This fall is a big school year for our family. Out of our four children, three of them are transitioning to new schools – preschool, kindergarten, and middle school. My goal is that each of them will feel ready and confident for their first day when it finally comes. One of the ways that I try to prepare them to go back to school is by reading books on what to expect and to calm any nerves.
I know it is so hard to believe, but school is just right around the corner. Each new year presents all kinds of feelings of excitement, worry, and even sometimes sadness. Preparing our children for their first day of school can also bring about different emotions for us as parents – excited, sad, and scared. Hearing stories about other people’s experiences and feelings through books can validate everyone’s feelings.
Below I have compiled a list of some great back-to-school books for children of different ages – from preschool to high school, so hopefully, your children (and you) will feel a little better when that first day comes. You are covered for whatever milestone this new school year brings to your family with this book list.
Preschool
- Preschool, Here I Come! – D.J. Steinberg
- The Night Before Preschool – Natasha Wing
- Pete the Kitty’s First Day of Preschool – Kimberly & James Dean
- Time for School, Little Blue Truck – Alice Schertle & Jill McElmurry
Kindergarten
- Kindergarten, Here I Come! – D.J. Steinberg
- Little Yellow Bus – Erin Guendelsberger
- The Pigeon HAS to Go to School – Mo Willems
- First Day Jitters – Julie Danneberg
- On the First Day of Kindergarten – Tish Rabe
Elementary School
- A Letter From Your Teacher On the First Day of School – Shannon Olsen
- All Are Welcome – Alexandra Penfold & Suzanne Kaufman
- The Day Before You Begin – Jacqueline Woodson
- Llama Llama Back to School – Anna Dewdney
- The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes – Mark Pett & Gary Rubinstein
- I Can Do Hard Things: Mindful Affirmations for Kids – Gabi Garcia
Middle School
- Posted – John David Anderson
- Surviving Middle School – Luke Reynolds
- Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja – Marcus Emerson
- Kid Youtuber – Marcus Emerson
- The Night Before Middle School – Sean Kolczynski
High School
- Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie – David Lubar
- Dear Future 9th Grader – Arielle Morris
- You Are Only Just Beginning – Morgan Harper Nichols
- Becoming Flawesome – Kristina Mand-Lakhiani
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teenagers – Sean Covey
Parents
- A Parent’s Survival Guide to Starting School: Help Your Child Sail Through Big School! – Kirstine Beeley
- The Starting School Book: How to Choose, Prepare for, and Settle Your Child at School – Sarah Ockwell-Smith
- And Then They Stopped Talking to Me: Making Sense of Middle School – Judith Warner
- Middle School Matters: The 10 Key Skills Kids Need to Thrive in Middle School and Beyond — And How Parents Can Help – Phyllis L. Fagell
- Parenting Beyond the Rules: Raising Teens with Confidence and Joy – Connie Albers
Hopefully, this list gets you started on some reading ideas for the next few weeks before your child’s first day of school – whatever grade they may be heading towards. We want to calm those first-day nerves and wish you all a great first day.
Tell us if your family has a favorite Back to School book by tagging us @CentralMassMom.
