Reading Roundup: Books About Back to School!

Modern Day Mom

Yes, it’s Back-to-School time! Some of us already have our children back in class, and others have their children eagerly anticipating the new school year! Well, at least that’s the idea. It’s not always that easy for children. That’s why we’ve gone to our shelves and found the books that have gotten our kids excited–or at least more relaxed–about heading back into the classroom…

Back to School for Rotten Ralph by Jack Gantos

Rotten Ralph is a veteran at being rotten. This clever cat has been around in books for over twenty years, and this back-to-school adventure has lots of mayhem and fun. His human Sarah is about to start school, and she’s very excited. Rotten Ralph, however, isn’t ready to be left behind. The clever cat disguises himself as a student and rides along on the school bus. We really like that Sarah is excited about school, but there’s also bonus content with Ralph serving as a surrogate for younger siblings who might be jealous as the older gets to go off on a new adventure. Recommended for grades K-3.

Back-To-School Rules by Laurie B. Friedman

This book comes from a Christian book company, but the lessons here are plenty secular. Kids also get to enjoy the sight of lots of craziness while the books title rules are carefully laid out. Yes, we’ll note that the rules are written as negatives–as in don’t do this and don’t do that. The wild anarchy of the illustrations still save this book from having a scolding tone. We’ve also found that kids get a real kick out of adding their own rules. Recommended for grades K-2.

This School Year Will Be the BEST! by Kay Winters

Here’s a new book with a different way of reassuring children about the first day of school. We see a teacher gathering her students together to discuss what they’re hoping for in their new school year. Kids respond to this book in a way that makes us think more teachers should try this in real life. There are plenty of great drawings to illustrate both very positive thoughts and real concerns. There are also some fun flights of fancy–and with a dialogue-free happy ending that we find very inspiring. Recommended for grades K-2.

First Grade Stinks! by Mary Ann Rodman

The toughest transition from kindergarten to first grade is accepting that you’ll be playing less and learning more. That’s what Hayley has to face–and, as you can tell from the title, she doesn’t like what she’s seeing. Her friend Ryan is handling it all much better. That’s what prompts Hayley to declare “First grade stinks!” She doesn’t get in trouble, though. Instead, her teacher delivers a careful explanation of all that she’s about to learn. It’s a pretty brilliant manifesto of higher education (so to speak), and this is another book that you hope that your kids’ teachers will have already read. At least you can get it covered at home. Recommended for preschoolers to grade 2.