Jessica Green is a book addict and library card holder since the age of 3. She’s a librarian at the Ottawa Public Library and Apt613’s Librarian-in-Residence.
We’ve seen what the adults read, so now it’s time for the Children and Teen lists for the top reads of Ottawa.
Teen Fiction
| Title | Author |
|---|---|
| 1. Carve the Mark | Veronica Roth |
| 2. The Hate U Give | Angie Thomas |
| 3. King's Cage | Victoria Aveyard |
| 4. Lord of Shadows | Cassandra Clare |
| 5. 13 Reasons Why | Jay Asher |
| 6. The Outsiders | SE Hinton |
| 7. A Court of Wings and Ruin | Sarah J. Maas |
| 8. Caraval | Stephanie Garber |
| 9. Geekerella | Ashley Poston |
| 10. Always and Forever, Lara Jean | Jenny Han |
This was an interesting list as there are only four books that are not part of a series; those being The Hate U Give, 13 Reasons Why, The Outsiders and Geekerella. The rest of the titles are all parts of various series, mostly fantasy. I am glad to see The Hate U Give being one of the most popular as this is my personal pick for best teen read I found this year. I also highly recommend The Outsiders as it is the 50th anniversary since it came out in 1967, and it is still considered to be one of the best YA titles ever published.
Children’s Fiction and Nonfiction
| Title | Author |
|---|---|
| 1. Big Nate (Series) | Lincoln Peirce |
| 2. Lost in Time: The Fourth Journey Through Time | Geronimo Stilton |
| 3. Bad Kitty Takes The Test | Nick Bruel |
| 4. The Dark Prophecy | Rick Riordan |
| 5. The Princess in Black Takes a Vacation | Shannon Hale |
I ended up combining all the Big Nate titles into the top read for children, as otherwise, we would not have seen any other titles! Geronimo Stilton is still a top choice as well, along with the series about the trials of Apollo by Rick Riordan. The Bad Kitty and Princess in Black series are great fun.
| Title | Author |
|---|---|
| 1. Weird But True (Series) | National Geographics Kids |
| 2. Pokémon Visual Companion | Simcha Whitehill |
| 3. 365 Things To Do With LEGO Bricks | Simon Hugo |
| 4. Guinness Book of World Records | |
| 5. Just Joking Gross: 300 Hilarious and Disgusting Jokes, Tongue Twisters, Riddles and More! | Rosie Goswell Pattison |
For the nonfiction half of the list, there are no real surprises here as books about facts and records are always keenly sought out by kids, and neither Pokémon nor LEGO show any signs of becoming less popular.
Children’s Picture Books
| Title | Author |
|---|---|
| 1. Braids | Robert Munsch |
| 2. Carson Crosses Canada | Linda Bailey |
| 3. How Do Dinosaurs Choose Their Pets? | Jane Yolen |
| 4. Olivia The Spy | Ian Falconer |
| 5. Dinosaur Pirates | Penny Dale |
| 6. Pete the Cat: Five Little Ducks | James Dean |
| 7. Mighty Mighty Construction Site | Sherri Duskey Rinker |
| 8. I Am Canada: A Celebration | Heather Patterson |
| 9. Is That Wise, Pig? | Jan Thomas |
| 10. Triangle | Mac Barnett |
This has a nice combination of well-known authors with new offerings plus some other great titles. There’s some great funny reads like Olivia the Spy, Is That Wise, Pig?, Triangle, and Braids as well as some titles about Canada, which is fitting for the sesquicentennial. Dinosaurs and construction sites are always popular, as well as Pete the Cat who takes on the Five Little Ducks song as only he can.
That wraps up the top picks as chosen by you, the public, at your local library. Don’t forget, membership is free and gives you access to all these picks and so much more. We’re looking forward to seeing you visit soon!
