Juvenile Categories Drive Sales Gains in Early February

With the juvenile fiction and nonfiction categories both posting 7% gains, total print unit sales were 3% higher in the week ended Feb. 11, 2018, than in the comparable week in 2017 at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. The increase in the juvenile nonfiction category was led by Live Fearless by Sadie Robertson, which sold more than 14,000 copies in its first week, putting it in the top spot on the juvenile nonfiction bestseller list. Another juvenile nonfiction title that had a good week was Baby Touch and Feel I Love You, which sold more than 9,000 copies—good enough to take second place on the category bestseller chart. Books with Valentine’s Day themes helped boost sales in the juvenile fiction category. The top-selling Valentine’s Day–related book was Happy Valentine’s Day Mouse! by Laura Joffe Numeroff, which sold nearly 17,000 copies in the week, making it #4 on the category bestseller list. Sales for Anna Dewdney’s Llama Llama I Love You continued to gain momentum, and the book was the top title in the juvenile fiction category, selling just under 28,000 copies. Print unit sales were up 4% over the week ended Feb. 12, 2017, in the adult nonfiction category. Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff was knocked out of the top spot on the category list, falling to #2 with more than 32,000 copies sold. Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules jumped up to #1, selling more than 39,000 copies. And Pete Souza’s Obama: An Intimate Portrait returned to the adult nonfiction bestseller list in third place with the $50 hardcover selling more than 15,000 copies. Print units in adult fiction fell 6% in the week. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah was the new #1 title in the category, selling more than 41,000 copies in its first week.

Unit Sales of Print Books by Channel (in thousands)

Unit Sales of Print Books by Category (in thousands)

Unit Sales of Print Books by Format (in thousands)