Children’s Books about Going to School
Is your child going to school for the first time? Read these children’s books about going to school to get them excited and ready for the big day.
My son was 3 years old when we first enrolled him in preschool. He described what he did (“We read Pete the Cat!”) and the projects he worked on. He talked about his new classmates, what they played, and even what they wore (“Paul is the one with the black and white striped shirt”).
That said, going to school hasn’t always gone so smoothly.
All my kids have felt both excitement and anxieties about spending hours in a classroom, away from their norm. They’ve cried and clung to our arms, refusing to let go. Even returning to the same school the following year meant adjusting to a new teacher and unfamiliar faces.
As I do with major changes, we read children’s books about going to school to sort through the emotions and expectations they may have.
Going to school, whether a new preschool or re-entering their campus, can be overwhelming. These books can help your kids feel excited or address the worries they might feel. To get the conversation going, check out my top picks:
Children’s books about going to school
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First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg
The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes
Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney
Lola Goes to School by Anna McQuinn
A New School Year by Sally Derby
The Night Before Second Grade by Natasha Wing
My First Day at Nursery School by Becky Edwards
Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate
Kindergarten ROCKS! by Katie Davis
Chu’s First Day of School by Neil Gaiman
Sounds Like School Spirit by Meg Fleming
The Color Monster Goes to School by Anna Llenas
David Goes to School by David Shannon
School’s First Day of School by Adam Rex
Our Class Is a Family by Shannon Olsen
The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! by Mo Willems
All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold and Suzanne Kaufman
Back-to-School Rules by Laurie Friedman
Sorry, Grown-Ups, You Can’t Go to School! by Christina Geist
I Am Too Absolutely Small for School by Lauren Child
How to Get Your Teacher Ready by Jean Regan
This School Year Will Be the BEST! by Kay Winters
The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School by Laura Murray
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
Rufus Goes to School by Kim T. Griswell
Starting School by Allan and Janet Ahlberg
A Pirate’s Guide to First Grade by James Preller
Mae’s First Day of School by Kate Berube
The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade by Justin Roberts
Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes by James Dean
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