Wednesday, August 14, 2019

18 Picture Books You Need for Back to School

If you are new to teaching first grade, these are some of my favorite first week of school books.  I don't read every book every year because every class has different needs, but the last 6 books on the list are my must-dos.  And there are some that didn't fit in the photo that I save until week 2, 3, or 4 that I'll cover in another post. So if you are in the market for more back to school books, here's a little bit about each book as well as the how and why I chose them.  

Keisha Ann Can  This book fits the back to school theme.  It also has repetition, making it great for "audience participation" to repeat the reoccurring phrase.  I also like this book because representation matters, and I want all my students to see some back to school stories with non-white main characters. 

On Our Way to First Grade   This one is a great book for the last day of kindergarten, but it's good for the start of first grade too.  It lets kids know that there will be many similarities between these grades, as well as some new experiences. 

First Grade Here I Come   This book takes the perspective of a student coming home from his first day of school, and at first he's not thrilled about how it went.  But as he and his mom debrief, he realizes there were many good moments and he can handle the change. 

Brand New Pencils Brand New Books  In this story Gilbert starts out confident because he's been to school but his little sister hasn't.  He starts to feel intimidated when he arrives, but he notices that he's not the only one who makes mistakes; we all have strengths and weaknesses.  This helps him feel more settled. 

First Grade Jitters  This book really delves into the insecurities your first graders might be feeling.  Some are scared about learning to read because it seems so hard.  Some worry about if the teacher will understand them and like them.  The main character learns that with a little help from their friends, they will figure it out. 

First Day Jitters  Spoiler alert: teachers get first day jitters too.  When you get to the end of this book, you will want to do a picture walk again from the beginning to show "clues" about the main character whose identity is a big shock at the end. 

Morris Goes to School  Morris makes lots of mistakes, but school helps.  He learns that in spite of a rough start, he fits right in at school.  It's a little on the long side, but some first graders (and more second graders) will appreciate the humor. 

Franklin Goes to School  This book is a little on the longer side, but I like how it deals with the mixed emotions the morning of the first day of school.  It normalizes these feelings and then shows the children that school is a safe and nurturing place. 


Mouse Loves School  This is another easy reader with limited text on each page.  And of course it has all the cuteness of a curious mouse exploring school items. 


Hello School  I love this book for the speech bubbles.  It shows children's realistic reactions to each other and their school routine.  It also features a diverse cast of characters. 


Hooray for our Heroes  This is not a back to school book.  However some schools (mine included) start school in September, and I feel this is a perfect book to read to young children on September 11th.  It does not talk about the event; it talks about members of the community who are heroes.  For my first graders, I have found this is a developmentally appropriate way to observe the day. 

But if you only pick 6 back to school books from this list, pick these!

David Goes to School  The kids LOVE this book because David is so naughty.  Prepare for many giggles!  I use this book for a writing project that I blogged about.

The Night Before First Grade  I love this book because the main character starts out with a positive attitude about school, but then there is an obstacle to overcome (friendship issue) and at the end, she makes 2 new friends and learns she can still socialize with her friend from last year as well.  I have a blog post about a writing activity I do for this book every year. 

Chrysanthemum  I use this book every year in conjunction with our "All About Me" unit.  It gets us talking about names and normalizes long names and names we are not used to hearing that our new classmates may have.  It also lends itself to a math activity as we make projects with our names and count the letters.  And finally we compare names with others in the class to find friends with the same, more, and fewer letters, so we make new connections to others (and/or get bragging rights for having a superlative name). 

Pete the Cat Rocking in my School Shoes  I love this book because it reminds kids in my class that they already know where many places are in the school (gym, library, cafeteria, playground).  It helps them feel secure.  And the tone of the book is very laid back (groovy) and grounded (rocking in my school shoes sounds to me like "just be").  It's a nice calming book with many more in the series. Although this one is repetitive and predictive making it perfect for a read aloud you can find a number of "I can read" titles featuring Pete the Cat for the kids to explore later on their own or with a partner. 

The Pigeon HAS to Go to School  Mo Willems is a must for pretty much every first grade classroom.  The simple text and emotional characters make it easily accessible and hilarious for 6 year olds.  This one is about that stubborn Pigeon and how he reconciles the idea of his duties as a student. 

We Don't Eat Our Classmates  This book was a new one for me this year and it was a HUGE hit.  It starts with a disclaimer: you won't really be eaten by dinosaurs in first grade.  Penelope can't help herself, she feels a compulsion to eat her classmates.  The teacher patiently reminds her that's against the rules and she spits them out but for some reason the kids are not so quick to forgive.  The ending has a surprise twist you won't see coming, but of course she learns to control herself and we see the possibility that she'll earn their trust back. 

If you love Amazon as much as I do, here's a tip I have for you.  Put ALL the books that interest you in their own wish list called First Grade Books.  If you use my affiliate links I will receive a commission at no cost to you.  Buy a few that you feel like you will definitely want to read next month.  Leave the rest and revisit it every few weeks to watch for price cuts.  Depending on how badly you want a book, set a specific price goal in mind, and when a few drop below your threshold make your purchases and make your book wishes come true! 


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