Back to School Book Recommendations for Young Children

Submitted by Megan Cusimano 

1. The Kissing Hand 

By Audrey Penn

 Grab a tissue! The secret shared in this book empowers children to “take care” of their parents on their first day of school! 

2. If You Take a Mouse to School 

By Laura Numeroff 

A wonderful book in this series! You will laugh with your child about all the demands the mouse makes on his trip to school. 

3. David Goes to School 

By David Shannon 

A great way to spark a conversation about all the things to NOT do at school!  

4.  Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes 

By James Dean 

The ever-mellow, Pete the Cat shows us how to see the positives in everything and just have fun. Check out the YouTube videos with the songs! 

5. Llama Llama Misses Mama 

By Anna Dewdney 

Another wonderful series. This is a fantastic book for children dealing with separation anxiety.  

6. First Day Jitters 

By Julie Danneberg 

This is a great book for children that have “butterflies in their stomach” about the first day of school. It depicts teachers as relatable and human. 

7.  Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten 

By Joseph Slate 

A funny ABC book about Miss Bindergarten and her students getting ready for kindergarten. It gives children some insight about what their classroom may look like and what their teacher is doing to get it ready. 

8. The Night Before Preschool/The Night Before Kindergarten 

By Natasha Wing 

This is a wonderful rhyming book that can be used to ease fear and anxiety about school. The book finds fun in school while acknowledging fears. (I wouldn’t recommend it for students that are not having anxiety about school).  

9. Maisy Goes to Preschool 

By Lucy Cousins 

A straightforward story about what school looks like. This book isn’t focused on the emotions, but rather on how a school day runs. The Maisy series is a good one to check out! 

10.  It’s Time for School, Stinky Face 

By Lisa McCourt and Cyd Moore 

A silly book about a child with a wild imagination about school. His calm mother reassures him with funny solutions. I Love You Stinky Face is a favorite in our house. This is a nice follow up to it.

*The books are hyperlinked to Amazon, but most of them can also be found at Target.*