Due to the pandemic, many children would be missing their schools a lot and all the fun activities at school. But when it all resumes back to its old normal functioning, our kids need to get along at this place, where they haven’t been for the past two years. Various things can help them stay in touch with the school and not feel isolated or different on their first day. Let’s know about some of the Back to School Books.
Many ways to make your child’s first day better are – meeting up with friends, wearing their favorite T-shirt or carrying their favorite lunch to school, having a good breakfast, getting up early, etc can be ways to boost the child’s confidence for the day. But some things that can help are back-to-school books which can help to kick start your child’s first day of school.
How can back-to-school books help your child?
Back-to-school books can be helpful because they contain pictures and phrases which can build the child’s expectations about school and what would be the first day. Reading and coloring books allow children to tap their creative insights and expand their imagination. These books could include certain school rules about dressing, behaving explained in a fun, easy, and poetic language which is often easy for a child to understand without giving him anxiety or fear.
Reading books can simulate a child’s mental growth and help them in concentration which is an important factor in classrooms. Books help develop communication and social skills due to the use of conversational language between characters.
It is recommended that a child of 5 to 7 years should at least spend 15 to 20 minutes reading each day to improve their skills and thinking patterns.
Back-to-school books
Let’s discuss the various back-to-school books one by one to help you make the right choice for your kid. Choosing a book depends on your child’s reading capacity and interest which you should be aware of to develop a habit of reading.
Here is a list of back to school books that you may choose from-
A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Creech.
It’s a fun, attractive book for children due to its illustrations and easy language. The book is all about how the school principal regularly comes to school. He loves school as he expects his students to regularly show up at school too. The book teaches children about punctuality and the importance of time in simple and effective language. It’s a perfect read-aloud for children and can help improve reading skills.
The story revolves around the life of a little boy named Tillie who is a school-going child. His principal wants the children to show up even on Saturdays, Sunday’s and holidays.
It’s a fun book to read and is illustrated by Harry Bliss and written by Sharon Creech. The book is available on Amazon for $ 17.99.
All are Welcome by Alexander Penfold.
This book is a culture-inclusive book that teaches the child to understand the diversity around them and respect each individual for their uniqueness. It talks about children with hijabs, parkas, and other accessories playing on a football field with children wearing caps. Even the title shares the main idea of the book.
It also contains various illustrations of children from all cultures be it black, Muslim, Hindu, Chinese, Mexican, etc all are welcome. The book gives young minds a very useful lesson because discrimination is learned and not adopted by birth. So teaching your kids inclusivity of all cultures and people is a good choice.
The book is illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman and written by Alexander Penfold in an easy and inclusive language. The book is available on Amazon for $ 9.58.
Be Big!: Beatrice’s First Day of First Grade by Katie Kizer.
This book gives young children the confidence to be their unique selves without being afraid of what people may think or feel. It’s really important to accept oneself and love oneself to allow others to accept and love you in return. It encourages young minds to be bold and fearless. The book helps in building a child’s self-esteem and self-efficacy which are important pillars of life.
The story follows the life of a young girl named Beatrice who is young and has a blue tutu and is accompanied by her friend Benjamin the butterfly who gives her courage to face her first day of first grade. The book is really helpful for children and their families and teaches them to be bold, take control of their life and never feel that they are alone.
The book is illustrated and written by Katie Kizer and is available on Amazon for $ 20.95.
Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
The book highlights the topics of bullying and teasing at school and how a child can effectively handle such conditions. Toxic behavior by other classmates can leave a child developing low confidence in oneself and thus parents need to make the child have belief in oneself to fight against all odds.
The story is about a girl named Chrysanthemum who is named after a flower. She loves her name and everyone appreciates her for the name outside her school. But on her first day, she gets teased for having such a long name and everyone wants her to change it as it’s white hard to pronounce and write. But one day everyone’s beloved teacher Mrs. Twinkle who is a music teacher decides to keep her child’s name Chrysanthemum to which the classmates are very surprised and now wish to have their name changed to a flower as well.
The story talks about acceptance and having confidence in oneself. Teaches children how to effectively deal with such problems at school and outside school.
The book is illustrated and written by Kevin Henkes and is available on Amazon for
$ 9.99.
The Buddy Bench by Patty Brozo
School can be fun and exciting for some but everyone has different experiences to share. Some might be surrounded by a lot of friends but many feel lonely on the school playground. No one approaches them. Thus to avoid being lonely. Patty Brozo introduced the concept of Buddy Bench.
