As teachers prepare for the start of the school year, they’ll be searching for back-to-school books to use during those first few weeks of school.
If you’re one of those teachers, keep reading.
Here you will find a collection of books for back-to-school that inspire, empower, and instill confidence.
No matter the age or subject, you’ll find a book here to suit your needs because this list includes a variety of finds categorized based on the theme you would like to share with students.
Back-to-School Books
General
Following are some books for back-to-school suitable for students across different grade levels:
- First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg – A delightful story about overcoming first-day-of-school nerves.
- The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn – A heartwarming tale about separation anxiety and the power of love.
- The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi – A story about embracing one’s identity and cultural heritage in a new school.
- Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes – A sweet story about dealing with worries and anxieties in school.
- Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss – An inspirational book about life’s journey and possibilities.
- Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White – A classic tale of friendship, loyalty, and acceptance.
- Matilda by Roald Dahl – An entertaining story about a brilliant girl who loves to read and overcomes challenges.
- Wonder by R.J. Palacio – A touching novel about a boy with facial differences navigating school and kindness.
- The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians series) by Rick Riordan – An exciting fantasy adventure with Greek mythology.
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney – A hilarious and relatable series in the form of a diary.
- The Maze Runner by James Dashner – An action-packed novel for older readers.
Behavior/Rules
- Back to School Rules (Laurie B. Friedman)
- Being Frank (Donna Earnhardt, Andrea Castellan)
- Decibella and Her 6-Inch Voice (Julia Cook, Anita DuFalla)
- Manners at School (Carrie Finn, Chris Lensch)
- Mr. Peabody’s Apples (Madonna)
- My Mouth is a Volcano (Julia Cook)
- Officer Buckle and Gloria (Peggy Rathmann)
- Seven Rules You Absolutely Must Not Break If You Want to Survive the Cafeteria (John Grandits, Michael Allen Austin)
- Ten Rules You Absolutely Must Not Break If You Want to Survive the School Bus (John Grandits, Michael Allen Austin)
- The Thingumajig Book of Manners (Irene Keller)
- What If Everybody Did That? (Ellen Javernick)
A Good Laugh/Breaking the Ice
- Amelia Bedelia’s First Day of School (Herman Parish)
- Arthur’s Teacher Trouble (Marc Brown)
- Dear Teacher (Amy Husband)
- The Exceptionally, Extraordinarily Ordinary First Day of School (Albert Lorenz)
- How I Spent My Summer Vacation (Mark Teague)
- How to Get Your Teacher Ready (Jean Reagan)
- I Need a New Butt! (Dawn McMillan)
- It’s Back to School We Go! First Day Stories From Around the World (Ellen Jackson, Jan Davey Ellis)
- The New Bear at School (Carrie Weston)
- Principal Tate Is Running Late! (Henry Cole)
- School’s First Day of School (Adam Rex)
- Splat the Cat: Back to School, Splat! (Rob Scotton)
- Teach Us, Amelia Bedelia! (Peggy Parish)
- This School Year Will Be the Best (Kay Winters)
- We Don’t Eat Our Classmates (Ryan Higgins)
Growth Mindset
- A Little SPOT of Optimism (Diane Alber)
- A Place for Zero: A Math Adventure (Angeline Sparagna LoPresti)
- After the Fall (Dan Santat)
- All the Ways to Be Smart (Davina Bell)
- The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes (Mark Pett)
- How to Read a Book (Kwame Alexander, Melissa Sweet)
- I Got the School Spirit (Connie Schofield-Morrison)
- The Magical Yet (Angela DiTerlizzi)
- Miss Malarkey Leaves No Reader Behind (Judy Fincher)
- My Wild First Day of School (Dennis Mathew)
- Whatever You Are, Be a Good One: 100 Inspirational Quotations Hand-Lettered (Lisa Congdon)
- Your Fantastic Elastic Brain: Stretch It, Shape It (JoAnn Deak Ph.D, Sarah Ackerley)
Beginning-of-Year Anxieties
- A Letter From Your Teacher on the First Day of School (Shannon Olsen)
- A Tiger Tail (Mike Boldt)
- Amelia’s Notebook (Marissa Moss)
- Butterflies on the First Day of School (Annie Silvestro)
- The Class (Boni Ashburn)
- Danbi Leads the School Parade (Anna Kim)
- First Day Jitters (Julie Danneberg, Judy Love)
- Justin Case: School, Drool, & Other Daily Disasters (Rachel Vail, Matthew Cordell)
- The Pigeon HAS to Go to School (Mo Willems)
- School Is Cool (Sabrina Moyle)
- School’s First Day of School (Adam Rex)
- Spider School (Francesca Simon)
Celebrating Uniqueness
- A Bad Case of Stripes (David Shannon)
- The Best Part of Me (Genia Connell)
- Different is Good (Rebecca J. Jackson, Phelan Good)
- I Like Myself (Karen Beaumont, David Catrow)
- I Wish My Teacher Knew: How One Question Can Change Everything (Kyle Schwartz)
- It’s OK to Be Different (Sharon Purtill)
- Magnificent Homespun Brown: A Celebration (Samara Cole Doyon, Kaylani Juanita)
- Marvelous Me: Inside and Out (Lisa Maria Bullard, Brandon Reibeling)
- The Name Jar (Yangsook Choi)
- Rot, the Cutest in the World! (Ben Clanton)
- Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun: Having the Courage to Be Who You Are (Maria Dismondy, Kathy Hiatt)
Building Community/Virtual Learning
- A Little SPOT Learns Online: A Story About Virtual Classroom Expectations (Diane Alber)
- All Are Welcome (Alexandra Penfold)
- The Big Umbrella (Amy June Bates)
- The Circles All Around Us (Brad Montague)
- Hello World! (Kelly Corrigan)
- Our Class is a Family (Shannon Olsen)
Bullying/Kindness
- Be Kind (Pat Zietlow, Jen Hill)
- The Cool Bean (Jory John, Pete Oswald)
- Do Unto Otters (Laurie Keller)
- Enemy Pie (Derek Munson)
- Have You Filled a Bucket Today?: A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids (Carol McCloud)
- The Invisible Boy (Trudy Truwig)
- The Juice Box Bully (Bob Sornson, Maria Dismondy)
- Kindness Gets a Thumbs Up (Brenda Li)
- Milk Goes to School (Terry Border)
- The Recess Queen (Alexis O’Neill)
- Tomorrow I’ll Be Kind (Jessica Hische)
- The Twig (Aura Parker)
- The Weird Series (Erin Frankel)
Teamwork
- The Gigantic Turnip (Aleskei Tolstoy, Niamh Sharkey)
- The Great Fuzz Frenzy (Janet Stevens)
- Narwhal Series (Ben Clanton)
- Swimmy (Leo Lionni)
Chapter Books
- Cam Jansen: The First Day of School Mystery (David Adler)
- EllRay Jakes Series (Sally Warner, Jamie Harper)
- Frankie Sparks and the Class Pet (Megan Frazer Blakemore)
- Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel (Nikki Grimes)
- Wonder (R.J. Palacio)
- The World According to Humphrey (Betty G. Birney)
Final Thoughts On Books for Back-to-School
As you prepare for the upcoming school year, you’ll find this assortment of back-to-school books helpful.
By sharing these books, your students will feel inspired, ready to learn, and eager to get the school year started.
These books for back-to-school will undoubtedly serve as guiding lights on the path to a successful and enriching academic year.