Great Books for the First Day of School, Part II

Categories: Parenting & Families , Children's Books

You’ve hit all the local office supply chains, big box stores, and the mall. You have pencils and backpacks, new shoes and maybe even a new haircut. Still not feeling ready to face the first day of school?

In a previous post, I discussed great books for kids (or parents) who are a bit nervous about the first day of school. But, there were too many great books to fit in just one post. Below are Great Books for the First Day of School, Part II.

It’s time for school in Cornelius P. Mud, Are You Ready for School. Is Cornelius P. Mud up? Sure he is! The plucky pig has even made his bed, put on his clothes, and eaten his breakfast. But with Cornelius, things are never quite as they seem…

Dexter is ready for kindergarten. Sort of. Well, actually, he's maybe kind of a little bit scared, perhaps even terrified. What if he gets lost? What if the teacher is mean? What if he misses his mom or dad? Or, worst of all, what if he loses his most important ally, his stuffed dog Rufus? Katie Davis tackles these fears with warmth, exuberance, and sly wit in I'm telling you, Dex, Kindergarten Rocks!

Haley’s first day of first grade is not going quite as she expected in First Grade Stinks! by Mary Ann Rodman.  Ms. Gray, the first grade teacher, is not at all like Ms. Lacy, Haley's kindergarten teacher. She gets only one recess, no sharing time, and, worst of all, a read-aloud that isn't even finished! Can Haley find anything to love about first grade?

First grade, here I come! by Nancy Carlson, features another first grader adjusting to life after Kindergarten. After the first day of first grade, Henry’s not so sure how he feels about it. The teacher is not like his kindergarten teacher, the fifth-graders hog the monkey bars, and there are too many new things to learn! Can first grade be fun?

The first day of school is hard, especially when you are an elephant. But with the help of some new friends, any elephant could get into the swing of things in Jan Ormerod’s reassuringly funny When an Elephant Comes to School.

Nick Ward’s Don’t Eat the Teacher stars Sammy, a shark, with a bad habit--when he gets excited, he bites things. And on the first day of school, he's very excited. He (accidentally) bites the kitchen table, (almost) eats a friend while playing tag, and... (gulp!) swallows the teacher! But Sammy quickly learns his lesson: Don't eat the stories, don't eat the paintings, don't eat the classroom, and...DON'T EAT THE TEACHER!