The concept is quite simple and easy for kids to understand. Every time they are playing at school and see someone sitting on the Buddy Bench they need to ask them to play with them. This helps enhance and build friendships and also improve communication skills.
This concept has been adopted by many schools across the US and UK and the school now includes a Buddy Bench for all the children who love to play but never get asked.
The book is beautifully illustrated by Mike Deas and written by Patty Brozo. It is available on Amazon for $ 17.95.
Chu’s First Day of School by Neil Gaiman and Adam Rex.
The Chu is a famous character quite well known among parents and children. There are many Chu-related books published by Neil Gaiman out of which this book highlights Chu’s first day at school. He is a bit nervous and is fearful about the first day.
He thinks that his classmates wouldn’t accept him at all. The first day demands all children to share one special they love to do. The Chu thinks a lot and then decides to share about his sneezing ability. He thinks that other kids would judge him for sharing the same but they instead accept him as the way he is. This builds a sense of confidence in the Chu and he accepts himself the way he is.
The story is a great way to teach children the importance of speaking up and accepting themselves. Holding inside would only lead to resentment.
The book is illustrated by Adam Rex and written by Neil Gaiman. It is available on Amazon for $ 14.39.
The Color of Home by Mary Hoffman
This book talks about the pain immigrant people face and how it’s important for children to feel accepted by all. The story is about a little kid named Hassan who is an immigrant from Somalia. During a school activity, he draws a picture of his beautiful home in Somalia filled with all sorts of colors but the picture also includes colorful instances of war.
He explains the drawing to his classmates and friends through a translator who explains his suffering in Somalia. After he moves from Somalia to England he feels much more settled and at peace due to his environment that includes happy faces instead of guns and bombs. He pictures a colorful and vibrant life in England and begins appreciating his newfound home.
The book is illustrated by Karin Littlewood who used watercolor to paint the pictures and is written by Mary Hoffman. This is available on Amazon for $ 17.83.
Daddy Long Legs by Nadine Brun-Cosme.
The book talks about the pure and loving relationship between a father and his son, Matty. The father in the book is quite imaginative and shares all sorts of creative suggestions with Matty to calm him down. It talks about the bond of a father and his love for Matty and how he can do anything for Matty.
The story starts with colorful and playful illustrations about the car which had some troubles in the morning. Dad was able to drop Matty at the nursery but he was unsure whether he could pick him up later due to the car. Matty felt quite nervous and thought, what would he do if he didn’t come to pick him up?
But his dad instantly reassured him that he would be there later.
He gave different suggestions ranging from a tractor to a polar bear, or a dragon, etc. He shared his imaginative thought process with the child that helped Matty relax a little bit and have a great laugh. Later dad even confirmed that if nothing works he will come by foot to pick him up.
The story is a great Fathers Day gift and talks about parental support and love. The book is beautifully illustrated by Aurélie Guillerey and written by Nadine Brun-Cosme. It is available on Amazon as well for $ 17.95.
The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson.
The book talks about the discrimination and isolation children may face in the school environment. Those children who have dark skin curly black hair often find themselves lonely in schools due to their differences. The book is a great way to help children understand the power within them, their voice, and how to use it and build friendships.
The book highlights the life of a small girl who spends her summer vacation at home looking outside the window while all her classmates went to different places. She felt quite left out but when it was her turn she expressed how her books and stories were able to take her to different places. She saw how there is room for her differences.
The book wants readers to accept themselves the way they are and build friendships based on truth. The book is illustrated by Rafael López and written by Jacqueline Woodson. It is available on Amazon for $ 6.63.
Edda a Little Valkyrie’s First Day of School by Adam Auerbach.
Edda, who is a Valkyrie from Norse mythology, finds her land of magic to be quite boring. She is a little Valkyrie and wishes to make new friends her own age to have someone to play and connect with. She expresses her problems to her dad who knows a place where she can find and make friends.
He tells her about the school on earth, a place where a lot of children her age can be found and Edda becomes quite excited about it. She knows she is a brave Valkyrie and can handle school pretty well and make new friends.
She compares her life at Asgard and school. She starts liking school and brings new friends home every day.
The book is illustrated and written by Adam Auerbach and it is available on Amazon for $ 1.99.
Garmann’s Summer by Stian Hole.
This book can be a perfect read-aloud for adults who can explain the meanings to their children due to its long text and deep meanings which is quite hard for a child to comprehend themselves.
