How many books do you own? If you are a collector or a regular reader, undoubtedly more than the average person. If neither, you may still have some on your shelves anyway. Or, you may have none. A recent survey from the UK gives us a look inside the average British household.
Asda, a large British grocery chain that sells books, together with the Children's Book Project, recently conducted a survey of book ownership in the UK. What “The Books That Made Us” poll determined is that there are 283 million books resting on shelves in the UK. The percentage held by collectors is unknown, but probably not very large. Some are currently being read, but most probably fall in the category of read in the past or never read at all. For people concerned about the “Great Deaccession,” just think of what would happen if books that won't be read or won't be read again were dumped on the market. You don't want to as most would likely end up in the dump. Few of them are of much value.
How many does the average person own? The population of the UK is almost 70 million, so that comes to roughly four books per person. According to the Office of National Statistics, there are roughly 2.35 people in the typical household. Rounding off, that says that the average British household has ten books.
The Asda survey also concluded that 58% of the UK population is still holding onto their childhood books. The poll also found that 64% of adults in the UK said that their childhood reading habits shaped who they are today. An even larger 91% believe that reading or being read to was central to their childhood.
However, 88% of adults fear that children are missing out on the “magic” of reading. A separate study by Pew Research said 90% of teens use YouTube and 60% use TikTok. Snapchat and Instagram registered at roughly 50% each. Fading away is Facebook with only a third, down from 70% a decade ago. Adults consider social media the major “thief of time.” A majority, 57%, felt that way. They specifically cited YouTube and TikTok. The next largest time thief was video games cited by 30%. Lack of local library access was considered a problem by 69%. Aren't there libraries in the UK? Adults think that “reading for pleasure” should be treated on the same academic level as math or science.
Perhaps disappointing, the New York Times reported that many schools are no longer assigning full novels. The focus is more on preparation for standardized tests, so they are assigning excerpts and passages. The Times said twelfth grade reading scores are at a historic low with university professors reporting that students struggle with longer, complex texts.
Which children's books are most held onto by British adults? It's not the ones you might think, at least if you are an American. It's not the Harry Potter books. They are tied for second with 25% of the population, along with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Matilda. It's one that never really penetrated the American market, perhaps because its characters and adventures are more typically British. It's the Famous Five series by Enid Blyton that is held onto by 34% of British adults. Of course, the Harry Potter books were also written by a British author and take place in the UK, but still are enormously popular in the U.S. Perhaps the fact that the Famous Five books were written from the 1940s through early 1960s makes the difference. The internet and T.V. have melded cultures together as never before in the years since.
Credit needs to be given to Asda for conducting the poll and providing a place for people to leave their no-longer-read children's books in their many stores. The Children's Book Project distributes the books to economically disadvantaged children free. It gives them some of the opportunities to learn and prosper afforded those who grow up in more privileged circumstances. The Children's Book Project explains that it “is committed to closing the opportunity gap and lifting up our community by raising readers and ultimately paving the way for lifelong learning and literacy.”
Leland Little, June 12: The First Illustrated Edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
Leland Little, June 12: John Morton, Signer of the Declaration of Independence, Signed Pennsylvania Land Survey.
Leland Little, June 12: The Scarce Jansson Edition of a Remarkable Early View of London.
Leland Little, June 12: Signed Limited Edition of The Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Leland Little, June 12: Faden’s Important and Scarce Map of the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution.
Leland Little, June 12: William J. Tate (NC, 1869-1953), Archive of the "Original host to the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk.”
June 25, 2026
Doyle, June 25: Houdini's biography, boldly signed. $3,000 to $5,000.
Doyle, June 25: A volume from Abraham Lincoln's library, signed just before heading to Washington for his inauguration. $20,000 to $30,000.
Doyle, June 25: A very early Confederate recruiting manual belonging to the chief commissary in Lee's Army. $600 to $800.
Doyle, June 25: Rare hand-colored lithographs of the life of Napoleon. $20,000 to $30,000.
Doyle, June 25: The "Holster Atlas" of the American Revolution. $5,000 to $8,000.
Doyle, June 25: Jewish ceremonies in fine hand-colored engravings. $7,000 to $10,000.
