Rankings reflect sales for the week ended Oct. 4, which were reported on a confidential basis by vendors offering a wide range of general interest titles. Every week, thousands of diverse selling locations report their actual sales on hundreds of thousands of individual titles. The panel of reporting retailers is comprehensive and reflects sales in stores of all sizes and demographics across the United States.
An asterisk (*) indicates that a book’s sales were barely distinguishable from those of the book above. A (b) indicates that some bookstores reported receiving bulk orders.
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PICTURE
1. THE LEAF THIEF, by Alice Hemming. Illustrated by Nicola Slater. (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky) Squirrel tries to figure out who has stolen his leaves. (Ages 4 to 8)
WEEKS ON LIST: 27
2. HOW TO CATCH A WITCH, by Alice Walstead. Illustrated by Megan Joyce. (Sourcebooks Wonderland) The Catch Club Kids try to snare a witch on Halloween. (Ages 4 to 7)
WEEKS ON LIST: 25
3. HOW TO CATCH A MONSTER, by Adam Wallace. Illustrated by Andy Elkerton. (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky) A boy tries to catch the monster in his closet. (Ages 4 to 8)
WEEKS ON LIST: 24
Chris Van Dusen’s latest “If I Built” book joins the picture book list at No. 4. (Rocky Pond Books)
4. IF I BUILT A TOWN, by Chris Van Dusen. (Rocky Pond) Jack uses his vivid imagination to plan his own town. (Ages 4 to 8)
WEEKS ON LIST: 1
5. CHICKA CHICKA TRICKA TREAT, by Julien Chung. (Beach Lane) The alphabet letters climb the creaky old tree for Halloween. (Ages 4 to 8)
WEEKS ON LIST: 8
6. CREEPY PAIR OF UNDERWEAR, by Aaron Reynolds. Illustrated by Peter Brown. (Simon & Schuster) Jasper Rabbit deals with a pair of glowing underwear that won’t go away. (Ages 4 to 8)
WEEKS ON LIST: 41
7. HOW TO CATCH A UNICORN, by Adam Wallace. Illustrated by Andy Elkerton. (Sourcebooks Wonderland) Children try to capture the mythical creature. (Ages 4 to 8)
WEEKS ON LIST: 57
8. THE BAD SEED PRESENTS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE SPOOKY, by Jory John. Illustrated by Pete Oswald. (HarperCollins) Bad Seed seeks the perfect Halloween costume. (Ages 4 to 8)
WEEKS ON LIST: 33
9. BILLIE JEAN PEET, ATHLETE, by Andrea Beaty. Illustrated by David Roberts. (Abrams) Billie Jean finds her niche in athletics. (Ages 4 to 8)
WEEKS ON LIST: 1
10. THE SNOW THIEF, by Alice Hemming. Illustrated by Nicola Slater. (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky) Squirrel experiences his first snowfall. (Ages 4 to 8)
WEEKS ON LIST: 3
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MIDDLE GRADE HARDCOVER
1. THE COURT OF THE DEAD, by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro. (Disney Hyperion) Nico, Will and Hazel delve into the mysterious disappearances of monsters at Camp Jupiter. (Ages 10 to 14)
WEEKS ON LIST: 2
2. SECRETS OF THE PURPLE PEARL, by Kate McKinnon. (Little, Brown) Millicent and the gang are in a race to find the Purple Pearl before the Krenetics Research Association can get their hands on it. (Ages 8 to 12)
WEEKS ON LIST: 1
3. SWEET & SALTY!, by King Arthur Baking Co. (Simon & Schuster) More than 80 sweet and salty recipes for young bakers. (Ages 8 and up)
WEEKS ON LIST: 1
4. THE POISONED KING, by Katherine Rundell. Illustrated by Ashley Mackenzie. (Knopf) Christopher and Anya must save the dragons of the Archipelago from a strange new threat. (Ages 10 and up)
WEEKS ON LIST: 4
5. TROUBLING TONSILS!, by Aaron Reynolds. Illustrated by Peter Brown. (Simon & Schuster ) Charlie Marmot’s infected tonsils have disappeared before surgery. (Ages 6 to 9)
WEEKS ON LIST: 5
6. HOW THE WORD IS PASSED (ADAPTED FOR YOUNG READERS), by Clint Smith. Adapted by Sonja Cherry-Paul. (Little, Brown) The legacy of slavery and its imprint on American history, adapted for young readers. (Ages 10 to 18)
WEEKS ON LIST: 1
7. WONDER, by R.J. Palacio. (Knopf) A boy with a facial deformity starts school. (Ages 8 to 12)
WEEKS ON LIST: 513
8. THE MILLICENT QUIBB SCHOOL OF ETIQUETTE FOR YOUNG LADIES OF MAD SCIENCE, by Kate McKinnon. (Little, Brown) Three sisters attend an unusual etiquette school. (Ages 8 to 12)
WEEKS ON LIST: 20
9. POCKET BEAR, by Katherine Applegate. Illustrated by Charles Santoso. (Feiwel & Friends) Zephyrina brings a rare stuffed bear back to the Second Chances Home for the Tossed and Treasured. (Ages 8 to 12)
