Revealed: Palmerston North City Library’s most borrowed children’s books in 2023

Austin Butler as Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann's feature film.

Dog Man, the crime-biting part dog part man, is paws down a favourite with younger Palmerston North readers.

Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man: Mothering Heights was the most borrowed children’s fiction book from Palmerston North City Library in 2023.

Books in the Dog Man series also barked themselves into second, third and fourth spots.

Pilkey has eight books in the top 10, with seven Dog Man books. In seventh place is his Cat Kid Comic Club #1 about a smart yet naive orange kitten.

Two books in Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series round out the top 10.

Manawatū Guardian editorial assistant Maysie Lacy, who identifies as a cat, challenges children’s book authors to write more stories about felines.

An article published in the Language Education and Acquisition Research Network Journal in 2018 argues book series that contain highly familiar language, easy-to-follow storylines and relatable characters can potentially be used to get students hooked on reading and to keep them reading.

The Potential of Series Books: How Narrow Reading Leads to Advanced L2 Proficiency says many people report they became interested in reading only after they read series books.

Meanwhile, a movie about an English cleaning lady who falls in love with a couture Dior dress was the most borrowed movie DVD from Palmerston North City Library last year.

Mrs Harris Goes to Paris is based on the 1958 novel Mrs ‘Arris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico.

In second place was Elvis, Baz Luhrmann’s biopic of Elvis Presley, and in third was Top Gun 2: Movie Collection starring Tom Cruise. The collection is the original Top Gun movie and the sequel, Top Gun: Maverick.

Judith Lacy has been the editor of the Manawatū Guardian since December 2020. She graduated from journalism school in 2001 and this is her second role editing a community paper.