks and audiobooks for grades K–3, 3–6, 5–8, and young adult for the two-week period ending April 7.

What Students Are Reading Since School Closures, Ebooks

GRADES K-3

1 La materia: Mira, toca, prueba, huele by Darlene R. Stille (English Translation for Spanish title: Matter: See It, Touch It, Taste It, Smell It)
2 Sabes algo sobre aves? by Buffy Silverman (English Translation for Spanish title: Do You Know About Birds?)
3 La luz sombras, espejos y arco iris by Natalie Myra Rosinsky (English Translation for Spanish title: Shadows, Mirrors and Rainbows)
4 Neck & Neck by Elise Parsley
5 El arbol que trepó el oso by Marianne Collins Berkes (English Translation for Spanish title: The Tree That Bear Climbed)
6 20 Hungry Piggies by Trudy Harris
7 The Best Pet Yet by Louise Tidd
8 Dragons and Marshmallows by Asia Citro
9 Inky the Octopus by Erin Guendelsberger
10 El áire afuera, adentro y en todos by Darlene R. Stille (English Translation for Spanish title: Air: Outside, Inside, and All Around)
11 The Princess and the Pit Stop by Tom Angleberger
12 El Corazón by Lisa E. Greathouse (English Translation for Spanish title: The Heart)
13 The Bagel King by Andrew Larsen
14 Sabes algo sobre mamiferos? by Buffy Silverman (English Translation for Spanish title: Do You Know About Mammals?)
15 You Don’t Want a Unicorn! by Ame Dyckman
16 Los sólidos by Lisa Greathouse (English Translation for Spanish title: Solids)
17 Good News, Bad News by Jeff Mack
18 Fun Frogs/Ranas Saltarinas by Rose Carraway
19 The Desperate Dog Writes Again by Eileen Christelow
20 The Action of Subtraction by Brian P. Cleary
21 Melia and Jo by Billy Aronson
22 Courageous Canine: And More True Stories and More True Stories of Amazing Animal Heroes by Kelly Milner Halls
23 Sabes algo sobre peces? by Buffy Silverman (English Translation for Spanish title: Do You Know About Fish?)
24 Keesha’s Bright Idea by Eleanor May
25 The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat

GRADES 3-6

1 Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
2 The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
3 El Deafo by Cece Bell
4 The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
5 Wonder by R.J. Palacio
6 The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
7 Big Nate: I Can’t Take It by Lincoln Peirce
8 CatStronauts: Mission Moon by Drew Brockington
9 Overboard! by Terry Lynn Johnson
10 The Ambrose Deception by Emily Ecton
11 The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
12 Sled Dog School by Terry Lynn Johnson
13 Stella Diaz Has Something to Say by Angela Dominguez
14 Big Nate: Game On! by Lincoln Peirce
15 Big Nate: Say Goodbye to Dork City by Lincoln Peirce
16 Runs with Courage by Joan M. Wolf
17 Survival Tails: The Titanic by Katrina Charman
18 Captain: Level 4 by Christopher L. Harbo
19 Horten’s Miraculous Mechanisms: Magic, Mystery & A Very Strange Adventure by  Lissa Evans
20 Restart by Gordon Kormon
21 What is Citizenship? by Leslie Harper
22 Big Nate and Friends by Lincoln Peirce
23 Big Nate: Revenge of the Cream Puffs by Lincoln Peirce
24 The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies
25 Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein

GRADES 5-8

1 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul by Jeff Kinney
2 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney
3 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck by Jeff Kinney
4 The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
5 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley’s Journal by Jeff Kinney
6 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School by Jeff Kinney
7 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney
8 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney
9 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney
10 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney
11 Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
12 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney
13 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down by Jeff Kinney
14 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway by Jeff Kinney
15 The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
16 The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
17 The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
18 The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
19 The Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan
20 The Girl Who Owned a City by O.T. Nelson
21 Night of the Spadefoot Toads by Bill Harley
22 The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights by Steve Sheinkin
23 Refugee by Alan Gratz
24 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Meltdown by Jeff Kinney
25 Vortex by Vanessa Acton