WEEKS ON LIST: 4
10. THE COMPLETE BAKING BOOK FOR YOUNG CHEFS, by America’s Test Kitchen Kids. (Sourcebooks Explore) More than 100 kid-tested baking recipes. (Ages 8 to 12)
WEEKS ON LIST: 74
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YOUNG ADULT HARDCOVER
1. FAKE SKATING, by Lynn Painter. (Simon & Schuster) After years of separation, childhood friends Alec and Dani reunite and face their true feelings toward each other. (Ages 14 and up)
WEEKS ON LIST: 1
2. BITTEN, by Jordan Stephanie Gray. (Little, Brown) Vanessa seeks vengeance against the werewolves who attacked her and changed her life forever. (Ages 14 to 18)
WEEKS ON LIST: 1
3. HOUR OF THE PUMPKIN QUEEN, by Megan Shepherd. (Random House/Disney) After a potion demonstration goes awry, Sally and Luna fall through a portal to Time Town. (Ages 12 and up)
WEEKS ON LIST: 13
4. YOU’VE FOUND OLIVER, by Dustin Thao. (Dutton) In this companion to “You’ve Reached Sam” Oliver accidentally hits the call button, but someone else picks up. (Ages 12 and up)
WEEKS ON LIST: 1
5. THORN SEASON, by Kiera Azar. (Storytide) In the Kingdom of Daradon, where wielding magic is treason, Alissa Paine must conceal her magical abilities or face persecution. (Ages 14 and up)
WEEKS ON LIST: 5
6. THE WEAVER BRIDE, by Lydia Gregovic. (Delacorte) Lovett Tamerlane, a silkwitch, enters a deadly competition called the Vainglory to become a prince’s bride. (Ages 12 and up)
WEEKS ON LIST: 1
7. HEKATE: THE WITCH, by Nikita Gill. (Little, Brown) To avoid enslavement by the Olympians, Hekate is hidden in the underworld to make a life for herself. (Ages 14 to 18)
WEEKS ON LIST: 3
8. WINGS OF STARLIGHT, by Allison Saft. (Disney) Clarion, the successor to the throne of Pixie Hollow, is determined to confront a monster that threatens the land. (Ages 12 to 18)
WEEKS ON LIST: 35
9. A STUDY IN DROWNING, by Ava Reid. (HarperTeen) Dark forces try to thwart Preston and Effy’s efforts to unravel the mysteries of author Emrys Myrddin’s Hiraeth Manor. (Ages 14 and up)
WEEKS ON LIST: 26
10. A THEORY OF DREAMING, by Ava Reid. (HarperCollins) In the sequel to “A Study in Drowning,” Effy and Preston return to the University of Llyr. (Ages 14 and up)
WEEKS ON LIST: 10
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SERIES
1. THE TWILIGHT SAGA, by Stephenie Meyer. (Little, Brown) Vampires and werewolves and their intrigues in high school. (Ages 12 and up)
WEEKS ON LIST: 281
2. LIGHTLARK SAGA, by Alex Aster. (Amulet) Every 100 years the island of Lightlark appears and a deadly competition called the Centennial takes place. (Ages 13 and up)
WEEKS ON LIST: 19
3. THE HUNGER GAMES, by Suzanne Collins. (Scholastic) In a dystopia, a girl fights for survival on live TV. (Ages 12 and up)
WEEKS ON LIST: 391
4. THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY TRILOGY, by Jenny Han. (Simon & Schuster) A beach house, summer love and enduring friendships. (Ages 12 and up)
WEEKS ON LIST: 147
5. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney. (Amulet) The travails and challenges of adolescence. (Ages 9 to 12)
WEEKS ON LIST: 864
6. THIS WOVEN KINGDOM, by Tahereh Mafi. (HarperCollins) Based on the Persian epic poem the “Shahnameh,” this tale follows the budding romance of Alizeh and Kamran. (Ages 13 and up)
WEEKS ON LIST: 2
7. HARRY POTTER, by J.K. Rowling. (Scholastic) A wizard hones his conjuring skills in the service of fighting evil. (Ages 10 and up)
WEEKS ON LIST: 863
8. BELLADONNA, by Adalyn Grace. (Little, Brown) Signa forms an alliance with Death himself in order to solve a murder mystery. (Ages 14 to 18)
WEEKS ON LIST: 2
9. THE POWERLESS TRILOGY, by Lauren Roberts. (Simon & Schuster) A story of forbidden love between Paedyn, an Ordinary, and Kai, an Elite, in the kingdom of Ilya. (Ages 14 and up)
WEEKS ON LIST: 64
10. AWESOME FRIENDLY KID, written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney. (Amulet) Rowley Jefferson chronicles his life story and adventures. (Ages 9 to 12)
WEEKS ON LIST: 46
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The New York Times bestsellers are compiled and archived by the bestseller lists desk of The New York Times news department and are separate from the culture, advertising and business sides of The New York Times Co. More information on rankings and methodology: nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/methodology.
https://www.dailypress.com/2025/10/20/childrens-best-sellers-4-11/
