Back to School Time....

Move over summer, a new school year is coming!It’s that time of year again … time for new school supplies, uniforms, backpacks and more.  Some kids are probably feeling excited, while others are a little sad that summer is coming to an end.  Others may feel nervous or even a little scared. New teachers, new friends, maybe even a new school are worrisome. But we all know that these new worries will only stick around for a little while.

We’ve selected several new books, to help with the excitement and concern that a new school year brings.

Frank and Lucky Get Schooled by Lynne Rae Perkins
This is the story of a young boy, Frank, and his newly adopted dog, Lucky. They both go to school, Lucky “ten times” and Frank “thousands of times”.  Through their relationship with one another and with the world around them, the author is able to introduce school subjects through imagined scenarios between the two of them. This is a very interesting take on the subject, and the watercolor illustrations vary throughout the story, from full-color paintings to small vignettes.

Captain Freddy Counts Down to School by Elizabeth Shreeve

This colorful and spirited tale that launches readers into space alongside Freddy–a young boy hesitant about leaving home for his first day of school. As his mom calls for him to get ready, Freddy floats through space, explores strange planets, wrestles with aliens, and ultimately learns that school is nothing he can’t handle.

Kindergarten is Cool! by Linda Elovitz Marshall
The experiences on the first day of kindergarten are told through rhyming text. This book provides a good introduction for those getting ready to enter kindergarten and will reassure kids that school will be fun!

Lola Knows a Lot by Jenna McCarthy  
Meet Lola! Lola knows a lot. She can cartwheel, she can tie her shoes...she can drive her sister crazy. The only thing Lola DOESN'T know...is is she's really ready to go to school.

Mission: Back to School by Susan Hood
The first day of school is presented as a secret agent’s mission with nineteen steps to complete. The only text is the steps themselves and some speech bubbles that accompany the illustrations, which are done in watercolor and pencil and which convey the warm humor of the story. This picture book provides a unique look at going back to school.

Rappy Goes to School by Dan Gutman
Written in verse, this makes for a fun read-aloud. On his first day of school, Rappy the Raptor encounters a bully and gets up enough nerve to speak up. The message is of course a good one. The illustrations are fun and Bowers’ dinosaurs are full of personality.

Sophie’s Squash Go to School by Pat Zietlow Miller
Sophie is extremely nervous over her first day of school and is very reluctant to make new friends, preferring to play with the two squash, named Bonnie and Baxter, which she grew in her garden. However, one boy’s repeated attempts at friendship eventually win her over, though the process takes some time. This is a great story about friendship and one to be read-aloud.

Teachers Rock! by Todd Parr
New York Times bestselling author Todd Parr celebrates all the special things about teachers. His illustrations, full of vibrant colors and bold lines, provide lots of kid appeal. 

A Tiger Tail (or what happened to Anya on her first day of school) by Mike Boldt
Anya wakes up to discover that she has grown a tiger tail. Yes, a striped tiger tail. It also happens to be the first day of school. What will the other kids thing? Are girls with tiger tails even allowed to go to school?! Anya is about to find out.

 Printables, Crafts and More about Starting School:

• PBS Kids: Starting School
• Online Game: Dora’s First Day at School
• Online Game: Bubble Guppies Classroom Game
• Online Game: Elmo’s First Day of School
• Printable: Nick Jr. Off to School Coloring Pack
• Printable: Bubble Guppies First Day of School Memory Book
• Printable: Dora’s Beyond the Backpack Tool Kit
• Printable: Blue’s Get Ready for School Book
• Printable: Bubble Guppies Off to School Checklist
• Printable: Maisy’s Bus
• If You Take a Mouse to School Maze
• Splat the Cat Back to School Activity Guide
• Pete the Cat Rocking in My School Shoes Coloring Page
• Pete the Cat Rocking in My School Shoes Maze
• Berenstain Bears Back to School Activity
• If You Take a Mouse to School Search and Find Page
• If You Take a Mouse to School Coloring Sheet
• Time for School Mouse Search and Find Page
• Ready Set School
• Marley Goes to School Maze
• Kindergarten Diary Checklist
• Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten Coloring Page
• Junie B. Jones If I Rules the School
• Junie B. Jones Back to School Activity Kit
• Get Ready for School with Rocket
• Todd Parr's Back to School Activities
• Video: Sesame Street – The Count’s First Day of School
• Video: Sesame Street Kermit News – First Day of School with Cookie Monster
• FREE Online Stories – Watch and Listen! No Library Card Required.
• More Read Right Now! Free eBooks for Kids by Subject