Dec. 21, 2023 – As 2023 winds down and a new year approaches, some things remain unchanging: the popularity of the wimpy kids, pigeons who just want to drive buses, Pokemon, and Minecraft being chief among them.
We looked back at 2023 and created this list of the top borrows at the Cedar Rapids Public Library. In Young Adult fiction, Leigh Bardugo and Sarah J. Maas dominate. We included graphic novels here, which are popular with adults as well as teens, as well as children's graphic novels and manga. All three genres are exploding in popularity with Cedar Rapids readers. The lists round out with children's books in three categories – chapter books, picture books, and nonfiction, where despite the dominance of Minecraft, topics like animals and dinosaurs will always be popular.
Check back next week for our 2023 Top Borrows in adult fiction and nonfiction, ebooks, audiobooks, and movies.
YA Fiction
1. "Shadow and Bone" by Leigh Bardugo
2. "The Inheritance Games" by Jennifer Barnes
3. "Siege and Storm" by Leigh Bardugo
4. "A Court of Mist and Fury" by Sarah J. Maas
5. "A Court of Thorns and Roses" by Sarah J. Maas
6. "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" by Holly Jackson
7. "Ruin and Rising" by Leigh Bardugo
8. "Firekeeper's Daughter" by Angleine Boulley
9. "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
10. "The Summer I Turned Pretty" by Jenny Han
Graphic Novels
1. "Heartstopper" by Alice Oseman
2. "Saga" by Brian Vaughan
3. "Gender Queer: A Memoir" by Maia Kobabe
4. "The Walking Dead: Compendium One" by Robert Kirkman
5. "Locke & Key" by Joe Hill
6. "Monstress" by Marjorie M. Liu
7. "Something is Killing the Children" by James Tynion
8. "Lore Olympus: Volume Three" by Rachel Smythe
9. "Star Wars: Darth Vader" by Kieron Gillen
10. "Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History" by Art Spiegelman
Manga
1. "Naruto" by Masashi Kisimoto
2. "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba" by Koyoharu Gotoge
3. "My Hero Academia" by Kōhei Horikoshi
4. "One Piece" by Eiichiro Oda
5. "Black Butler" by Yana Toboso
6. "Jujutsu Kaisen" by Ballad Kitaguni
7. "Fullmetal Alchemist" by Hiromu Arakawa
8. "Black Clover" by Yūki Tabata
9. "The Promised Neverland" by Kaiu Shirai
10. "Haikyu!!" by Haruichi Furudate
Children’s Graphic Novels
1. "Pokémon: Black and White" by Hidenori Kusaka
2. "Baby-sitters Little Sister" by Katy Farinaa
3. "Hilo" by Judd Winick
4. "Sonic the Hedgehog: Archives"
5. "Pokemon: XY" by Hidenori Kusaka
6. "Pokemon: Adventures" by Hidenori Kusaka
7. "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Graphic Novel Series, Books 1-5" by Rick Riordan & Robert Venditti
8. "Guts" by Raina Telgemeier
9. "Dog Man" by Dav Pilkey
10. "Cat Kid Comic Club: Collaborations" by Dav Pilkey
Children’s Chapter Books
1: "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Meltdown" by Jeff Kinney
2. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Deep End" by Jeff Kinney
3. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel" by Jeff Kinney
4. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw" by Jeff Kinney
5. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Wrecking Ball" by Jeff Kinney
6. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down" by Jeff Kinney
7. "The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Volume 1" by Rick Riordan
8. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway" by Jeff Kinney
9. "Big Nate: In a Class by Himself" by Lincoln Peirce
10. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever" by Jeff Kinney
Children’s Picture Books
1. "Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons" by Eric Litwin
2. "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!" by Mo Willems
3. "The Pigeon Has to Go to School!" by Mo Willems
4. "The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster!" by Mo Willems
5. "My Dad is Awesome" by Bluey and Bingo
6. "The Berenstain Bears Get in a Fight" by Stan & Jan Berenstain
7. "Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes" by Eric Litwin
8. "Curious George and the Ice Cream Surprise" by Monica Perez
9. "Grumpy Pants" by Claire Messer
10. "The Hat" by Jan Brett
Children’s Nonfiction
1. "The Ultimate Books of Big Cats: Your Guide to the Secret Lives of These Fierce, Fabulous Felines" by Steve Winter
2. "Dinosaur Atlas: When They Roamed, How They Lives, and Where We Find Their Fossils" by National Geographic Society
3. "5,000 Awesome Facts (About Animals)" by National Geographic Society
4. "The LEGO Ideas Book: You Can Build Anything!" by Hannah Dolan
5. "Minecraft: Guide to Redstone" by
6. "Know-It-All: Ancient Egypt" by Sarah Wassner Flynn
7. "Minecraft Amazing Bite-Size Builds: Over 20 Awesome Mini-Projects"
8. "Minecraft: Guide to Combat" by Craig Jelley
9. "Minecraft: Mobestiary" by Alex Wiltshire
10. "Weird but True! Birthdays: 300 Fun-tastic Facts to Celebrate"
