Your child is back in the trenches, also known as school, and may be still adjusting to the new routine, new classmates, and new school. For the younger ones, it can be an especially challenging transition. If you don’t have the exact words to ease the first few weeks that they are back in school, why not try a book?
Here are some great books about kids going back to school. We’ve included a few different age groups so that you can read and share the feelings with your child, and some young adult titles for children who want to be alone with their thoughts.
KEISHA ANN CAN!
Full of lively illustrations and a cheerful rhyming text, “Keisha Ann Can!” by author-illustrator Daniel Kirk is perfect for little ones nervous about what to expect at school. From the time she catches the school bus to the time she gets home to her waiting parents, Keisha Ann is full of enthusiasm about playing and learning at school.
FIRST DAY JITTERS
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“First Day Jitters” is an excellent book for the child who is worried about changing schools. The author is Julie Danneberg and the colorful and comic illustrations in ink and watercolor are by Judy Love. It’s the first day of school and Sarah Jane Hartwell does not want to go. She will be going to a new school and she is scared.
I AM TOO ABSOLUTELY SMALL FOR SCHOOL
Is your little one apprehensive about going to preschool or kindergarten? Introduce her to Lola, the star of this picture book, “I Am Too Absolutely Small for School,” by Lauren Child. Lola is sure she is “too absolutely small for school,” but her older brother Charlie patiently convinces her otherwise by presenting a series of imaginative and funny reasons she needs to go to school.
RICHARD SCARRY’S GREAT BIG SCHOOLHOUSE
I grew up reading this one myself. Kids can learn the alphabet, how to count, the days of the week and much, much more in “Richard Scarry’s Great Big Schoolhouse.” Originally published in 1969, the new, over-sized edition features animal characters having fun as they learn all kinds of useful information.
MY FIRST DAY AT NURSERY SCHOOL
After her mother drops her off and says a rather quick good-bye in “My First Day at Nursery School,” the young narrator has only one thought: “I want my mommy.” She begins to explore the classroom, noticing that there is a playhouse with a blue tea set, pots, and spoons. Then she thinks about her mother again, but this time, she doesn’t miss her as much. As the day progresses, the child’s growing interest in the activities and objects that surround her and show that she is becoming comfortable with her new environment. When her mother arrives to pick her up, the girl declares, “I want to stay at nursery school.”
OFF TO FIRST GRADE
In “Off to First Grade,” author Louise Borden uses poetry to capture the joy and nerves of heading into a new school year. Borden’s free-verse poems are wonderfully readable, offering just the right touch of friendly reassurance to young readers.
THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO SURVIVAL HANDBOOK: MIDDLE SCHOOL
If your older child is stressed about transitioning to a new middle school, hand them “The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook.” This guide for middle school students by Robin Epstein and Ben H. Winters, dishes straightforward and helpful advice on bullies, cliques, homework overload, and surviving a crush.
CURIOUS GEORGE’S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
Another classic, “Curious George’s First Day of School,” features our favorite monkey troublemaker committing some first-day faux pas when he attempts to “help out” in art class. If your child is as curious at Little George—in or out of class—this is the book for them.
WE LOVE SCHOOL
Set in comic-book style, “We Love School!” has lots of color, action, and of course, crazy animals. School life is happy and harmonious for these animal students who tell what they like about the experience while singing, doing art projects, snacking and even napping. Also available in an English/Spanish version.
BUTTERFLIES IN MY STOMACH AND OTHER SCHOOL HAZARDS
Author-artist Serge Bloch gives readers a comical look at the first day of school in “Butterflies In My Stomach and Other School Hazards.” In this picture book, you’ll laugh out loud as the author tells the story using a string of cliches paired with hilariously literal illustrations. For example, when the young narrator is told to hurry up “because we’d be in a real pickle if we missed the bus,” Bloch shows a photograph of a pickle as a school bus, complete with wheels and passengers.
