Disclosure: Links to the books mentioned in any posts are Amazon affiliate links, meaning if you make a purchase on Amazon after clicking on a link/photo, I get a reimbursement.
A good book has the power to teach many lessons during the first week of school. However, it is up to you on what exactly those lessons are. Do you want to focus on rules and procedures? Good character? Or something else? I suggest a mixture of all of them to really see how books can teach students lessons that would otherwise possibly be hard to do.
These are picture books, but I believe they can be used for any grade to teach lessons!
General Back To School Books
A Letter From Your Teacher: On the First Day of School by Shannon Olsen
The Night Before Second Grade by Natasha Wing
The Pigeon Goes to School by Mo Willems
The Crayons Go Back to School by Drew Daywalt: part of the crayon series which can be read during other times of the year!
First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg: This is such a funny book and shows how students are not the only ones who are nervous the first day of school!
Books to Cultivate Self-Love and Confidence
The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
Our Class is A Family by Shannon Olsen
The Cool Bean by Jory John: I pretty much love EVERY book Jory John writes because even us adults can relate to some of them!
What Do You Do With A Problem by Kobi Yamada
The Smart Cookie by Jory John: is another great book about gaining confidence.
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig: a great book about the needs of more introverted children.
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi: a beautiful book about a young girl from Korea who wishes her name was a bit more normal and easier to pronounce. Eventually, she learns to accept and even love her name.
Books to Teach Kindness and Manners
My Mouth is A Volcano by Julia Cook: I first read this before I even started teaching and this books a great way to teach students about blurting out!
Tattle Tongue by Julia Cook: Ms. Cook is a master at writing books about common things teachers deal with and makes it easier for kids to understand, and Tattle Tongue is no exception!
Do Unto Otters by Laurie Keller: a fun and cute spin on the saying “Do unto others”.
Kindness is My Superpower: A Children’s Book About Empathy, Kindness, and Compassion
Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry: a fun book about friendship and helping others.
Have You Filled A Bucket Today by Carol McCloud: when I was teaching this book was a favorite among all the teachers. It’s a great way to introduce kindness and how even those small random acts of kindness can affect someone.
Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes: I could not in good conscience write about books that cultivate kindness without mentioning Chrysanthemum. If there was one book I would read every year it was this. Not only does it teach kindness, but also teaches self love, name appreciation, and even more! To read even more about how you can use this book in the classroom check out my blog post A Wrinkled Heart: A Lesson on Kindness Using the Book Chrysanthemum.
To see all of these books, head on over to my Amazon Back to School Books List or by clicking on the image below!
More Back to School Posts
