Robert Munsch beats J.K. Rowling as the author of the all-time most circulated books at the Guelph Public Library.
Munsch’s Put Me In a Book! has been circulated 3,272 times with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone at number two with 3,148 circulations.
Put Me in a Book! was inspired by a project that a grade two class in North Bay created and wrote to Munsch. It's about a class that goes on a field trip and meets a writer who is looking for someone to put in his book.
A student named Hailey volunteers and so the writer folds her up and puts her in the book. After feeling trapped, she asks her class for help to get out of the book.
Munsch is usually inspired by real children to create characters in his books.
Guelph Public Library director of operations Dan Atkins says while the library recommends books, everybody just knows Munsch.
“He’s a fantastic children's author with a local flavour,” says Atkins.
Munsch was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania but worked in a pre-school lab at the University of Guelph because he enjoyed working in daycares.
A children’s librarian once heard him telling stories to the children and discovered his gift of storytelling and told him he must write a book. After much convincing, he wrote his first book, Mud Puddle which sold 3000 copies in the first year.
His book No Clean Clothes is the third most circulated book at the Guelph Library with 3,112 circulations and his book Smelly Socks is at number four with 2,703 circulations.
“Guelph is a very literate society and the Guelph Public Library actually has the highest circulation per capita in Ontario,” said Atkins.
According to the 2017 Ontario Public Library Statistics, Guelph has a 14.77 circulation rate per capita with Waterloo City second with 10.87 per capita and Milton third at 10.66 per capita.
The library’s most circulated book of 2018 was Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny and First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama’s biography Becoming at number two with 186 circulations.
“Typically the most circulated book is usually a Canadian award winner, whether it is a Governor General winner or the Giller Prize winner. Those are typically the highest,” says Atkins.
Guelph Public Library's top 10 circulated books all time (current catalogue):
Put Me in a Book! Robert Munsch
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, J.K. Rowling
No Clean Clothes, Robert Munsch
Smelly socks by Robert Munsch
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K. Rowling
I'm So Embarrassed! Robert Munsch
Dog Days, Jeff Kinney
Playhouse, Robert Munsch
Look at Me! Robert Munsch
Down the Drain! Robert Munsch
The Top 10 books of 2018:
Kingdom of the Blind, Louise Penny
Becoming, Michelle Obama
Dark Sacred Night, Michael Connelly
A Spark of Light: a novel, Jodi Picoult
The Reckoning, John Grisham
Women Talking: a novel, Miriam Toews
The Clockmaker's Daughter, Kate Morton
The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Heather Morris
Past Tense, Lee Child
Washington Black, Esi Edugyan
