To Kill a Mockingbird tops the list

New York, NY — May 26, 2011 — Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, today announced lists of the 10 most influential books selected by adults and children on the company’s online book community, YouAreWhatYouRead.com. Scholastic invites all readers to find their next great summer read through the top 10 lists, featuring a wide selection of books from contemporary fiction to the classics.

When asked to create their YouAreWhatYouRead.com "Bookprint" – the five books that helped shape who they are –15,000 participants, including more than 200 notable reading role models such as Bill Gates, Malcolm Gladwell, Nicole Kidman, Oprah Winfrey, Scarlett Johansson, Suzanne Collins, Tom Hanks, Tony Hawk, President William Jefferson Clinton, and President George H.W. Bush, shared the five most influential books of their lives.

YouAreWhatYouRead.com tracks each book selected for a user's Bookprint. Since the site’s launch last October, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee has held the number one spot as most popular Bookprint choice for adults, while The Lightning Thief from the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan currently leads the kids’ list.

The 10 most influential books picked by adults on YouAreWhatYouRead.com:

(Click through each title to see how many times the book appears in Bookprints and the users who picked the book.)
1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
2. The Holy Bible
3. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
6. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
7. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
8. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
9. The Giver by Lois Lowry
10. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

The 10 most influential books picked by kids on YouAreWhatYouRead.com: (Click through each title to see how many times the book appears in Bookprints and the users who picked the book.)

1. Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
6. Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
7. Heroes of Olympus: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
8. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney
9. The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan
10. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

 

"The lists show an amazing diversity in the books adults have come to cherish and the books kids are choosing as favorites," said Maggie McGuire, Vice President, eScholastic, Kids and Parents Channels. "It’s exciting to see so many publishers, genres and interests represented, from classics like Pride and Prejudice, to contemporary classic series like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. With the warm weather months just ahead, YouAreWhatYouRead.com is the perfect tool to guide readers of all ages to their next great summer read."

Book lovers and readers of all ages are invited to join and create their Bookprints at www.youarewhatyouread.com. With dynamic features, including Book Links and Books Around the World Maps, the site allows users to expand their reading list this summer by discovering new releases and uncovering old favorites. Users can sign in via a social network or Scholastic.com account and connect with readers all over the world through these shared Bookprints.

You Are What You Read features a separate community for young readers (under age 13) that provides kids with friendly book selections and other book themed activities. Scholastic has also created participation guides for teachers to use YouAreWhatYouRead.com as a classroom activity with older readers and younger readers.

For more information about YouAreWhatYouRead.com, please visit the online press kit.

The site is part of Scholastic’s Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life. global literacy campaign. For more information on the Read Every Day campaign, visit www.scholastic.com/readeveryday.

For more information about Scholastic, visit our Media Room at http://mediaroom.scholastic.com.

Contacts:

Ivy Li
212-343-6402
ili@scholastic.com

Amanda Hebert
212-343-6657
ahebert@scholastic.com