Which books were flying off Worcester library shelves? Find out

WORCESTER — A canine hero's latest adventure, a prequel to a dystopian phenomenon and a prince's tell-all were among the most borrowed print books at the Worcester Public Library this year.

According to library staff, the library loaned over 623,000 items this year, well above the 554,343 items loaned in 2022.

Staff also compiled a list of the top 10 borrowed print books for kids, teens and adults.

Some of the books were among the most talked-about of the year for their splashy rollouts or a film adaptation, while others are timeless standards for children's literature.

“At Worcester Public Library, we take pride in matching our patrons with books that foster their love for reading, whether it is a blockbuster memoir, a book on the hidden history of Worcester, or the latest volume in a popular graphic novel series,” said Jennifer Marien, interim deputy director for adult services at the Worcester Public Library, said in a statement.

The top 10 for each category:

Kids

1. “Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea” by Dav Pilkey. The 11th book in the comedic graphic novel series "Dog Man" tops the kids category. A spinoff of Pilkey's other popular series, "Captain Underpants," "Dog Man" is about a police officer with the head of a dog who protects his city from evil with his friends.

2. “Sisters” by Raina Telgemeier. Telgemeier's 2014 graphic novel memoir is the Eisner Award-winning follow up to "Smile." Telgemeier explores her childhood relationship with her little sister over the course of a road trip from San Francisco to Colorado.

3. “Diper överlöde” by Jeff Kinney. The 17th book in the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" graphic novel franchise, "Diper överlöde" follows the ongoing misadventures of the self-obsessed Greg Heffley, who decides to join his brother Rodrick’s heavy metal band.

4. “The Pigeon Has to Go to School!” by Mo Willems. This 2019 children's book is about a pigeon who tries his hardest to get out of going to school, but he just has to.

5. “Pokémon: Visual Companion” by Simcha Whitehill. This is the essential visual guide to the long-running global Pokémon franchise that covers the many creatures and trainers that make up the series.

6. “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss. It wouldn't be a list of children's books without the timeless Dr. Seuss book about Sam-I-Am and his mission to get another guy to try green eggs and ham.

7. “Enemies” by Svetlana Chmakova. Felicity enters a contest to prove to her sister Letty that she can actually finish things, but she learns that it may be easier than it seems for friends to become enemies as she goes on to compete.

8. “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle. This classic children's book follows a caterpillar who just has to eat everything in sight.

9. “Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons” by Eric Litwin. This is a book in the "Pete the Cat" series. Pete loves to sing while wearing his four buttons, but can he still sing without those buttons?

10. “Mirabel’s Discovery” by Vicky Weber. This book is based on Disney's movie "Encanto." Mirabel is the only member of her Colombian family without any magical abilities, but it may be her turn to save the day.

Top 10 teens:

1. “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” by Suzanne Collins. The prequel to the dystopian series "The Hunger Games" received a movie adaptation this year. This book tells the story of the first Hunger Games more than 60 years before the events of the original trilogy.

2. “Six of Crows” by Leigh Bardugo. This fantasy novel follows a thieving crew in a city inspired by Dutch Republic-era Amsterdam.

3. “The Inheritance Games” by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. The first book in a three-part series follows Avery Kylie Grambs after she unexpectedly receives a fortune from a billionaire after he dies. However, she must live in his house full of puzzles and face the billionaire's vindictive family.

4. “Other Ever Afters: New Queer Fairy Tales” by Melanie Gillman. This fairy-tale collection tells a series of queer and feminist tales about the characters that are often sidelined in most traditional fairy tales.

5. “Clap When You Land” by Elizabeth Acevedo. Two girls from New York and the Dominican Republic, respectively, learn they are connected when a plane crash kills the man that turned out to be both of their fathers.

6. “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas. Adapted into a 2018 movie, Thomas' book tells the story of a girl who straddles the worlds of her poor neighborhood and the largely-white suburban school she attends. Witnessing a police officer kill her childhood best friend throws her life into disarray.

7. “Five Nights at Freddy's: The Silver Eyes” by Scott Cawthon. This novel is based on the horror video game series of the same name that just got a movie adaptation. It's another tale dealing with killer animatronic mascots at an abandoned pizza restaurant.

8. “The Cruel Prince” by Holly Black. The first book in a young adult fantasy series follows a mortal girl living in a world of faeries that is hostile to humans while figuring out her feelings for a prince.

9. “The Magic Fish” by Trung Le Nguyen. The son of Vietnamese immigrants uses fairy tales to connect with his mother and teach her English, but he also struggles with telling his parents that he is gay.

10. “One of Us Is Lying” by Karen M. McManus. Four students are suspects in the death of a classmate and this book shares each of the students' perspectives as readers try to piece together the mystery.

Top 10 adults:

1. “Spare” by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. This highly anticipated memoir from Prince Harry tells his side of the story about his life and his decision to step back from his royal duties along with his wife, Meghan Markle.

2. “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus. This book tells the story of a woman who becomes a beloved cooking show host after being fired as a chemist.

3. “Mad Honey: A Novel” by Jodi Picoult. A New Hampshire woman learns her son is a suspect in the death of his girlfriend. She wants to defend his innocence, but she sees sparks of his father's anger in him and learns about secrets he kept.

4. “Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, And Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin. A trio of video game developers strike it big as indie game developers, but their ambitions and personal histories may get in the way of their success.

5. “Horse” by Geraldine Brooks. This novel takes place between three timelines as it weaves a story about race, art and a horse in the 1850s.

6. “Tom Lake: A Novel” by Ann Patchett. Three daughters beg their mother to tell them the story of her romance with a famous actor during their days as stage actors. The story makes the sisters reflect on their own lives.

7. “The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig. A woman enters a library with an infinite number of books about different realities and has to decide whether her current life is really one worth living.

8. “Hello Beautiful: A Novel” by Ann Napolitano. A man from a family torn by tragedy meets a lively woman and her lovingly chaotic family.

9. “Remarkably Bright Creatures: A Novel” by Shelby Van Pelt. A widower forms an unexpected bond with an octopus at the aquarium she works for, and together they work to uncover the secret behind her son's disappearance.

10. “The Hotel Nantucket: A Novel” by Erin Hilderbrand. A Nantucket woman fresh off a breakup becomes the general manager of a past-its-prime hotel and dedicates her time to improving its image while dealing with the drama surrounding her staff and the hotel's history.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester Public Library's top 10 most borrowed books for 2023