Rankings reflect sales for the week ended Aug. 16, 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.
Picture Book rankings include hardcover sales only. Series rankings include all print and e-book sales. 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 SMART COOKIE, by Jory John. Illustrated by Pete Oswald. (Harper) Cookie builds up her self-confidence. (Ages 4 to 8)
WEEKS ON LIST: 29
2. ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN, by Tish Rabe. Illustrated by Laura Hughes. (HarperCollins) A little girl’s first 12 days of kindergarten. (Ages 4 to 8)
WEEKS ON LIST: 2
3. THE PIGEON HAS TO GO TO SCHOOL!, by Mo Willems. (Hyperion) Pigeon deals with the anxieties of going to school for the first time. (Ages 3 to 5)
WEEKS ON LIST: 66
4. THE WONDERFUL THINGS YOU WILL BE, by Emily Winfield Martin. (Random House) A celebration of possibilities. (Ages 3 to 7)
WEEKS ON LIST: 438
5. DRAGONS LOVE TACOS, by Adam Rubin. Illustrated by Daniel Salmieri. (Dial) What to serve your dragon-guests. (Ages 3 to 5)
WEEKS ON LIST: 483
6. THE CRAYONS GO BACK TO SCHOOL, by Drew Daywalt. Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers. (Philomel) The crayons go back to school and can’t wait for art class. (Ages 4 to 8)
WEEKS ON LIST: 22
7. THE DAY THE CRAYONS QUIT, by Drew Daywalt. Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers. (Philomel) Problems arise when Duncan’s crayons revolt. (Ages 3 to 7)
WEEKS ON LIST: 408
8. TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK, by Alice Schertle. Illustrated by Jill McElmurry. (Clarion) Blue gives a friend a ride to school. (Ages 4 to 7)
WEEKS ON LIST: 44
9. SEE YOU LATER, ALLIGATOR!, by Sally Hopgood. Illustrated by Emma Levey. (Sky Pony) A departing tortoise says goodbye to all his animal friends. (Ages 3 to 6)
WEEKS ON LIST: 5
10. THE MAGICAL YET, by Angela DiTerlizzi. Illustrated by Lorena Alvarez Gómez. (Little, Brown) A being known as the Magical Yet helps children to realize their potential. (Ages 4 to 8)
WEEKS ON LIST: 7
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MIDDLE GRADE HARDCOVER
Still a favorite at 255 weeks: “The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs” by America’s Test Kitchen. (America’s Test Kitchen)
1. WONDER, by R.J. Palacio. (Knopf) A boy with a facial deformity starts school. (Ages 8 to 12)
WEEKS ON LIST: 506
2. REFUGEE, by Alan Gratz. (Scholastic) Three children in three conflicts look for safe haven. (Ages 9 to 12)
WEEKS ON LIST: 297
3. IMPOSSIBLE CREATURES, by Katherine Rundell. Illustrated by Ashley Mackenzie. (Knopf) A boy is enlisted to save a place where magical creatures live. (Ages 10 and up)
WEEKS ON LIST: 49
4. THE COMPLETE COOKBOOK FOR YOUNG CHEFS, by America’s Test Kitchen Kids. (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky) More than 100 kid-tested recipes from America’s Test Kitchen. (Ages 8 and up)
WEEKS ON LIST: 255
5. ODDER, by Katherine Applegate. Illustrated by Charles Santoso. (Feiwel & Friends) After a shark attack, Odder recuperates at the aquarium with the scientists who raised her. (Ages 8 to 12)
WEEKS ON LIST: 117
6. BLOOD IN THE WATER, by Tiffany D. Jackson. (Scholastic) Kaylani McKinnon investigates a mysterious death on Martha’s Vineyard. (Ages 9 to 12)
WEEKS ON LIST: 7
7. SNOOP, by Gordon Korman. (Scholastic) Confined and bored at home after a skiing accident, Carter hacks into his town’s police cameras. (Ages 9 to 12)
WEEKS ON LIST: 7
8. THE MISFITS: A ROYAL CONUNDRUM, by Lisa Yee. Illustrated by Dan Santat. (Random House) Olive is sent to Reforming Arts School and teams up with a group of crime-fighting outcasts. (Ages 8 to 12)
WEEKS ON LIST: 25
9. HEROES, by Alan Gratz. (Scholastic) Friends Frank and Stanley give a vivid account of the Pearl Harbor attack. (Ages 8 to 12)
WEEKS ON LIST: 66
10. WINGS OF FIRE: A GUIDE TO THE DRAGON WORLD, by Tui T. Sutherland. Illustrated by Joy Ang. (Scholastic) A deeper dive into the legends of the 10 dragon tribes. (Ages 8 to 12)
WEEKS ON LIST: 67
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YOUNG ADULT HARDCOVER
1. 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: 6
2. 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: 3
3. GLORIOUS RIVALS, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. (Little, Brown) The stakes are raised for the seven players on Hawthorne Island. (Ages 12 to 18)
WEEKS ON LIST: 3
4. IMMORTAL CONSEQUENCES, by I.V. Marie. (Delacorte) At Blackwood Academy, six students compete to change their fate in a cutthroat magical competition called the Decennial. (Ages 14 and up)
WEEKS ON LIST: 3
5. NOTHING LIKE THE MOVIES, by Lynn Painter. (Simon & Schuster) In this sequel to “Better Than the Movies,” Wes tries to win back Liz’s heart. (Ages 14 and up)
WEEKS ON LIST: 46
6. 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: 28
7. WRITE ME FOR YOU, by Tillie Cole. (Bloom) Two teens find love while battling devastating cancer diagnoses. (Ages 14 to 18)
WEEKS ON LIST: 3
8. LONG LIVE THE PUMPKIN QUEEN, by Shea Ernshaw. (Disney) Sally, the new Queen of Halloween Town, must save her town from a sleeping curse. (Ages 12 to 18)
WEEKS ON LIST: 42
9. HEARTLESS HUNTER, by Kristen Ciccarelli. (Wednesday) Rune, a witch, and Gideon, a witch-hunter, fall in love. (Ages 13 to 18)
WEEKS ON LIST: 46
10. THE REAPPEARANCE OF RACHEL PRICE, by Holly Jackson. (Delacorte) Annabel Price’s mother is presumed dead, until she reappears during the filming of a documentary about her disappearance. (Ages 14 to 17)
WEEKS ON LIST: 38
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SERIES
1. 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: 140
2. THE HUNGER GAMES, by Suzanne Collins. (Scholastic) In a dystopia, a girl fights on live TV to survive. (Ages 12 and up)
WEEKS ON LIST: 384
3. 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: 856
4. PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS, by Rick Riordan. (Disney-Hyperion) A boy battles mythological monsters. (Ages 9 to 12)
WEEKS ON LIST: 790
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: 857
6. 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: 57
7. THE WILD ROBOT, by Peter Brown. (Little, Brown) Roz the robot adapts to her surroundings on a remote, wild island. (Ages 7 to 12)
WEEKS ON LIST: 82
8. A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER, by Holly Jackson. (Delacorte) Pippa Fitz-Amobi solves murderous crimes. (Ages 14 and up)
WEEKS ON LIST: 198
9. GIVER QUARTET, by Lois Lowry. (Clarion) Exploring human connection in a postapocalyptic world. (Ages 12 to 18)
WEEKS ON LIST: 172
10. BOYS OF TOMMEN, by Chloe Walsh. (Bloom) In Ireland, friends at the private school Tommen College prepare for adulthood. (Ages 16 to 18)
WEEKS ON LIST: 47
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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/2025/09/01/bestsellers-childrens-books-4-17/
