The books that kept students reading this summer
Summer reading can take many forms. A student might curl up with a favorite series, listen to a story on the way to practice, or discover a graphic novel that turns into a new favorite. This summer, Sora reading data shows that students made room for all of the above and more.
From May 30 through August 1, Sora users checked out more than 3.4 million ebooks and 595,000 audiobooks. Here’s a look at what readers were reaching for—and what educators can take away heading into the new school year.
For younger readers, familiar favorites led the way
Among juvenile ebooks, Boy-Crazy Stacey by Gale Galligan claimed the top spot, followed closely by Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney. The list was filled with recognizable series and characters, including Dav Pilkey’s Big Jim and Dog Man books, along with Raina Telgemeier’s graphic novels Smile, Guts, Sisters, and Drama.
Boy-Crazy Stacey
by Gale Galligan
Stacey and Mary Anne are baby-sitting for the Pike family for two weeks at the New Jersey shore. Things are great in Sea City: There's a gorgeous house right on the beach, a boardwalk, plenty of sun and sand... and the cutest boy Stacey has ever seen! Mary Anne thinks that Stacey should leave Scott alone and focus on the Pike kids, but Stacey's in love. Looking for reasons to hang around his lifeguard stand takes up all her time, which means Mary Anne has to do the job of two baby-sitters! How can she tell Stacey that Scott just isn't interested without ruining their friendship and breaking Stacey's heart?
The juvenile audiobook list told a very different story. Diary of a Wimpy Kid took the No. 1 spot, followed by The Lightning Thief and the first three Harry Potter books. But – in no surprise - the rest of the top 20 was almost entirely made up of Jeff Kinney titles.
The contrast is a useful reminder that format can shape what readers choose. A student who might not pick up another Wimpy Kid book in print could be perfectly happy listening to one.
YA readers were revisiting worlds they love
For YA readers, The Hunger Games was the summer’s top ebook and audiobook. Suzanne Collins’ series appeared repeatedly across both lists, with Sunrise on the Reaping, Catching Fire, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and Mockingjay all making the top 20. With a new film adaptation on the horizon, it seems young readers will enter theaters this November with the original work fresh in their minds.
Sunrise on the Reaping
by Suzanne Collins
As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.
Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.
When Haymitch's name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He's torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who's nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he's been set up to fail. But there's something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.
YA readers have already shown plenty of enthusiasm for stories that have made their way to the screen. Heartstopper dominated the YA ebook list, with all five volumes appearing in the top 20. Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before also ranked highly.
The audiobook rankings offered another mix of familiar favorites, including multiple Harry Potter titles, The Summer I Turned Pretty, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, The Inheritance Games, and The Maze Runner.
A bonus look at adult reading
The summer reading list doesn’t stop with students. Adult ebook readers gravitated toward Project Hail Mary and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 1. Adult audiobook readers, meanwhile, put Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke at No. 1, followed by To Kill a Mockingbird and 1984.
Project Hail Mary
by Andy Weir
Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission - and if he fails, humanity and the Earth itself will perish.
Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.
All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time. And he's just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.
His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, he realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Alone on this tiny ship that's been cobbled together by every government and space agency on the planet and hurled into the depths of space, it's up to him to conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.
And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he's got to do it all alone.
Or does he?
What this means for educators
This summer’s Sora data shows that there’s no single path to a good read. Students returned to beloved characters, explored graphic novels, followed stories from page to screen, and moved between ebooks and audiobooks.
As educators prepare for a new school year, those preferences can offer a useful starting point. Giving students access to different genres, series, formats, and ways to experience a story can help more readers find something that keeps them turning—or listening to—the next page.
Published Aug 27, 2026
Maddi Hebebrand
Maddi Hebebrand is an integrated marketing specialist for Sora. When she's not working or reading, she can be found playing with her pets, attending local concerts, or spending time with friends and family. While Maddi loves reading across genres, some of her favorite titles include the Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman, Mary by Nat Cassidy and Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix.