New school year jitters? No worries. These fun first-day-of-school books will have your child bouncing out the door, ready to conquer the year ahead.
These books, packed with stories about making new friends, exploring classrooms and maybe even facing a few butterflies, capture the variety of emotions that come with that first day. Whether your child is starting preschool or heading off to fifth grade, there’s a book on this list that will ease anxieties and get them ready for a year of learning and laughter.
Board books for children 3 and under
While most children under three won’t be attending school, they can also experience anxiety about attending daycare or having siblings attend school. These delightful board books filled with colorful illustrations and simple, reassuring stories can help make the first day much easier.
“Hello, World! School Day” by Jill McDonald
Through bright, colorful pictures and easy-to-understand text, this book helps calm jitters by walking children through a full school day, including centers, lunch and recess. It also helps teach children all about classrooms and what their day will be like at school.
“Bye-Bye Time” by Elizabeth Verdick
Bye-bye is a big deal for little ones. Whether they’re being dropped off at daycare, preschool or staying at home with a babysitter, young children often have separation anxiety. This book helps ease the transition with simple rituals like hugs, kisses, a big wave and a deep breath. It also reminds children that goodbye isn’t forever and that their grownups will be back.
“Dr. Seuss’s School Things” by Dr. Seuss
In this simple rhyming book, Thing One and Thing Two spend a typical day at school. They ride the bus, learn their ABCs and numbers, read, make art and music, play outside and visit with a class pet. This helps children understand some of the things they will see and do at school.
“Spot Goes to School” by Eric Hill
This lift-the-flap book shows Spot’s mom dropping him off at school, playing with his friends outside, singing songs, doing art and getting picked up from school. Kids will love lifting the flaps to find hidden words, characters and objects.
“S Is for School: A Classroom Alphabet” by Greg Paprocki
Illustrations with words from A to Z help introduce children to the concept of school engagingly and interestingly. Activities, school subjects, friends, classmates and teachers are all brought to life in this beautifully illustrated story.
Stories for preschoolers
Make story time come alive with these interactive books. Preschoolers will love to chime in, move along, and be right in the middle of the action. Perfect for keeping young readers engaged, these books are ideal for ages 3 to 5.
“David Goes to School” by David Shannon
David is a young boy who often gets in trouble at school by running in the halls, chewing gum and more. This book makes kids laugh while teaching them about how to behave at school.
“The Pigeon HAS to Go to School!” by Mo Willems
The pigeon already knows everything, so he’s not sure why he has to go to school. He’s worried the teacher won’t like him and that he may learn too much. Children love to laugh at the silly pigeon and his funny ways.
“Rosie Goes to Preschool” by Karen Katz
Rosie helps prepare children for preschool by showing the reader her cubby, her teacher, circle time, music class, the snack table and more. This book helps introduce the daily routine and familiarizes children with the concept of school.
“Time for School, Little Blue Truck: A Back to School Book for Kids” by Alice Schertle
Little Blue Truck and his friend Toad meet a yellow school bus on the road and see all the animals lined up in the bus windows. Blue wishes he could be a school bus because he thinks it would be a fun job. When someone misses the bus, it’s up to Blue to get his friend to school on time.
“The Night Before Preschool” by Natasha Wing
Billy is nervous the night before the first day of preschool, and he can’t sleep. He makes several friends on the first day, and he’s so excited about going back to school on the second day that he can’t sleep that night either. This book’s rhyming words and colorful illustrations can help ease anxieties about going to school.
First day of school books for kids 6 to 8
Whether your child is ready to tackle these books alone or prefers a cozy cuddle session, these first-day-of-school stories are a great choice. They cater to both independent readers and those who learn best through listening and engagement.
“Back to School, Backpack” by Simon Rich
Backpack deals with back-to-school nerves and feeling out of place in this funny yet reassuring picture book. It has an encouraging ending about meeting new friends at school.
“Mae’s First Day of School” by Kate Berube
School is scary, and Mae doesn’t want to go. She’s worried that the other kids won’t like her and that she’s the only one who will miss her mom or not know how to write. As she walks to school, she gets more nervous. Once she arrives at school, she meets her teacher and a new friend, which helps ease her anxiety.
“The Kissing Hand” by Audrey Penn
Chester Raccoon is nervous and doesn’t want to go to school. His mom shares a family secret called the Kissing Hand to help give him the reassurance of her love anytime he feels scared.
“My kids always liked reading ‘The Kissing Hand’ before the first day of school. My boys all had bad school anxiety, and this book helped them to realize that yes, it was hard to be away from us, but we were always near and would be back to get them!”
— Gena Lazcano, Ginger Casa
“First Day, No Way!” by Lori Mortensen
In this graphic novel, Kaylee has the first-day blues because her best friend isn’t in her class for the first time. She’s wondering if anything can cheer her up.
“Junie B. Jones Essential Survival Guide to School” by Barbara Park
Junie B. Jones shares her tips for surviving school from her point of view. She gives kids pointers about bus rules, teachers, homework, friends and more. It also includes interactive pages where kids can write and draw.
Final thoughts
School bells are about to ring. These back-to-school books will ease the transition, spark excitement for learning and strengthen the bond between you and your child. Find them at your local library, bookstore or online.
Heidi is a Certified Elementary School Teacher in the Inland Northwest and has been teaching for 18 years. She is also a vintage recipe blogger at RealLifeofLulu.com, where she focuses on recipes that are at least 50 years old, many from her grandparents’ kitchens. When she isn’t teaching or baking, she loves spending time with her husband and three kids.