It’s time to head back to school, which means it’s time for new back to school books for kids! We love adding to our back to school collection of books, so we are excited to share these new books about school and starting a new year.
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Llama Llama Back to School
An Anna Dewdney Book
This adorable first day of school addition to the beloved Llama Llama series follows the little Llama as he struggles to say goodbye to summer. Luckily, Mama Llama has a plan to make back to school preparations more fun. When the school year starts, Llama is ready to start the new year. The simple rhyming text and brightly colored illustrations have the same feeling as the previous books, and touch on familiar feelings and situations for young kids heading back to school.
Spookley the Square Pumpkin: The First Day of School
Written by Joe Troiano and illustrated by Keiron Ward
In this sweet book, Spookley the square pumpkin is nervous about his first day of school on the farm. As he enters the barn, he is surrounded by his farm friends from other adventures. Together they learn about glowing and sharing, and they have fun during recess. In the end, Spookley learns that it is okay to be nervous, but that learning with friends is fun! The rhyming story is paired with colorful illustrations featuring adorable cartoon characters with large expressive eyes.
Check out these printable back to school reading trackers!
First Day Critter Jitters
Written by Jory John and illustrated by Liz Climo
This relatable book shares the first day worries of lots of little critters. From fears of being late to worries about missing parents, each critter struggles with first day jitters familiar to kids of all ages. The story explores the fears of each little animal, and shows how they are able to overcome their fears when they learn that they aren’t the only nervous ones. Kids will love the cute and funny illustrations of the animals, as well as the relatable issues they face.
My Teacher is the Best
Written by D.J. Steinberg and illustrated by Ruth Hammond
This adorable little book is full of cute little poems that celebrate teachers and all the remarkable things they do. From making kids feel welcome in their new classrooms, to always finding the perfect book, or having the right answer, actions both big and small are recognized in the poems. The accompanying illustrations are full of bright colors and a diverse cast of teachers and students having fun and sharing love. This is a great book for teachers and kids alike!
The Night Before Second Grade
Written by Natasha Wing and illustrated by Amy Wummer
This addition to the Night Before series changes the words of the Christmas poem to tell the story of a young boy preparing for his first day of second grade. The rhyming text touches on all the typical back to school preparations and worries, ending in a funny twist that will have kids smiling. The familiar rhymes and colorful illustrations make this a fun bedtime story before the first day of school.
Related Post: The BIG List of Back to School Books
The Queen of Kindergarten
Written by Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
This follow up to The King of Kindergarten shares the story of a young girl named MJ who is ready to start kindergarten. The sparkly tiara she wears on her head gives her a reminder to be kind, caring, and helpful to others in her class. As she goes through her first day, she uses that reminder to help other students as well. The sweet message inspires kids to share their best traits with their classmates, helping those in need, while the brightly colored illustrations show all the fun and joy of kindergarten.
The Little Bear
Written by Nicola Killen
It is the night before the first day of school and a little girl named Ollie is feeling a little nervous. When she hears an owl hooting at night, she decides to grab her backpack and follow it into the night. When she comes across a little schoolhouse in the woods, she joins with a nervous looking little bear and together they enjoy all the school has to offer. The story is a sweet celebration of friendship and first day nerves, showing little ones how making new friends can make the first day a little easier. The beautiful illustrations use few colors, with die cut pages used sparingly throughout the books.
Puppy Bus
Written by Drew Brockington
This silly book follows a young boy as he nervously heads to a new school. But he soon realizes that he got on the wrong bus and he is actually headed to puppy school. Everything is different from what he is used to and he starts to feel frustrated and lonely, until he gets to know some of his new “classmates” and learns that friendship can make all the difference in a new place. While shared through a funny story, the message rings clear that friends and kindness can make all the difference for students facing a new school.
Hattie Harmony, Worry Detective
Written by Elizabeth Olsen and Robbie Arnett and illustrated by Marissa Valdez
In this sweet story, Hattie Harmony is a young cat who is always ready to help her friends face their worries. As she prepares for the first day of school, she packs her tools in her Worry Detective Tool Belt. As her friends come to her with their worries, she uses her tools to help them cope and face their fears. When she struggles with worries of her own, will she be able to use the tools she shares with others? This sweet story is full of real coping techniques for kids, shared in a sweet story and adorable illustrations.
