It’s the end of the school year, and there’s a lot going on.
Students may be excited about all the end-of-school-year events happening, but they may also feel anxiety, uncertainty, and sadness about what lies ahead.
Help students process their emotions using end-of-the-year read-alouds.
I’ve compiled some of the best end-of-the-year books that you can share with students during the last few weeks of school.
These end-of-the-year book selections don’t just cover themes related to the last day of school.
Many involve summer fun, a growth mindset, motivation, and self-reflection.
They prompt students to reflect upon the past (from a growth mindset viewpoint), recognize their accomplishments, make new goals, tackle challenges confidently, and look forward to the wonderful experiences that await them.
These end-of-the-year read-aloud books also help students process feelings about friends moving on to new schools or about teachers who they expect to have next school year.
Equip students with the coping skills needed to transition to the next phase in their lives.
Getting into the right frame of mind is the first step, and these end-of-year read alouds are sure to serve the purpose well.
Without a doubt, you’ll receive a positive response from students when sharing these end-of-the-year books because these texts prompt children to make deep connections and discuss their thoughts.
They just might want you to read them over and over again!
No matter the grade you teach, this list of end-of-the-year read-alouds should definitely be included in your collection of end-of-the-year books.
Send encouraging messages to students at the end of the school year using these great reads.
End-of-the-Year Read-Alouds
- A Fine, Fine School (Sharron Creech)
- And Then Comes Summer (Tom Brenner)
- Cam Jansen and the Summer Camp Mystery (David A. Adler)
- Dear Mr. Blueberry (Simon James)
- Field Trip Fiasco (Julie Danneburg)
- Goldfish On Vacation (Sally Lloyd-Jones)
- Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend! (Cori Doerrfeld)
- Goodbye School (Tonya Lippert)
- Growing Season (Maryann Cocca-Leffler)
- Happy Dreamer (Peter H. Reynolds)
- My Heart Is a Compass (Deborah Marcero)
- Hello! Hello! (Matthew Cordell)
- I Knew You Could (Craig Dorfman)
- Just In Case You Want to Fly (Julie Fogliano)
- Last Day, Hooray (Nancy Poydar)
- The Magical Yet (Angela DiTerlizzi)
- Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the Last Day of Kindergarten (Joseph Slate)
- Mrs. McBee Leaves Room 3 (Gretchen Brandenburg McLellan)
- My Teacher Likes To Say (Denise Brenna-Nelson)
- The Night Before Kindergarten Graduation (Natasha Wing)
Related Content:
55+ End-of-School-Year Writing Prompts
- The Old Woman Who Named Things (Cynthia Rylant)
- Only One You (Linda Krant)
- Paper Planes (Jim Helmore)
- School’s Out (Johanna Hurwitz) – If you’re seeking end-of-the-year books on Epic, this one is for you.
- Summer (Alice Low)
- Summer Days and Nights (Wong Herber Yee)
- There Might Be Lobsters (Carolyn Crimi)
- The Woman Who Named Things (Cynthia Rylant)
- The Year of Billy Miller (Kevin Henkes)
End-of-the-Year Picture Books
- The End Is Just the Beginning (Mike Bender)
- A Lullaby of Summer Things (Natalie Ziarnik and Madeline Valentine)
- Mrs. Spitizer’s Garden (Edith Pattou)
- See You Later Alligator (Sally Hopgood)
- Reach for the Stars (Serge Bloch)
- The Little Blue Cottage (Kelly Jordan)
- The Year We Learned to Fly (Jacqueline Woodson)
- A Letter to My Teacher (Deborah Hopkinson)
- Sea Glass Summer (Michelle Houts)
- The Big Test (Julie Danneburg)
- Mrs. McBloom, Clean Up Your Classroom (Kelly Dipicchio)
- The End (David LaRochelle)
- Sometimes You Fly (Katherine Applegate)
- Breathe (Scott Magoon)
- The Wonders of Summer (Kealy Conner Lonning)
- My Africa Vacation (Ozi Okaro)
- The Knowing Book (Rebecca Kai Dotlich)
- My Little Cities (Jennifer Adams)
- I Wish You More (Amy Krouse Rosenthal)
- The Airport Book (Lisa Brown)
- Cloudette (Tom Lichtenheld)
- The North Star (Peter H. Reynold)
- Gotta Go, Buffalo (Hailey Meyers, Kevin Meyers)
- The Night Before Summer Vacation (Natasha Wing)
- Oh, the Places You’ll Go! (Dr. Seuss)
- The Sandcastle That Lola Built (Megan Maynor)
- Be Brave Little One (Marianne Richmond)
- The Circles All Around Us (Brad Montague)
- The Wonderful Things You Will Be (Emily Winfield Martin)
- Grand Canyon (Jason Chin)
- Love Is (Diane Adams)
- Do Not Bring Your Dragon to the Last Day of School (Julie Gassman)
- Memory Jars (Vera Brosgol)
- Little Tree (Loren Long)
End-of-the-Year Read-Alouds On YouTube
- The Last Day of School (Louisa Borden)
- Lizzie and the Last Day of School (Trinka Hakes Noble)
- When It’s the Last Day of School (Maribeth Boelts)
- Last Day Blues (Julie Danneberg)
- See You Next Year (Andrew Larson and Todd Stewart)
Final Thoughts
Close the end of the year on a positive and encouraging note using these high-interest read-alouds that keep students’ attention.
Students of all ages will enjoy hearing these wonderful end-of-the-year books.