
The towers of Shanghai emerge above morning clouds. The 11th China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair — a collaboration with Bologna Children’s Book Fair and Bologna Book Plus — runs Novmeber 15 to 17. Image – Getty: Mag 1c Zhou
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
Books for Children That Help Out Parents
With the China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair opening soon to run November 15 to 17, we take a look today (November 6) at a couple of key points being spotlighted by our market-research associates at Beijing OpenBook on trends in mainland China’s September book-market data.

‘Treasure Hunting in Jilin,’ No. 1 on the September children’s bestsellers list in China
Of special interest are the comic+ phenomenon in the Chinese market, a term that refers to comic books that address parents’ concerns about what we’re told are three areas of their children’s development:
- “Pioneering spirit”
- Etiquette
- Social Skills
In September Treasure Hunting in Jilin, published by the 21st Century Press Group, was ranked at No. 1 in the OpenBook children’s book bestsellers.

‘Backbone of a Nation: The Scientific Life of Chinese Academicians and The Development History of Chinese Science,’ No. 2 on the children’s bestseller’s list in September
Overall, this and other comic+ books continued to make a strong showing in the children’s market, with works by award-winning authors drawing significant attention.
If anything, “pioneering spirit” now is taking on a somewhat wider context in these books’ classifications, with parents calling for insights into boosting self-motivation in many of their children.
The exploration of self-motivation apparently is a concern many parents have for their children. And an August release, Self-Discipline Changes Destiny: Making Your Child a Top Student Starts With Self-Discipline, debuted on the charts in short-video social-media channels (though we have not seen it appear yet on this series of bestseller rankings).
Where we do see movement is in titles including Comic Teen Adventures: The Way of the Wolf, a four-volume series that “promotes the spirit of determination through cartoon comics,” our associates say, “awakening the inner drive of children.” That one is ranked No. 4 on the September bestsellers list in children’s content, a book by Kou Qiankun from New Buds Publishing House.

‘Guess How Much I Love You,’ No. 3 on the September children’s bestseller list
Another key feature in children’s books in China, especially as they have to do with parents’ perceptions of their kids’ needs, has to do with the National Outstanding Children’s Literature Award, which was created in 1986 and is designed “to encourage children’s literature creation and promote the prosperity of children’s literature.”
A series named for the award focuses on winning authors seemed to perform well in September on the market, and may be identifiable in the bestseller appearances of some books going forward.
Below, then, are OpenBook’s overall lists from September 2024 of bestsellers in fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books, followed by its lists of bestselling fiction and nonfiction in China by authors from outside the country. At the end of our article, as always, you’ll find notes on how the lists are constructed.

A bookstore in Hangzhou, set in the Qiaoxi historical district near the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. Image – Getty: Mark Zhu
OpenBook’s Fiction Bestsellers, September 2024
September 2024 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
1 | 9787536097261 | 2022-07 | Someone To Talk To | Liu Zhenyun | Flower City Press |
2 | 9787020008735 | 1998-07 | Journey to the West | Wu Cheng’en | People’s Literature Publishing House |
3 | 9787530221532 | 2021-10 | To Live (2021 Edition) | Yu Hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
4 | 9787020002207 | 1998-07 | Dream of the Red Chamber | Cao Xueqin | People’s Literature Publishing House |
5 | 9787020139590 | 2019-06 | The Last Quarter of the Moon | Chi Zijian | People’s Literature Publishing House |
6 | 9787572608582 | 2022-10 | The Litchi Road | Ma Boyong | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
7 | 9787544291170 | 2017-08 | One Hundred Years of Solitude (50th Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
8 | 9787201112695 | 2017-03 | Siddhartha | Hermann Hesse | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
9 | 9787530221396 | 2021-06 | Ordinary Word (3 Volumes) (2021 Edition) | Lu Yao | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
