Israeli Students Choose Their Favorite Books Across Grade Levels

About 24,000 students from across Israel, from first grade through 12th grade, took part this year in the Education Ministry’s annual Book Parade and chose their favorite books. The results, published Thursday by Walla to mark the start of Book Week events, offer a snapshot of what interests students, from friendship, family and personal identity to bullying, loss and historical issues. The ministry said books remain a tool for self-expression, identity exploration and understanding complex human situations.

Among younger elementary students, first place went to "Karamel Comics 3: How Did I End Up Like This" by Meira Barnea Goldberg. The other top choices were "Dog Detectives 1: The Furry Break-in Case," "Rona Moves in with a Family," "The Blue Boy 2" and "Ballet Bunnies 1: Surprise in Class." For grades 4 through 6, the most popular book was "Myself, the Graphic Novel," a modern adaptation of Galila Ron-Feder Amit’s classic work. It was followed by "Kickoff," a soccer-themed book, then "Katie and the Cupcake Gang," "Guy and Gali 2: The Boycott on Daniel" and "Mystery in the School Basement 2."

In middle school, grades 7 through 9, first place went to "The Black Prince’s Ruby" by Maya Dank. The rest of the top five were "Entrance Exam" by Nava Makmel-Atir, "A Thousand Heartbeats," "Fake Friends" and "The Lost Objects Office." Among high school students, grades 10 through 12, the top book was "The Lost Bread" by Edith Brook, a novel about the Holocaust and survival. It was followed by "The Boy from Naples," "The Road from Wadi Salib," "The Lives and Those That Are Not" and "The Children of Anna."

Education Minister Yoav Kisch welcomed the results, saying curiosity is one of the most important forces in learning and reading is the natural way to nurture it. He said books help children and teenagers encounter new worlds, ideas and perspectives, and that the education system must keep promoting reading alongside innovation and technology.