The story talks about Garmann who is a little school-going boy and his anxieties. It’s summertime and it’s time for his three aunts to visit him but he is scared because school will be starting soon. During the book, he goes on to ask his family members some of their fears and how they feel about them. The Aunts share their fear of dying and aging and the father shares his fear of performing in front of a crowd.
Listening to their experience Garmann realizes how fear is a part of life and everyone has fears. This helps him to accept his fears and see them as essentials rather than problems to carry out daily tasks.
The book is illustrated and written by Stian Hole and translated by Don Bartlett. The book is available on Amazon for $ 5.96.
Going to School by Rose Blake.
The book talks about the starting of school and how children are nervous on their first days. The book is a great read for kids moving to a higher grade than kids who are starting school.
The book is similar to a day in my life vlog where Rose shares the life events of a little girl. She has her breakfast, reaches school, takes lessons, plays, enjoys with her friends, eats lunch, and goes back home. The book is a fun read for kids who are moving to a higher grade and feel nervous for their first day. The story also demands its readers to discuss and guess at various points throughout the book and is a great fit for kids.
The illustrations are fun to look at and can be enjoyed by kids of all ages. The book is illustrated and written by Rose Blake and is available on Amazon for $ 16.99.
How to Read a Book by Kwame Alexander.
The book talks about reading and how wonderful of an experience it is. It helps children to understand the importance of reading and explains the correct ways to read a book.
It’s a poetic book written by Kwame and is illustrated in a way that encourages kids to read more. The illustrations possess kids who are reading all sorts of books with big fonts, small fonts, etc and enjoying it. The book explains to its readers the need to invest in oneself by reading and gaining more each day.
It is beautifully illustrated by Melissa Sweet and written by Kwame Alexander. Both have been New York’s best-selling authors and their names are enough to convince people to buy it. The book is available on Amazon for $ 14.29.
How to Read a Story by Kate Messner.
It’s a fun and easy book that shares with its readers who are specifically kids, the joy of reading and the correct way of reading by giving kids steps and tricks to complete the book without getting bored. The book is a great way to develop a habit of reading among the young generation.
It gives detailed and on-the-point steps from choosing the right book to finishing it. The first step always includes choosing and if you are a beginner reader then it’s necessary to start with something you like. Then it wants the readers to find a reading buddy. It could be anything, even your stuffed toys to be honest. The steps progress and teach readers how to finish the book at last.
It’s a fun way to develop a reading habit among kids and increase their creativity and imagination. The book is illustrated by Mark Seigel and he has done a great job to attract kids. He has used bright colors and pictures to help the readers connect the text with the pictures. It is written by Kate Messner.
The book is available on Amazon as well from $ 8.07.
I Don’t Want to Go to School by Stephanie Blake.
The book’s main character is a Rabbit named Simon and depicts his conversation with his mother. It is Simon’s first day at school and he refuses to go. His mother tries all sorts of ways to encourage him but nothing works. He is held on to his decision and doesn’t wish to change it.
It’s a book full of illustrations and words that are attractive to kids. It is a great fit for kids starting school and who are feeling anxious about the first day. Simon is a well-known character that Stephanie has used in the book and the character also has its animated series featured on Netflix.
The book is illustrated and written by Stephanie Balke and is available on Amazon for $ 23.67.
I Will Be Fierce by Bea Birdsong.
I Will be Fierce is a book full of bravery and confidence. It’s about a young fierce girl who shows us her abilities to overcome every challenge she faces. It encourages others to be like her and to look at every obstacle as an opportunity to conquer.
The story talks about the girl’s everyday adventures from getting up, going to school to coming back home. The writer uses different words to convey her bravery and confidence like conquer, forge and lead. It’s a great book for kids who lack the confidence to finally take a stand for themselves and not fear anything. The book works well to build self-esteem and courage, two important elements to win in life.
The book is illustrated by Nidhi Chanani and written by Bea Birdsong. It is available on Amazon for $ 12.57.
This is the list of books that can help children build confidence for their first day of school, teach them inclusivity, friendships, and the importance of, use of reading. Reading is considered a boon and everyone should tap into it once.
Conclusion
Back-to-school books help build confidence among children and boost them to attend and excel in school. They help build a child’s imagination, thought process, and confidence in every aspect of life. If a child starts reading children’s books at an early age and develops reading skills it’s easier foto transition from simple to complex reading than for children who have no prior reading experience.