10 | 9787540487645 | 2018-06 | Moments We Shared | Zhang Jiajia | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
11 | 9787519013295 | 2016-07 | Dream of the Red Chamber | Cao Xueqin | The Publishing House of the China Literary Federation |
12 | 9787515373850 | 2024-08 | Red Crag | Luo Guangbin, Yang Yiyan | China Youth Press |
13 | 9787559484550 | 2024-03 | Go On a Long Trip at Eighteen | Yu Hua | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
14 | 9787572610912 | 2023-05 | The Annoyance of the Gods | Ma Boyong | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
15 | 9787536692930 | 2008-01 | The Three-Body Problem | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
16 | 9787020164776 | 2020-07 | A Late Bloomer | Mo Yan | People’s Literature Publishing House |
17 | 9787559484543 | 2024-07 | I’m as Timid as a Hare | Yu Hua | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
18 | 9787544766500 | 2017-01 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | Yilin Press |
19 | 9787536693968 | 2008-05 | The Dark Forest | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
20 | 9787229030933 | 2010-11 | Death’s End | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
21 | 9787020008742 | 1998-07 | Water Margin | Shi Nai’an, Luo Guanzhong | People’s Literature Publishing House |
22 | 9787541161834 | 2022-07 | Notebook of a Grave Robber (1) | Nanpai Sanshu | Sichuan Literature & Art Press |
23 | 9787536094420 | 2021-07 | Laughter and Tears: A Novel | Liu Zhenyun | Flower City Press |
24 | 9787572616099 | 2024-03 | The Journey to the South | Ma Boyong | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
25 | 9787544787932 | 2022-01 | Ben Ba | Liu Liangcheng | Yilin Press |
26 | 9787020008728 | 1998-07 | Romance of the Three Kingdoms | Luo Guanzhong | People’s Literature Publishing House |
27 | 9787541161841 | 2022-07 | Notebook of a Grave Robber (2) | Nanpai Sanshu | Sichuan Literature & Art Press |
28 | 9787513348744 | 2022-11 | The Seventh Day | Yu Hua | New Star Press Co., Ltd. |
29 | 9787541161858 | 2022-07 | Notebook of a Grave Robber (3) | Nanpai Sanshu | Sichuan Literature & Art Press |
30 | 9787201141527 | 2018-10 | Strait is the Gate | Andre Gide | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
OpenBook’s Nonfiction Bestsellers, September 2024
September 2024 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
1 | 9787557033118 | 2024-06 | If History were a Group of Cats: The Late Ming Dynasty and the Early Qing Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
2 | 9787536094352 | 2021-09 | My Altay | Li Juan | Flower City Press |
3 | 9787020084357 | 2011-04 | I and the Temple of Earth | Shi Tiesheng | People’s Literature Publishing House |
4 | 9787122450791 | 2024-04 | Comic The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine | Zhang Jiaming, Wang Jing | Chemical Industry Press |
5 | 9787516837375 | 2024-01 | There’s An Elephant In Every Mosquito: Why We Don’t Get Upset About Little Things For No Reason | Ernstfried Hanisch, Eva Wunderer | Taihai Publishing House |
6 | 9787550232822 | 2014-10 | Common Knowledge of Ancient Chinese Culture (4th Edition) | Wang Li | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
7 | 9787557031589 | 2023-11 | If History were a Group of Cats: The Ming Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
8 | 9787111495482 | 2015-04 | The Courage to Be Disliked | Ichiro Kishimi, Fumitake Koga | China Machine Press |
9 | 9787201161693 | 2020-08 | Counselling for Toads: A Psychological Adventure | Robert de Board | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
10 | 9787504781512 | 2024-04 | Plan the World | Gao Wenfei | China Logistics Publishing House |
11 | 9787512622456 | 2013-12 | Nothing In Life Can Not Be Put Down – Hongyi Wisdom Of Life | Song Mo | Tuanjie Press |
12 | 9787557030162 | 2023-05 | If History were a Group of Cats: Late Yuan and Early Ming Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
13 | 9787020116133 | 2016-06 | Red Star Over China | Edgar Snow | People’s Literature Publishing House |
14 | 9787520216210 | 2024-09 | History of Tang Dynasty (3 volumes) | Bo Hai Xiao Li | Encyclopaedia of China Publishing House |
15 | 9787557030599 | 2023-06 | If History were a Group of Cats: Xia, Shang and Western Zhou Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
16 | 9787544276986 | 2019-10 | Educated: A Memoir | Tara Westover | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
17 | 9787101127867 | 2017-09 | Translation and Annotation of the Analects of Confucius | Yang Bojun | Zhonghua Book Company |
