In my post Back to School Fun I mentioned getting a book with content that discusses starting or returning to school. So today we went to our local Barnes and Noble who had a great display right as you walk in the kids section of back to school themed books. There are three general themes addressed in the back to school books: behavior, daily routine, and emotion/anxiety.
Books That Address How to Behave
How Do Dinosaurs Go to School?
Jabe Yolen and Mark Teague
This is a good book for Kindergarten and lower grade elementary that starts by showing dinosaurs behaving in all the wrong ways. The last three pages show the dinosaurs behaving well. There is also a list of the different kinds of dinosaurs pictured in the beginning.
David Goes to School
David Shannon
We are fans of the David books in our house so I figured this would be the one coming home with us. In the usual David fashion he hears a lot of "No" but it ends on a high note of David learning the right behavior and earning a gold star. Good for PreK and Kindergarten.
Books that Address Emotions and Anxiety
S is for School
A great book for PreK and Kindergarten featuring Sesame Street character about how to make friends, dealing with loneliness, and feeling homesick. This is also my bargain pick at $3.50 it will fit into most families budget.
Little Wolf Goes to School
Mary Packard, Lisa Mc Cue
Possibly my favorite of all the books. With a heartfelt story short enough to keep a youngsters attention and beautiful illustrations this book is well worth the $7.95 at Barnes and Noble. Good for PreK and Kindergarten. Little Wolf asks all his friends what he will be learning at school. He is afraid to go to school because he is not good at any of the things his friends listed, but he soon finds he has his own special talent to contribute. Great for kids who are worried about not knowing material.
Countdown to Kindergarten
Alison McGhee
Cute book specifically for Kindergarten. The girl hears all kinds of strict things about Kindergarten including you have to tie your own shoes. This book is by far the funniest of all the books I read as she deals with the stress of starting school without being able to tie her shoes. Great book for kids with concerns of inadequacy.
Pete the Cat Rocking in My School Shoes
Eric Litwin James Dean
This book addresses the daily routine of school but also gives you a tool for dealing with anxiety. Whenever Pete tries something new he sings his song about Rocking in his School Shoes. Hear the book and song for free at http://harpercollinschildrens.com/feature/petethecat/audio/Pete-the-Cat-Rocking-in-My-School-Shoes.mp3
Teach your child to use this song when they are doing something new. Of course you might end up having to buy some new shoes designated "school shoes for rockin."
Books that Address Daily School Routine
Berenstain Bears Go Back to School
Stan, Jan, and Mike Berenstain
Aside from my affection for this series, this is my favorite book in this category. Not only does it address the matter of daily routine, it discusses bullying briefly. It shows kids that when someone bullies there will be an adult that makes them face the consequences for their action, which is ideally what happens at school. It also specifically mentions first grade and third grade
Off to School
Barron's Educational Series
A cute bus shaped book good for PreK, Kindergarten, and any early elementary grades that might be riding the bus for the first time. This book goes through daily routine including getting on and off the bus. It shows how the students will be dropped off at the bus, picked up by a teacher's aid at school, and brought back to the bus. This is a good one for any child having anxiety about riding the bus.
Mouse Goes to School
Kate Stone
Fun board book for PreK and Kindergarten. My daughter enjoyed the alternating pages opening in different directions. Short pages for short attention spans that gives the general idea of a PreK or Kindergarten daily schedule.
It's Time for Preschool
Esme Raji Codell
This is a detailed book covering every possible subject matter your preschooler will experience including: manners, sharing, circle time, fire drills, naps time, field trips, and more. When I saw another mom looking at it I said, "Great book, huh?" She replied, "Yeah, but it's a little long." and it was reshelved. You might want to read this a few pages at a time so you don't overwhelm your preschooler with all the information on these pages.
If You Take A Mouse To School
Laura Numeroff
From the popular series featuring a cookie loving mouse comes a fun book for early elementary grades introducing what a possible daily school routine could include.
Gingerbread Man Loose in the School
Laura Murray
A quirky book good for elementary grades about the creation and adventures of a gingerbread man unsupervised in a school. Good book for middle and upper elementary grades that will be expected to navigate around the school unaccompanied at times.
Nemo Fish School
This book is a longer read than the others so generally better for second grade and up. A popular Disney character takes you through his day of school as a fish.
Other Books
Phineas and Ferb The Best School Day Ever
This book was featured in the back to school display, but other than having the word "school" in the title this is not relevant. It is about Phineas and Ferb creating a stunt school. Fun book for Phineas and Freb fans with a full sheet of stickers, but not useful tool for back to school subject matter.
Curious George School House Fun
An interactive book that comes with a pop up school house, punch out characters, and two books. One book introducing shapes and one introducing numbers to ten. While we are Curious George fans, the books in this set are very basic and of no use to us. If you have a child who does not know this information or would benefit from using the characters to role play school situations it might be worth the purchase for you.
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