15 AMAZING Back to School Books

Do you remember the night before school?

The butterflies in your stomach. The endless “What-ifs”. The worries. The questions.

If you are a parent one of the best ways to help your child get rid of those nerves and help them sleep soundly is by pulling out a few favorite back to school books and laughing and cuddling the first day of school worries away!

If you are a teacher, books are a great icebreaker to get your new students laughing and thinking.

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Back To School Books: Ages 2-4

LLAMA LLAMA MISSES MAMA by Ann Dewdney

Llama Llama is headed off to preschool, and is a bit concerned about Mama Llama leaving him behind. Luckily Llama Llama will get to see just how much fun school will be!

THE ITSY BITSY SCHOOL BUS by Jeffrey Burton

A fun spin on the classic Itsy Bitsy Spider Nursery rhyme, this book is the perfect way to sing away your preschoolers nerves and prepare them for the first day!

THE POUT POUT FISH GOES TO SCHOOL by Deborah Diesen

The Pout Pout Fish heads off to school but everyone seems to know more than him, luckily he learns that school is the PERFECT place to learn and is reassured he belongs.

Back To School Books Ages: 4-8

THE NIGHT BEFORE KINDERGARTEN by Natasha Wing

From picking out school supplies to packing your lunch, this book talks about all the little preparations that happen before your little one heads off to Kindergarten as well as offering a positive expectation for the first day! (After all a bit of optimism goes a long way!)

PIRATES DON’T GO TO KINDERGARTEN by Lisa Robinson

In this story where the classrooms have themes and the kids have even bigger imaginations, Pirate Emma is not looking forward to leaving her captain behind and boarding the spaceship of Kindergarten instead. Your littles will love the beautiful pictures as you find out if Emma can leave her treasure map behind and be happy as an astronaut.

THE NIGHT BEFORE FIRST GRADE by Natasha Wing

This book is a must read for children who may not have the same kids from kindergarten in their first grade class.

As Penny gets ready for first grade she can’t wait to see her best friend Jenny, but when she gets to school she discovers that Jenny is in another class. Luckily Penny makes a new friend and learns she still gets to see Jenny around the school!

SECOND GRADE, HERE I COME by D.J. Steinberg

This fun book of poems addresses the good and the sad that comes with going back to school.

From the activity-filled summer days ending, to getting to see your friends again, all the way to the reminder that soon enough summer will be here again, this book is everything your second grader needs to hear!

HOW DO DINOSAURS GO TO SCHOOL by Jane Yolen

My kids are big fans of the “How Do Dinosaurs” series and this book was no exception!

This book focuses on HOW dinosaurs (and children) should act at school and is a great way to get your child thinking about the part they play in making their school day go smoothly.

WEMBERLY WORRIED by Kevin Henkes

Wemberly the Mouse worries A LOT about everything from spilling her juice to swings, and with school approaching she has even more to worry about! Join Wemberly as she makes a friend and learns that school isn’t that scary after all!

WE DON’T EAT OUR CLASSMATES by Ryan T. Higgins

If you think that your child need to laugh off their first day of school jitters this is the book for you!

Penelope Rex is about to start school but she has a problem, all of her classmates are human and humans are DELICIOUS!

Needless to say, Penelope finds it a bit hard to make friends after trying to eat them all. So Penelope turns to the one creature that doesn’t fear her, the classroom goldfish, for a bit of companionship. But Walter the goldfish bites Penelope, showing her how she made her classmates feel and allowing for her to grow and make human friends in the end.

FIRST DAY JITTERS by Julie Danneburg

Sarah Jane Hartwell is scared and knows her first day at a new school will be awful. She doesn’t even want to get out of bed, but her dad convinces her to get up and get going!

By far the BEST part of this book is the ending where the reader discovers that Sarah is the teacher not a student!

IF YOU EVER WANT TO BRING AN ALLIGATOR TO SCHOOL, DON’T by Elise Parsley

This book has been a favorite in our house for a LONG time!

While not specifically related to the first day of school, this is a great book to get your little ones laughing the tense evening the night before and be sure to check their back packs for alligators the next morning (just in case).

THE BERENSTAIN BEARS GO TO SCHOOL by Stan Berenstain

In this classic book, Sister Bear is nervous about heading to school for the first time. With the support of Brother bear and Mama Bear she faces her fears and learns that Kindergarten can be so much fun!

MERMAID SCHOOL by Joanne Stewart Wetzel

A fun book to read with the little girls in your life, this book focuses on on Molly who heads to Mermaid School to learn her “A B Seas” and makes friends along the way!

Back To School Books Ages: 7-9

HOW NOT TO START THIRD GRADE by Cathy Hapka

If you have a younger child joining your older child at school this year, this book is for you! The book follows Will as he frets about his younger brother Steve entering Kindergarten at his school and is sure to have your child laughing!

Hopefully your little one has a GREAT first day!