18 | 9787115543424 | 2020-09 | Cognitive Awakening: The Driving Force Behind Self-Change | Zhou Ling | Posts & Telecommunications Publishing House |
19 | 9787521760323 | 2024-02 | Timelines of World History | Dorling Kindersley Limited | CITIC Publishing House Co., Ltd. |
20 | 9787557028657 | 2022-10 | If History were a Group of Cats: Southern Song, Jin and Yuan Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
21 | 9787540484880 | 2018-01 | The Gay Genius: The Life and Times of Su Tungpo | Lin Yutang | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
22 | 9787557020149 | 2019-09 | If History were a Group of Cats: Three Kingdoms | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
23 | 9787557024413 | 2021-05 | If History were a Group of Cats: Prosperity of the Tang Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
24 | 9787550207516 | 2012-06 | Illustrate the World: Travelling Around China | Editing Group of This Book | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
25 | 9787530214657 | 2015-01 | We All Live in Disparity | Yu Hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
26 | 9787557030582 | 2023-06 | If History were a Group of Cats: The Spring-autumn and Warring State Period | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
27 | 9787557020132 | 2019-09 | If History were a Group of Cats: The End of Eastern Han Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
28 | 9787502078942 | 2021-05 | Talmud | Guo Yongshui | Emergency Management Press |
29 | 9787557023041 | 2020-10 | If History were a Group of Cats: Sui and Tang Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
30 | 9787557027063 | 2022-04 | If History were a Group of Cats: Song, Liao, Jin Dynasty and the Western Xia Regime | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House- |
OpenBook’s Children’s Bestsellers, September 2024
September 2024 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
1 | 9787556882236 | 2024-08 | Treasure Hunting in Jilin | Jingding Comic | 21st Century Press Group |
2 | 9787559728920 | 2023-02 | Backbone of Nation: The Scientific Life of Chinese Academicians and The Development History of Chinese Science | Academic Divisions of The Chinese Academy of Sciences | Zhejiang Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
3 | 9787533274269 | 2013-08 | Guess How Much I Love You | Sam McBratney, Anita Jeram | Tomorrow Publishing House |
4 | 9787530778494 | 2024-09 | Comic Teen Adventures: The Way of the Wolf (4 volumes) | Kou Qiankun | New Buds Publishing House |
5 | 9787532767373 | 2014-08 | Charlotte’s Web | Elwyn Brooks White | Shanghai Translation Publishing House |
6 | 9787570819768 | 2024-01 | Animals | HOLLO BOOKS | Tomorrow Publishing House |
7 | 9787544288590 | 2018-06 | Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window (2018 Edition) | Tetsuko Kuroyanagi | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
8 | 9787556070183 | 2018-02 | Jinbo Four Seasons Fairy Tale (4 volumes) | Jin Bo | Changjiang Children’s Press |
9 | 9787556878871 | 2023-11 | Treasure Hunting in Shanxi | Jingding Comic | 21st Century Press Group |
10 | 9787533273477 | 2013-05 | Diary of a Worm | Doreen Cronin, Harry Bliss | Tomorrow Publishing House |
11 | 9787531332091 | 2008-05 | Xili Hulu The Little Pig (Zhuyin Version) (Vol.1) | Sun You Jun | Chunfeng Art & Literature Publishing House |
12 | 9787559706522 | 2018-05 | The Foolish and the Unhappy (With Chinese Pinyin) | Ren Rongrong | Zhejiang Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
13 | 9787531333227 | 2008-06 | Xili Hulu The Little Pig (Zhuyin Version) (Vol.2) | Sun You Jun | Chunfeng Art & Literature Publishing House |
14 | 9787534256301 | 2009-09 | Dreaming of Being a Wolf King (2018 Edition) | Shen Shixi | Zhejiang Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
15 | 9787556830411 | 2017-10 | The Cricket in Times Square | George Selden, Garth Williams | 21st Century Press Group |
16 | 9787558187926 | 2020-08 | Xiaobazhang Tonghua (8 volumes) | Zhang Qiusheng | Jilin Publishing Group Co., Ltd. |
17 | 9787533273460 | 2013-05 | Something from Nothing | Phoebe Gilman | Tomorrow Publishing House |
18 | 9787535766229 | 2011-03 | Fast Reading for Age 4-5 (Story Collection) | Yang Qiduo | Hunan Science & Technology Press |
19 | 9787570823659 | 2024-06 | The Diary of Smiling Cat: Growing Up Is Not Easy | Yang Hongying | Tomorrow Publishing House |
20 | 9787550188723 | 2024-05 | Little laurel. Chinese Award-winning Masters Grow Up Happy Reading Book Series(10 volumes) | Bing Bo, Zhou Rui | Nanfang Publishing House |
