Facebook meme shows the power of Scholastic books

Morgan Baden  //  Sep 10, 2014

Facebook meme shows the power of Scholastic books

If you're on Facebook it's been hard to miss the latest meme: "List the 10 books that have stayed with you in some way. Don’t take more than a few minutes, and don’t think too hard. They do not have to be the ‘right’ books or great works of literature, just ones that have affected you in some way.”

It was, in true Facebook fashion, everywhere. So many people responded, in fact, that curious journalists began wondering which titles were included most often. So Facebook's data team analyzed the data (more than 130,000 statuses!) and came up with the list of the 20 books most cited in the meme. 

The most exciting news? Two Scholastic series are included...including in the #1 spot! And, in general, lots of children's books were named.

Here's the complete list:

  1. The Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling (appeared in 21.08 percent of all statuses)
  2. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
  3. The Lord of the Rings series, J.R.R. Tolkien
  4. The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien
  5. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
  6. The Holy Bible
  7. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
  8. The Hunger Games Trilogy, Suzanne Collins (5.82 percent)
  9. Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger
  10. The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
  11. 1984, George Orwell
  12. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
  13. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
  14. The Stand, Stephen King
  15. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
  16. A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L'Engle
  17. The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood
  18. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis
  19. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
  20. Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery

Read more in this summary from The Atlantic. Did you participate on Facebook? What titles did you pick? Share them here!