Doyle, June 25: A very rare work on Turkish military costume. $1,000 to $1,500.
June 25, 2026
Doyle, June 25: The most important illustrated work on the Mexican-American War. $10,000 to $15,000.
Doyle, June 25: The finest illustrated book on Afghanistan. $10,000 to $15,000.
Doyle, June 25: Henry Justice Ford St. George rescues the Princess from the horrible Dragon. $2,000 to $3,000.
Doyle, June 25: A rare work of Prussian Army uniforms under Frederick William II, with exquisite hand-colored engravings. $800 to $1,200.
Doyle, June 25: Lenny Bruce typed letter signed to a Village bohemian during his obscenity trials, with a manuscript note and drawing. $300 to $500.
Doyle, June 25: Schiff's scarce Shanghai Sketchbook. $300 to $500.
Doyle, June 25: The first accurate published representation of the American flag. $2,000 to $4,000.
Freeman’s How History Unfolds on Paper: Important Americana from the Eric C. Caren Collection, Part X June 30
Freeman’s, June 30: [Queen Anne's War] Extraordinarily Large Manuscript Petition Signed by a Who's Who of Colonial New York Accomplished to Queen Anne. $8,000/12,000
Freeman’s, June 30: [Mormonism] A Unique Manuscript Account of Joseph Smith's Final Words Offered to His Congregation, the Day Before his Violent Death, 1844. $8,000/12,000
Freeman’s, June 30: [Baseball] [Mantle, Mickey] Mickey Mantle's First Cover: The Earliest Front-Page Newspaper Image of Mickey Mantle, "Something Good from Joplin". $8,000/12,000
Freeman’s, June 30: [Baseball] A Striking Type 1 Press Photograph of Lou Gehrig's Hands. $8,000/12,000
Freeman’s, June 30: [Declaration of Independence] One of the First Printed Announcements of American Independence, Subscriber Ebenezer Hazard's Copy, in the Exceedingly Rare Original Wrappers, 1776. $10,000/15,000
Freeman’s How History Unfolds on Paper: Important Americana from the Eric C. Caren Collection, Part X June 30
Freeman’s, June 30: [American Revolution] Born in the USA: First Day of Printing in the United States, July 4, 1776! $15,000/25,000
Freeman’s, June 30: [War of 1812] "We Have Met the Enemy and They are Ours": The Critical Promotion of a Naval Hero, Oliver Hazard Perry is Appointed Master Commandant in the United States Navy, 1812. $40,000/60,000
Freeman’s, June 30: [Star-Spangled Banner] Eyewitness Account of the Shelling of Fort McHenry in the War of 1812, in a Manuscript Logbook from the HMS Trave, Present at the Battles of Baltimore and New Orleans, 1814-16. $60,000/80,000
Freeman’s, June 30: [American Revolution] Thomas Jefferson at the Birth of a New Nation: An Important Letter Carried by a Jewish Patriot Communicating the Definitive Treaty of Paris, January 16, 1784. $100,000/200,000
Freeman’s, June 30: [Colonial America] [Plymouth Colony] Plymouth Colony Seeks a Royal Charter: A Rare and Important Plymouth Colony Document, 1690/91. $6,000/9,000
Sotheby’s Selections from The Jay T. Snider Collection of Benjamin Franklin Live Sale 24 June
Sotheby’s, June 24: (Benjamin Franklin). The founding—and funding—of the Pennsylvania Hospital. $150,000 to $200,000.
Sotheby’s, June 24: Benjamin Franklin, "the Day of the Declaration of Independence is everywhere annually celebrated”. $80,000 to $120,000.
Sotheby’s, June 24: Benjamin Franklin, “probably the most fundamental thing ever done in the field of electricity”. $75,000 to $125,000.
Sotheby’s, June 24: Benjamin Franklin. One of Franklin's very earliest surviving letters. $40,000 to $60,000.
Sotheby’s, June 24: Roger More and Benjamin Franklin. The only complete copy known of Poor Roger. $25,000 to $35,000.
Sotheby’s, June 24: John Jerman. The American Almanack ... for 1731 — the only known copy in private hands. $25,000 to $35,000.