21 | 9787570819706 | 2024-01 | Transports | HOLLO BOOKS | Tomorrow Publishing House |
22 | 9787536587694 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: I am a Pupil | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
23 | 9787536587717 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: A Dog Called Rat | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
24 | 9787536587724 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: Look at This Family | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
25 | 9787536587700 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: My Good Friend Tie Tou | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
26 | 9787533299224 | 2018-10 | Fantastic Mr. Fox | Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake | Tomorrow Publishing House |
27 | 9787533264062 | 2010-12 | Let’s Get Mung Beans, Momma! | Zeng Yangqing, Wan Huaguo | Tomorrow Publishing House |
28 | 9787534618727 | 1998-07 | The Straw Hut | Cao Wenxuan | Jiangsu Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
29 | 9787543464582 | 2007-05 | My dad | Anthony Browne | Hebei Education Press |
30 | 9787536587731 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: Trouble of the New Deskmate | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
Foreign Author Fiction Bestsellers, September 2024
September 2024 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Author nationality | Chinese Publisher |
1 | 9787544291170 | 2017-08 | One Hundred Years of Solitude (50th Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Colombia | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
2 | 9787201112695 | 2017-03 | Siddhartha | Hermann Hesse | Germany | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
3 | 9787544766500 | 2017-01 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | United States of America | Yilin Press |
4 | 9787201141527 | 2018-10 | Strait is the Gate | Andre Gide | France | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
5 | 9787208061644 | 2006-04 | The Kite Runner | Khaled Hosseini | United States of America | Shanghai People’s Publishing House |
6 | 9787511379054 | 2019-10 | The Moon and Sixpence | William Somerset Maugham | Britain | China Overseas Chinese Press |
7 | 9787201142708 | 2018-12 | Klingsor’s Last Summer | Hermann Hesse | Germany | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
8 | 9787544291163 | 2017-08 | Journey Under the Midnight Sun (2017 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
9 | 9787521748239 | 2022-12 | Goodbye, Eri | Tatsuki Fujimoto | Japan | CITIC Publishing House Co., Ltd. |
10 | 9787513932134 | 2020-12 | Siddhartha | Hermann Hesse | Germany | Democracy and Construction Press |
11 | 9787513348362 | 2022-08 | Look Back | Tatsuki Fujimoto | Japan | New Star Press Co., Ltd. |
12 | 9787544298995 | 2020-09 | Miracles of the Namiya General Store (2020 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
13 | 9787530683859 | 2022-12 | The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes | Mei Hachimoku, KUKKA | Japan | Baihua Literature & Art Publishing House |
14 | 9787544269452 | 2021-12 | Malice (2022 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
15 | 9787544297059 | 2020-03 | Love in the Time of Cholera (3 Million Sold Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Colombia | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
16 | 9787532175512 | 2020-05 | 13 Steps | Kazuaki Takano | Japan | Shanghai Literature & Art Press |
17 | 9787530217054 | 2017-12 | The Alchemist | Paulo Coelho | Brazil | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
18 | 9787555913726 | 2022-08 | Flowers for Algernon | Daniel Keyes | United States of America | Henan Literature & Art Press |
19 | 9787559614711 | 2018-01 | Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit | Jeanette Winterson | Britain | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
20 | 9787541166051 | 2023-04 | Six Lying College Students | Akinari Asakura | Japan | Sichuan Literature & Art Press |
Foreign Author Nonfiction Bestsellers, September 2024
September 2024 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Author nationality | Chinese Publisher |
1 | 9787516837375 | 2024-01 | There’s An Elephant In Every Mosquito: Why We Don’t Get Upset About Little Things For No Reason | Ernstfried Hanisch, Eva Wunderer | Germany | Taihai Publishing House |
2 | 9787111495482 | 2015-04 | The Courage to Be Disliked | Ichiro Kishimi, Fumitake Koga | Japan | China Machine Press |
3 | 9787201161693 | 2020-08 | Counselling for Toads: A Psychological Adventure | Robert de Board | Britain | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
4 | 9787020116133 | 2016-06 | Red Star Over China | Edgar Snow | United States of America | People’s Literature Publishing House |
5 | 9787544276986 | 2019-10 | Educated: A Memoir | Tara Westover | United States of America | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
6 | 9787521760323 | 2024-02 | Timelines of World History | Dorling Kindersley Limited | Britain | CITIC Publishing House Co., Ltd. |
7 | 9787521768527 | 2024-08 | Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI | Yuval Noah Harari | Israel | CITIC Publishing House Co., Ltd. |
8 | 9787574217324 | 2024-02 | Why Is Hunger Good? | Yumi Ishihara | Japan | Tianjin Science & Technology Press |
9 | 9787550268517 | 2016-07 | Positive Discipline (Revised Edition) | Jane Nelsen | United States of America | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
10 | 9787521762181 | 2024-04 | The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI | Fei-Fei Li | United States of America | CITIC Publishing House Co., Ltd. |
11 | 9787522200514 | 2021-05 | Nonviolent Communication | Marshall B. Rosenberg | United States of America | Huaxia Publishing House |
12 | 9787520711531 | 2019-11 | A Compass to Fulfillment | Kazuo Inamori | Japan | Orient Press |
13 | 9787515350622 | 2018-04 | The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People | Stephen R. Covey | United States of America | China Youth Press |
14 | 9787111551447 | 2016-12 | The red book | Carl Gustav Jung, Sonu Shamdasani | Switzerland | China Machine Press |
15 | 9787108009821 | 1998-07 | 1587, A Year of No Significance | Ray Huang | United States of America | SDX Joint Publishing Company |
16 | 9787220126437 | 2022-08 | Somewhere Towards the End | Diana Athill | Britain | Sichuan People’s Publishing House |
17 | 9787559470027 | 2022-11 | Decisive Moments in History | Stefan Zweig | Austria | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
18 | 9787521755459 | 2023-06 | Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be | Becky Kennedy | United States of America | CITIC Publishing House Co., Ltd. |
19 | 9787521719253 | 2020-08 | The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did) | Philippa Perry | Britain | CITIC Publishing House Co., Ltd. |
20 | 9787513909884 | 2017-01 | The Fall of Imperial China | Frederic Wakeman | United States of America | Democracy and Construction Press |
Notes on the Charts
OpenBook is a privately owned industry-data research firm based in Beijing. It functions somewhat as Nielsen and NDP do from the West, and Nielsen Book Research International has worked with OpenBook in Asian operations. With authoritative data and information resources, OpenBook is able to deliver consulting service to partners who would like to explore the Chinese book market and identify suitable partners.
At last report, OpenBook monitored more than 18,000 online and offline bookstores.
The online channel includes digital retailers such as large self-operated online stores, platform stores, and small- and medium-sized stores. The offline channels include more than 4,800 bookstores. Coverage includes most of the state-owned and influential privately owned bookstores in 30 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions. Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Tibet are not included in OpenBook’s system.
In 2022, OpenBook tracked around 76.21 billion RMB in sales (US$10.62 billion).
Retail outlets include:
- Traditional bookstores
- Supermarkets
- Campus bookstores
- “Professional” stores, said to be small stores with a specific industrial or trade focus
- Airport stores
In addition, OpenBook is drawing data from online bookstores of three main types:
- The “Tmall” stores of Alibaba (Tmall is described as a marketplace of companies that create storefronts online to sell products including books)
- The “JingDong” Stores of JD.com (similar to Tmall as a marketplace of both individual companies and bookstores operated by JD.com)
- Ten independent online bookselling retailers
China has 500 or more publishers in operation today. Most of them are government-owned. Private publishers are required to generate ISBNs for their titles from a publishing company that is government-owned—which, in other words, creates a system in which all ISBNs are registered through government channels. The government approves each book published in China.
More China bestseller reports from Publishing Perspectives are here, and more on the Chinese book publishing market is here.
About the Author