YOUNG ADULT

1 The Giver by Lois Lowry
2 The United Nations Children’s Fund by Ada Veloren
3 The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
4 Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
5 Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
6 Lost in the River of Grass by Ginny Rorby
7 Iceberg, Right Ahead: Tragedy of the Titanic by Stephanie Sammartino McPherson
8 Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
9 The Maze Runner by James Dashner
10 Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert
11 The Call of the Wild by Jack London
12 The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
13 The 5th Wave by Richard Yancey
14 The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
15 The Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim by E.K. Johnston
16 All the Bright Places by Jennifer Nivenz
17 Governments from Around the World: From Democracies to Theocracies by Fred M. Shelley
18 After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick
19 Bluefish by Pat Schmatz
20 The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
21 Peak by Roland Smith
22 Greek Gods & Goddesses by Michael W. Taft
23 Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
24 A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
25 Tangerine by Edward Bloor

What Students Are Reading Since School Closures, Audiobooks

GRADES K-3

1 Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! by Mo Willems
2 A Princess Collection by Cassandra Morris
3 The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! by Jon Scieszka
4 A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
5 Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel
6 The Boy Who Cried Wolf by Barbara G. Hennessy
7 Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
8 Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora
9 Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
10 Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type And Other Barnyard Stories by Doreen Cronin
11 Amelia Bedelia’s First Apple Pie by Herman Parish
12 Crazy Hair Day by Barney Saltzberg
13 Corduroy by Don Freeman
14 There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat by Lucille Colandro
15 Thump, Quack, Moo: A Whacky Adventure by Doreen Cronin
16 The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
17 Diary of a Fly by Doreen Cronin
18 Duck on a Bike by David Shannon
19 I Spy Fly Guy! by Tedd Arnold
20 Diary of a Spider by Doreen Cronin
21 Dooby Dooby Moo by Doreen Cronin
22 The Rough Patch by Brian Lies
23 Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco
24 Something About Hensley’s by Patricia Polacco
25 The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

GRADES 3-6

1 Front Desk by Kelly Yang
2 Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
3 Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
4 The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
5 The Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier
6 The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
7 The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui Sutherland
8 Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Glam TV Star by Rachel Renée Russell
9 Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
10 Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
11 Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
12 Out of My Mind by Shannon M. Draper
13 A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen
14 Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate
15 Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein
16 The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
17 A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold
18 The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty
19 Ban This Book by Alan Gratz
20 Almost Super by Marion Jensen
21 Big Nate: On a Roll by Lincoln Peirce
22 Magic Tree House Collection: Books 1-8  by Mary Pope Osborne
23 Freak the Mighty by W.R. Philbrick
24 Wedgie & Gizmo by Suzanne Selfors
25 The Last Kids on Earth and the Zombie Parade by Max Brallier

GRADES 5-8

1 The Lightning Thief Rick Riordan
2 The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
3 Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
4 Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
5 Ghost by Jason Reynolds
6 Holes by Louis Sachar
7 Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
8 Refugee by Alan Gratz
9 Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz
10 Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
11 The Giver by Lois Lowry
12 Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan
13 The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
14 A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
15 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney
16 Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
17 A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
18 The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
19 Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
20 Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
21 Spy Camp by Stuart Gibbs
22 The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
23 The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan
24 Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
25 Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

YOUNG ADULT

1 The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
2 The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
3 The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
4 The Maze Runner by James Dashner
5 Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
6 The 5th Wave by Richard Yancey
7 The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
8 One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
9 Dear Martin by Nic Stone
10 The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
11 Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
12 Cinder by Marissa Meyer
13 Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
14 Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
15 Divergent by Veronica Roth
16 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
17 Miles Morales (Spider Man) by Jason Reynolds
18 Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
19 Eldest by Christopher Paolini
20 Monster by Walter Dean Myers
21 The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud
22 Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
23 Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
24 The Girl I Used to Be by April Henry
25 Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher