The most popular digital titles used in schools and hot books for 2017

CLEVELAND — January 11, 2017 — The use of eBooks and audiobooks has grown steadily in K-12 classrooms and libraries. The number of digital books borrowed on OverDrive’s K-12 digital reading platform is up 48 percent compared to 2015. K-12 students are reading more eBooks and audiobooks, and while an increasing number of schools are moving their curriculum books to digital, more than half of all eBooks read in K-12 classrooms are for pleasure reading according to a School Library Journal survey.

The top 5 eBooks and audiobooks used in K-12 schools in 2016 include:
Top 5 Children/YA eBooks of 2016

  1. The Long Haul, Jeff Kinney (Abrams)
  2. Wonder, R. J. Palacio (Random House Children’s Books)
  3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Jeff Kinney (Amulet Books)
  4. Cabin Fever, Jeff Kinney (Amulet Books)
  5. Big Nate Makes a Splash, Lincoln Peirce (Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC)

Top 5 Children/YA audiobooks of 2016

  1. The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Audio)
  2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, J.K. Rowling (Pottermore from J.K. Rowling)
  3. The Maze Runner, James Dashner (Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group)
  4. The Lightning Thief, Rick Riordan (Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group)
  5. Hatchet, Gary Paulsen (Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group)

OverDrive’s Top Digital Class Sets, eBook versions of the titles that serve as a cornerstone of the K-12 English Language Arts Curriculum, focused on inclusion and connection in 2016. These Classics and New Classics explore issues of empathy and bullying, race and class, immigration and American culture.

Top 5 Class Sets in 2016

  1. Wonder, R. J. Palacio (Amulet)
  2. A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry (Knopf Doubleday)
  3. Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston (HarperCollins)
  4. Inside Out and Back Again, Thanhha Lai (HarperCollins)
  5. Bud, Not Buddy, Christopher Paul Curtis (Random House)

In national trends, Fantasy and Graphic Novels top the most popular J/YA eBooks. OverDrive’s top predictions for 2017 include exciting new titles in these genres.
Top 5 OverDrive Predicted Hot Books for Winter 2017

  1. The Secret Project, Jonah Winter (Beach Lane Books)
  2. King’s Cage, Victoria Aveyard (HarperCollins)
  3. Traitor to the Throne, Alwyn Hamilton (Penguin Young Readers Group)
  4. Carve the Mark, Veronica Roth (HarperCollins)
  5. History is All You Left Me, Adam Silvera (Soho Press)

From digital class sets for English Language Arts to professional development, OverDrive’s growing catalog of millions of titles from over 5,000 publishers is enhancing the learning experience of the 21st-century student. Teachers and students can take notes on their device while reading and teachers can integrate digital books with their everyday classroom tools. In addition, advancements to OverDrive’s popular app allows students with dyslexia to read in a dyslexic font. For more information about the OverDrive service for schools, visit overdrive.com/schools.

About OverDrive Education – a division of OverDrive
OverDrive is the leading digital distribution platform, supplying the industry’s largest catalog of eBooks, audiobooks, streaming video and periodicals to 34,000 libraries and schools worldwide. We support all major computers and devices, including iOS®, Android™, Chromebook™ and Kindle® (U.S. only). Founded in 1986, OverDrive is based in Cleveland, Ohio USA and is owned by Tokyo-based Rakuten. For more information, visit www.overdrive.com.

 
Contact:
David Burleigh,
Director of Marketing & Communications
dburleigh@overdrive.com
216-573-6886 ext. 218