Bridget Benjamin • September 1, 2022 Topicsback to school Book Clubs Book Fairs parents September starting school

7 Books to Help Your Kids Go Back to School

Originally published by On Our Minds on July 27, 2021
Versioned for Scholastic Canada

Growth, change, and opportunity come every new school year. For many kids, they’ll experience growing pains as they attend kindergarten or maybe middle school for the first time. Perhaps your family has moved and changed school districts and they’re learning to make new friends. And of course, those first-day of school jitters happen to everyone!

Take a look at the Reading Club Back to School Collection for themes and topics that can help prepare your kids as they head back to school this fall.

1. First Day of School

The first day of school can be exciting (and sometimes nerve-wracking), especially as many students head back to school full-time. Help your kids conquer their first day jitters. Our feature story is from This Is a School by John Schu, ages 3 to 7. This story celebrates school and a supportive community that extends beyond walls.

2. Kindergarten

Learning to play by the rules is one of the building blocks of Kindergarten. From learning how to raise your hand in class to listening to your teacher, there are many new rules for your little one to learn. Derrick Barnes’ empowering story will give new kindergarteners a reassuring confidence boost. Our feature story is from The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes, ages 3 to 7.

3. Anxiety

We can feel anxiety at any age and as many kids return to both physical or virtual school, they may have some back to school jitters. Our featured story is from The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn, ages 4-7.

4. Making Friends

After you make a good friend, how do you keep a good friend? Making friends and keeping friends are important, but it’s not always easy. Our feature story is from My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay by Cari Best, ages 4-8.

5. Moving

We know that moving takes you away from everything that’s familiar. Perhaps you’ve moved during the pandemic or changed new school districts over the summer. Our feature story is from The Baby-Sitters Club® #11: Good-Bye Stacey, Good-Bye by Gabriela Epstein, ages 9-12.

6. Middle School

Suddenly your child is surrounded by change and a little more responsibility—that’s middle school for you. Our featured story is from Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzalez, ages 9-13.

7. Learning to Read

Every story starts with the right words. These words transform, connect and empower us to share. And the stories we read help us understand ourselves and our world. Our featured story is from The Word Collector by Peter H. Reynolds, ages 4-7.