Today I’m Strong
Written by Nadiya Hussain and illustrated by Ella Bailey
This inspiring book follows a young girl who loves school – most days. But sometimes she is faced with harsh words from a mean bully, and she doesn’t like going to school. Luckily, she has her tiger by her side, even though she is the only one who can see it. With help from her tiger, she remembers to be strong, believe in herself, and conquer whatever anyone throws at her.
Related Post: Back to School Games
That’s Not My Name!
Written by Anoosha Syed
This book tells the story of the first day of school for a young girl named Mirha. She has been waiting and waiting to go to school, but when she introduces herself to her new classmates, they can’t pronounce her name. After a full day of mispronunciations, she starts to think maybe she should change her name. But a sweet story from her mother reminds her that her name is special, and she shouldn’t change who she is for anyone. This is a great conversation starter for kids starting a new school year and meeting new friends with unfamiliar names.
The Incredible Shrinking Lunchroom
Written by Michal Babay and illustrated by Paula Cohen
This retelling of a classic Yiddish folktale reminds readers how important it is to change their perspective. In this story, the students at Parley Elementary School are upset with their crowded lunchroom. So they write a letter to the principal asking for her help. She changes things up around the school, but the situation in the lunchroom keeps getting worse. When she finally puts things back to normal, the kids are really grateful for the lunchroom they had. This is a funny book with an important message, perfect for the start of the school year.
This is a School
Written by John Schu and illustrated by Veronica Miller Jamison
This heartwarming book is a celebration of schools and all the wonderful things that they can be. The simple text uses short statements to introduce the reader to all the people in a school, and all the things that a school can be. It isn’t just a building, but a place to learn, explore, and grow. The brightly colored illustrations feature a diverse cast of kids and teachers working together to learn, grow, and become a community. This is a great celebration of all the wonderful things that school can be for kids and for a community.
The Dinos on the Bus
Written by Peter Millett and illustrated by Tony Neal
This sing along book combines the classic song “The Wheels on the Bus” with noisy dinosaurs, resulting in a fun book for kids to sing along to. The text follows the rhyme scheme of the original song, and the vibrant illustrations include colorful cartoon dinosaurs that kids will love. This is a great one to read aloud with lots of fun actions and noises for kids to perform along with the story.
Lunch from Home
Written by Joshua David Stein and illustrated by Jing Li
In this story, a group of school children gather for lunch. But each day during the week, one more kid is embarrassed by comments made about their “different” lunch. So each day, more kids come to school with sandwiches. Until all that’s left are sandwiches. But then one girl decides that she doesn’t care what others think of her food, and she shares a little bit about her culture and home life with the others, inspiring more kids to do the same. This is a great conversation starter for kids about being respectful and curious about other people’s cultures. The story was informed by the experiences of four chefs, all profiled in the back of the book.
Tomatoes in My Lunchbox
Written by Costantia Manoli and illustrated by Magdalena Mora
This touching story follows a young girl who just moved to a new country and is starting at a new school. She is a bit lonely and scared, and she feels like she doesn’t fit in. Her clothes, her lunch, and even her name feel like they don’t fit. But when she connects with one of her classmates, suddenly she feels a little more welcome and comfortable. This story of connection and friendship reminds the reader that a little kindness can go a long way in making people feel welcome.
Check out these printable school themed bookmarks!
School is Wherever I Am
Written by Ellie Peterson
This contemplative book explores what it means to learn and where we go to learn. Is learning just done in a school building? The easy to read text explores all of the places in the world that learning opportunities can be found, and the many teachers that we can have. The brightly colored illustrations follow a young boy as he explores the world around him and visits the other people in his life whom he considers teachers. Kids will recognize lots of examples of learning that they engage in outside of the classroom too. This is a great celebration of learning in all it’s forms, perfect for the start of the school year!
12 Days of Kindness
Written by Irene Latham and illustrated by Junghwa Park
This school themed spin on “The Twelve Days of Christmas” celebrates the ways that everyday kindnesses can make a big difference to everyone. Each two page spread adds another small act of kindness, from smiles and open doors to shared snacks and thank you notes, and adds it onto the growing list of kindnesses. The colorful illustrations highlight the joy that these small acts of kindness can bring. This is a great way to kick off a new school year and encourage kids to spread kindness in all kinds of small ways.
What are your favorite back to school books for kids? Share them in the comments below!
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