As Valley Stream moves into 2026, borrowing patterns from the Henry Waldinger Memorial Library offer a snapshot of what local readers gravitated toward over the past year and how librarians see reading habits evolving across age groups.
Based on circulation data from 2025, the library’s most borrowed titles included bestselling fiction, long-running series, and books driven by film, television and social media exposure. According to Library Director Mamie Eng, the adult list closely tracked national trends, while children’s and teen borrowing showed strong loyalty to familiar series and formats.
Children's books: graphic novels dominate
The most borrowed children’s books of 2025 were overwhelmingly from Dav Pilkey’s “Dog Man” series. The top five included “Dog Man. 9, Grime and punishment,” “Dog Man. 4, Dog Man and the Cat Kid,” “Dog Man. 13, Big Jim begins,” and “Dog Man. 6, Brawl of the wild,” along with Jeff Kinney’s “Diary of a wimpy kid: the deep end.”
Children’s Librarian Jaclyn Kunz said these results reflect a trend that has remained consistent for several years: the popularity of graphic novels among elementary-age readers.
“I don’t think I can buy them fast enough,” Kunz said. “The kids devour them, which is really nice.”
Hybrid books that combine text and illustrations, such as the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series, also continue to perform strongly.
Kunz explained that children’s standalone fiction circulates less frequently than series titles, while picture books remain popular, especially humorous ones. She also pointed to renewed interest in classic series reissued as graphic novels, allowing familiar characters to reach a new generation of readers. While parents sometimes influence book choices — particularly for younger children — Kunz said many families encourage kids to choose their own reading materials, as long as they are in the habit of reading.
Teen books: familiar favorites and screen adaptations
Teen borrowing in 2025 centered on well-established titles and series, many of which are tied to movies or television shows. The top five teen books were “The Maze Runner” by James Dashner, “We’ll Always Have Summer” and “The Summer I Turned Pretty” by Jenny Han, “The Sea of Monsters” by Rick Riordan and “Catching Fire” by Suzanne Collins.
Teen Librarian Faith Kenney said demand for Jenny Han’s books was particularly strong during the summer months, with titles rarely staying on the shelves. She noted that Riordan’s works continue to appeal to both children and teens, while “The Hunger Games” series remains popular with new readers as film adaptations renew interest.
Kenney said teen reading habits have been stable over time, with continued interest in series fiction, thrillers and books connected to screen adaptations. Social media platforms such as TikTok have played an increasingly important role.
“I will have teens that come in and show me their phone and a picture of this book they want to read,” Kenney said. “And it’s definitely a “book-tok” influence, as opposed to more than last year, the year before, a little more. But it still follows the same kinds of trends. They’re asking for thrillers, they’re asking for whatever is the most popular one on “book-tok.”
Adult books: bestsellers and social media influence
Adult borrowing in 2025 leaned heavily toward bestselling fiction. The most borrowed adult titles were “The Women” by Kristin Hannah, “The Housemaid” and “The Housemaid’s Secret” by Frieda McFadden, “Before I Let Go” by Ryan Kennedy and “Nineteen Eighty-Four” by George Orwell.
Eng said McFadden emerged as the most prominent author among adult readers, driven in part by TikTok exposure and film adaptations. She noted that while authors such as James Patterson and Danielle Steel remain widely read, their frequent releases mean individual titles cycle through more quickly and do not always appear at the top of annual circulation lists.
“If you did, say, which of the most popular authors, yes, they would still be at the top,” Eng said. “But they don’t show up in the top circulated books because of that.”
Nonfiction was less represented among the most borrowed adult books, though Eng identified self-help titles and cookbooks as consistently popular genres overall. Mysteries also remain a core part of adult circulation, and the library makes a concerted effort to provide popular large-print titles to ensure accessibility. Eng added that adult eBook circulation is strong through digital platforms, though those statistics were not reflected in the print-focused bestseller data.
Looking ahead to 2026
All three librarians emphasized that the library’s role extends well beyond lending books. They described the Henry Waldinger Memorial Library as a community space used daily by students, families and adults for studying, programs, book clubs, internet access, printing and cultural opportunities such as museum passes.
“I think the library adds so much value to people’s lives,” Kunz said. “And I think it’s one of those things where you just kind of say, ‘if you know, you know.’ We hear people being like, ‘Libraries are dying, I could just get it from Amazon.’ We hear that, but we library people know, and obviously, we wish and want more people to be library people. We want everybody to be library people.”
As the new year begins, librarians hope more residents recognize the range of free services available and feel encouraged to visit, attend programs and explore new types of reading. They also stressed the importance of leisure reading at all ages, whether through print books, graphic novels or audiobooks.
While reading trends may shift with new releases and media adaptations, the librarians agreed that curiosity, accessibility and community remain central to the library’s mission. Heading into 2026, their goal is to continue meeting readers where they are while inviting them to discover something new.
