Picture books about the first day of school are wildly popular, and with good reason (in fact, you can check out our favorite first-day-of-school books here), but I love to mix those first-day books with general school stories, the kind that teach our lifelong lessons and can be read across seasons and grade levels.
Below you’ll find stories of kindness and inclusion, stories that help children build empathy and understanding of self and others, stories of self-love and self-confidence. In short, these are stories children need. I love reading these year-around, but they’re perfect for helping children start their school years off on the right feet. They’re perfect to read at home or at school, independently or as a read aloud. Some of these are written to pretty directly teach children social lessons, but others are more generally beautiful stories that will leave an impact on your heart before you even realize what’s happened. In fact, as a classroom teacher, I read two of these stories in the very first week of school every single year!
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Yo! Yes? by Chris Raschka — You’d never know that so few words could be so powerful. But, Chris Raschka shows through simple dialogue the impact that inviting and including others can have. Though this is terrific for all ages, Yo! Yes? is especially accessible to young audiences, and easy to read independently for new readers. Even Raschka’s illustrations are simple, including only images of the 2 boys in nearly bare backgrounds, but this simplicity allows us to focus on their feelings and desires. Adept observers may even notice how Raschka subtly changes the mood of his background as the mood of the 2nd boy shifts. Yo! Yes? is a simple yet incredibly powerful story of noticing those who may need attention and welcoming them into play. Ages 3-5, but great for all elementary grades.
The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld — Though this isn’t explicitly a school story, the events shown here can very easily take place at school (and have likely happened to many children at school!). Something frustrating, and to the main character, tragic, happens… And by reading this story, children gain insight into both ways to deal with frustration, anger, and sadness, as well as how to help friends who are experiencing these emotions. I absolutely love that the main character is named Taylor and could easily be read as either a boy or a girl. Be sure to check out my instagram review here! Ages 3-5.
A Friend For Henry by Jenn Bailey, illustrated by Mika Song — School can be a lot for some children, especially those with neurodiversity. Rules can be hard to understand, other children can be unpredictable, and there are lots of noises and sights to take in. Inspired by watching her son on the autism spectrum navigate starting school and making friends, Bailey wrote this to help all children, on the autism spectrum or not, know that with patience, time, and courage, finding a friend is always worth the hard work. Ages 3-5.
Be Kind and Be Strong, both by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Jen Hill — Be Kind ranks towards the top of my all-time favorite picture books. It’s just so incredibly well written and beautifully illustrated, and Miller addresses such an important piece of being kind… Sometimes it can be hard to know exactly what to do! Be sure to check out my Instagram review of Be Kind here. I was thrilled when this duo released Be Strong, too, featuring teh same main characters, challenged to overcome obstacles (such as the climbing wall in the school gym, or keeping your word to friends even when a better option has come up). Be sure to check it out, too! Ages 3-6, but absolutely terrific for audiences of all ages!
This is How We Do It: One Day in the Lives of Seven Kids From Around the World by Matt Lamothe — Okay, so this one isn’t necessarily a school story, but it does feature a a school day for all seven children, and it’s fascinating to see the differences in schools and school routines around the world. I love books that help children (and adults) better understand others; books that help bridge gaps and build relationships; books that help people understand and respect those who look or act differently…. Books that make our large world a little smaller, a little more familiar, and a little less scary. You can read my full review here. Ages 3-7.
A Small Kindness by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by Wendy Leach — As a classroom teacher, I loved talking with my students about expected and unexpected behaviors and how others behave as a result. Two of my favorite books for these lessons have long been Because Amelia Smiled and Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed, but neither are set in a school. I was delighted when this one was published a few years ago, because it does illustrate the chain reaction of our expected (kind) behaviors in a classroom and school setting! Ages 3-8.
How Full is Your Bucket? For Kids by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer, illustrated by Maurie J. Manning — Okay, this concept of filling and dipping into buckets has been truly life-changing in our house. We first read this book about 5 years ago and still refer to it regularly. If only all children knew about this! We also love Have You Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids and Buckets, Dippers, and Lids: Secrets to Your Happiness, both by Carol McCloud, but How Full if Your Bucket? For Kids is set during a school day, so is perfect for this list. Ages 3-8, but the lessons are important for children (and adults) of all ages!
Hunter’s Best Friend at School by Laura Malone Elliott, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger — Oh Hunter’s Best Friend at School… If you have a young elementary schooler, you need to read this book. At some point in their school careers, children are bound to have times when their best friends make poor choices, and they have to find the courage to stand up to that friend and do the right thing. This is a must-read for anyone helping children understand how to be an upstander when it comes to their truest friendships. You can read my full review here. Ages 4-7.
Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell, illustrated by David Catrow — Molly Lou doesn’t quite fit in, but throughout her life, her grandmother has always encouraged her to be herself and believe in herself. And she always has… Until she moves and has to go to a new school. Though she becomes the target of the bully in the story, Molly Lou remembers her grandmother’s wise words and overcomes obstacles to make friends and have a great new year. Though this errs slightly on the saccharine, wrapped up in a pretty bow, Catrow’s illustrations are downright hillarious, keeping the story from being too sweet and perfect. Regardless, the message is powerful and one that all children should be reminded of as they start a new school year, new school or not. Ages 4-8.
Miles McHale, Tattletale by Christianne Jones, illustrated by Elina Ellis — Jones has a delightful series of books teaching important social-emotional skills (you can read my full review of four of her books here), but Miles McHale, Tattletale is not only a favorite in our house, it’s also set in a classroom! Miles the chicken has a problem tattling, and it takes a class-wide challenge to learn the difference between tattling and telling to help him over his hump. We’ve been reading this one for years and will still repeat the class motto regarding tattling: “If a friend is sick, hurt, or in harm’s way, then telling someone is okay.” Ages 4-8.
What Should Danny Do? School Day by Ganit and Adir Levy, illustrated by Mat Sadler — Choose Your Own Adventure meets The Power to Choose, with a superhero in training mixed in… What’s not to love? The second of three books in the Power to Choose series, we get to help Danny navigate his way through the school day, helping him use his Power to Choose to determine how his day goes. Our girls love the different storylines, and we love the conversations we get to have with them about how their choices affect the way their days go. You can read my full review of the series here. Ages 4-8, though my 11-year-old still adores the Danny (and Darla) stories!
The Recess Queen by Alexis O’Neill, illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith — As adults, we all know that navigating the freedom of recess can be one of the most difficult parts of a child’s school day. O’Neill has written this in rolling rhyme, and managed to include laugh-worthy words such as “lollapaloosh ’em.” It’s fun to read aloud! Though the brightly-colored illustrations include silly touches like charicature-type people and steam coming out of characters’ ears, readers do sense the emotion and intensity of the realistic situations shown. I love this one because seeing “The Recess Queen” as a playmate and extending kindness to her is exactly what The Recess Queen needs to unlock the kindness that she does indeed have inside her. Ages 4-8.
The Smart Cookie and The Cool Bean by Jory John, illustrated by Pete Oswald — While the whole Food Group series is delightful, The Smart Cookie and The Cool Bean come to us in school settings, so are wonderful to read with children as you talk with them about their school years. Cookie, who never felt smart until the right assignment unlocked its confidence, and Bean, whose group of friends left it behind when they became “cool,” teach us important lessons about intelligence, confidence, uniqueness, kindness, and so much more. Ages 4-8.
Super Manny Stands Up! by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Stephanie Graegin — Want your children to be kind, inclusive upstanders at school? Then Manny might be the role model you need! Each day after school, Manny, a little raccoon with a big imagination, dons a different cape and fights off various enemies. He smoothly and easily conquers these imaginary foes while wearing his colorful capes, but he saves his most important, invisible cape for school. One day, Tall One starts to push Small One around in the lunchroom. At first, Manny isn’t sure what to do, but then he remembers his invisible cape and the courage it gives him to stand up…You can read my full review here. Ages 4-8.
The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Pett and Gary Rubinstein, illustrated by Mark Pett — Beatrice Bottomwell has never, ever made a mistake. She is truly and absolutely perfect, and everyone in town knows it. She walks through her days with confidence, knowing that she will be perfectly successful at every endeavor. But then, one day, the day of the school talent show, she makes a mistake… a huge mistake. How will she respond? You’ll have to read to find out! You can read my full review here. Ages 4-8, but great for perfectionists and anyone working on developing a growth mindset!
The Sandwich Swap by Queen Rania Al Abdullah and Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Tricia Tusa — Inspired by an incident from Al Abdullah’s childhood, The Sandwich Swap teaches a powerful lesson about preconceived notions and prejudices in a non-preachy and easy-to-read way. As Al Abdullah writes in the Author’s Note, “If we take the time to get to know each other, stand in each other’s shoes, and listen to a different point of view, we learn something wonderful– about someone else and about ourselves.” The soft illustrations are as gentle as the message, with tiny bits of humor thrown in! Ages 4-8, but great older too.
Nana Akua Goes to School by Tricia Elam Walker, illustrated by April Harrison — Zuru’s classroom is having a very important celebration at school, as Grandparents Day is next week! While her classmates brim with excitement about bringing their grandparents to school, Zuru is more apprehensive. Zuru worries what people will think when they see her grandmother, who grew up in West Africa and had her face marked as a child in an old Ghanaian tradition. Nana Akua responds to Zura’s fears with incredible tenderness and love, and the two are able to share rich African traditions with Zura’s classmates in a way that makes them relatable and accessible. This would be a wonderful book to read with all children before Grandparents Day, a day many approach with some sense of anxiety, and a day many will learn about vastly different traditions than ones they know. Ages 4-8.
That Always Happens Sometimes by Kiley Frank, illustrated by K-Fai Steele — Your child might be a Max. And if not, your child has been in class with a Max, or had moments where he or she felt like Max. Max is endearing, delightful, and oh-so-relatable. He’s easily distracted, fairly disorganized, and usually forgetful, but he’s always trying his best and he’s incredibly kind and creative. This is a great book for all school-children to read, because they’ve all been or seen a Max… Helping them understand Max and have a bit more empathy for him (or for themselves) will go a long way! Ages 4-8, but relatable older, too.
I Walk With Vanessa: A Story About a Simple Act of Kindness by Kerascoët — The only wordless story on my list, Kerascoët use emotion-filled illustrations and color changes to leave quite an impact on their readers. In our house, reading this book together has resulted in wonderful conversations about reading facial expressions and body language in order to understand others’ feelings. Because of the wordless nature of this book, conversations are bound to be deep and impactful on the children with whom you decide to share this book. Be sure to check out my Instagram review here, and also check out Kerascoët’s newest wordless wonder, I Forgive Alex: A Simple Story About Understanding. Ages 4-8, but great older too.
Our Favorite Day of the Year by A. E. Ali, illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell — On the first day of school, Ms. Gupta excitedly tells the her kindergarten class that throughout the year, each child will have a chance to share about her favorite day of the year, so that the class can celebrate too. Readers learn about Eid al-Fitr, Rosh Hashanah, Las Posadas, and even Pi Day! A small backmatter spread gives readers a bit more information about each holiday presented in the book. I love the idea of Favorite Day celebrations, and I wish I’d had this book in my classroom days to help my students see their special days reflected in books. I also love that Ali included Pi Day as a special day, reminding us that not all special days connect to religious or spiritual beliefs.You can read my full review here. Ages 4-8.
Aaron Slater, Illustrator and Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts — The whole Questioneers series is delightful, but these two are largely set in Miss Lila Greer’s classroom (or on a field trip), so they stand out as school stories. Both Aaron’s and Iggy’s natural talents and interests lie outside of traditional school subjects, but their classmates and teacher honor and celebrate them for the gifts that they have. These are powerful books for the learners they represent as well as the classmates, teachers, and parents of those learners. Ages 5-8, but great slightly younger and older, too!
Someone New by Anne Sibley O’Brien — Someone New is a three-storyline book, depicting experiences of three immigrants as they start in new schools. I believe two things set Someone New apart from other school stories about immigrants and kindness. First, we are given insight into how difficult it is for some of the returning students to know how to bridge the gap and welcome them. They want to be kind, but language barriers exist, and these returning students say, “I feel uncomfortable,” “I don’t know what do to,” and “I can’t figure out how to help.” As with Be Kind, I love that the difficulty inherent in being kind is shown, because sometimes, it is indeed really, really hard to know what to do. Second, the gaps are bridged by the new students themselves! In so many children’s stories, we read about the returning students being the ones to learn to welcome new students, but new students can take steps to make connections as well. Thank you, Anne, for your fresh take on this school story! Ages 5-8.
The Dot by Peter Reynolds — Peter Reynolds has written and/or illustrated many, many phenomenal books with powerful social-emotional messages for children. The Dot was one of his earliest author/illustrator works and continues to be widely popular (in fact, it’s definitely my favorite Reynolds work). Frustrated by not feeling good enough in art class, Vashti is given creative freedom from her very kind, patient, and encouraging art teacher. This freedom to create and subsequent celebration of creation grows Vashti’s confidence and allows her to explore her new-found way to express herself. In the end, she is able to share this confidence and freedom in a really touching way. If you’ve read and loved this book, consider joining in Reynolds’s International Dot Day coming up in September (oh how I wish I had participated in this as a teacher!)! Ages 5-9.
But It’s Not My Fault (illustrated by Anita DuFalla) and My Mouth is a Volcano (illustrated by Carrie Hartman), both by Julia Cook — Julia Cook has written SO MANY books that can be used to help children learn important life lessons about how to be in the world, but these two are my personal favorite. After all, how many children do you know who have trouble taking responsibility for their actions or interrupting others? Both of these titles are great for classroom instruction, but also perfect for parents to read with children struggling with those two aspects of growing up. Ages 5-9.
Thank You, Mr. Falker and The Junkyard Wonders, both by Patricia Polacco — Both of these touching stories are based on Polacco’s real-life school experiences as she learned to read and navigate her school year’s with learning difficulties. Both books beautifully touch on themes of embracing differences, perseverance, anti-bullying, acceptance, and empathy. Similar to The Dot, readers see the impact that incredible, caring teachers can have on their students. You can read them individually or as a mini-series, with Thank You, Mr. Falker as the first. Target audience for Thank You, Mr. Falker is 5-8 and The Junkyard Wonders is 6-9, though my girls enjoyed Thank You, Mr. Falker much earlier, and both can be powerful for older children, too. Characters do die in each of these books, in case that’s a sensitivity for your children.
The Buddy Bench by Patty Brozo, illustrated by Mike Deas — Inspired by the true story of a first grader from Pennsylvania who came up with the idea for his school to create a “buddy bench” for recess, a place for kids who feel left out or have trouble joining play at recess. Did you know that on any given school day, 80% of children ages 8-10 years old report feeling lonely at some point during the day? I would love for this book to make its way to every school, so that every school can use this for inspiration for their version of a “buddy bench,” however their children envision it to work for their community. You can read my full review here. Ages 6-8, but great for all elementary school ages!
Sorry! by Trudy Ludwig, illustrated by Maurie J. Manning — One of the most important social-emotional learning lessons I felt I ever taught my children was about authentic apologies and apologies of action, as so many children just think saying an empty “Sorry” is all they need to do when they hurt someone else. If you’re looking for a book to use that will directly address the importance of truly heartfelt apologies rather than simply rote “I’m sorry,” then Sorry! is the book for you. Warning– Ludwig’s antagonist is pretty unlikeable and will model some very mean behavior for your children. But, the lesson learned by the protagonist is powerful and important for children to understand. Make sure you allow for discussion time and be sure to read this one the first time with your children. Ages 6-9, but great older as well.
One Green Apple by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Ted Lewin — Similar to Someone New, One Green Apple tells the story of an immigrant in a new school in a new country, specifically, the story of her second day. Though she has a language barrier preventing her from conversing with her new classmates, she eventually finds ways to connect with them nonverbally. Bunting has a phenomenal gift to pack powerful messages into simple stories, and One Green Apple is one of my favorite stories of hers. I also love that this book, published in 2006, showcases a Muslim immigrant and is so incredibly relevant still today. Ages 6-9.
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig, illustrated by Patrice Barton — We all know that there are some kids in classes who tend to go through school unnoticed. They may be the quiet ones who follow all the rules, and academically they don’t need lots of extra support but aren’t leading the pack, either. They don’t stand out in sports or tell the funniest jokes, but they have so much else to offer. Often, they’re intentionally overlooked, but sometimes they’re snubbed by their peers. But, they have so much to contribute, if only someone would notice. Trudy Ludwig eloquently tells the tale of one of these children, Brian, a child that is invisible to those around him, until his kindness gets the attention of a classmate. And Barton’s illustrations highlight both Brian’s invisibility as well as his tranformation. Ludwig also includes a set of discussion questions for read-aloud and recommended reading for both children and adults. Ages 6-9.
The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes, illustrated by Louis Slobodkin; Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by E. B. Lewis; and Adrian Simcox Does Not Have a Horse by Marcy Campbell, illustrated by Corinna Luyken — I put these three books together because they have very similar themes, but each stands alone as a book worth reading. These three stories each address the concepts of bullying, standing up to others, the power of words, empathy, preconceived notions, socio-economic diversity, friendship, and regret. When I was in the classroom, I read The Hundred Dresses as my first chapter-book read aloud each year (Thank You, Mr. Falker was always my first read aloud– see above), and I’m planning to read it with my older daughter, and eventually both girls, before school starts each year, beginning in just a few weeks. In both Each Kindness and The Hundred Dresses, the main characters learn a hard lesson from mistakes that they have no way to rectify, whereas in Adrian Simcox Does Not Have a Horse, the main character is given an opportunity to make up for her wrong-doing and get to know the boy to whom she was unkind. All three are phenomenal and worth reading with school-aged children of all ages. Age range for The Hundred Dresses: ages 8-12. Age range for Each Kindness: ages 5-8. Age range for Adrian Simcox Does Not Have a Horse: ages 3-5, but great for middle and upper elementary too.
If you liked this, be sure to check out our favorite first day of school stories for a variety of ages, our Family Focus Trait booklists, and this post about All the Ways to be Smart and You’re Smarter Than You Think: A Kid’s Guide to Multiple Intelligences.
What are your favorite school stories to share with your children? What school stories do you love for the messages and lessons that your children can take from them?
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