Back to School

Ah, August. The Sunday of Summer Vacation. I've already wandered through Target's back to school section, stocked up on new flair pens, and chosen my new planner for the year. If you're like me, students don't return until after labor day, but many of you are gearing up to go back very soon if you're not back already! That's why it's the perfect time to round up some of my favorite back to school picture books.

We all know that first week can be a bit chaotic even if you've planned it to the minute. I like to know that I've got a handful of books on hand that I can grab at a moment's notice to read to my class when we need to regroup or an activity didn't last quite as long as you thought it would. 

​There are a few favorites on this list, but I'm hoping there are a few you haven't read before. Take a look and I will highlight some of my favorites below!

I love this book. It is the perfect read aloud for the first day or week of school. Written in rhyme with a repeat of the line, "all are welcome here," it makes it easy for students to join in and become part of the story. This book sets the tone for your classroom community, has beautifully detailed illustrations, and the dust jacket even turns into a poster! I hang the poster on my classroom door and my students love to point out which student looks like them.

When this book came out a few years ago, I immediately knew I needed it. Not only is it written and illustrated by two of my favorites, I loved the fresh point of view. Not only are students worried about the first day of school, but so is the school! This book is the perfect way to calm some of those first day jitters without focusing on a certain type of kid. The whole class can empathize with the school and root for them!

In the same vain as School's First Day of School, this book is written from the perspective of the chair. Spoiler Alert: being a chair is not all it's cracked up to be. Kids will laugh at this book and maybe even treat chairs and other classroom furniture a bit nicer after this read aloud!

This is another perfect book for the first week of school when everyone is learning names. I really believe this read aloud could be used with any age level. In the story, Alma learns about how she was named. It leads to a perfect morning meeting discussion about names and always gets everyone talking. If students don't already know the story of their name, this sparks a great discussion families as well. It's always fun to hear what students know about their name and why they like it!