Picture Books for the First Week of School
Looking for picture books to read on the first day or first week back to school? Find some below that show characters' first days, what to expect, school expectations, and building a class community.
See also picture books about reading and writing to introduce class libraries, set reading goals, and share a love of books and reading at the beginning of the year.
See also picture books about reading and writing to introduce class libraries, set reading goals, and share a love of books and reading at the beginning of the year.
First Day of School Experiences
Planet Kindergarten
by Sue Ganz-Schmitt 2014 Explore a new world, including the alien life forms 
A Tiger Tail, or What Happened to Anya On Her First Day of School
by Mike Boldt 2016 Anya didn't expect to wake up with a tiger tail on her first day of school. 
Mission: Back to School: Top Secret Info for Rookie Students
by Susan Hood 2016 Secret agent-style tips about an important mission 
Ming Goes to School
by Deirdre Sullivan 2016 Ming does a lot of things in her new preschool class, but she is a little nervous about the red slide. 
First Day at Zoo School by Sarah Dillard 2014 Amanda the Panda is excited about school, but Alfred the Alligator is nervous. Maybe they will make a great team! 
Mom, It's My First Day of Kindergarten!
by Hyewon Yum 2012 A boy reassures his mother that everything will be fine on his first day of school. |
Chu's First Day of School
by Neil Gaiman and Adam Rex 2014 Chu is nervous about what to expect 
Mae's First Day of School
by Kate Berube 2016 Mae has decided: she's not going. But if she made a friend or two, school might not be so bad. 
Ally-Saurus and the First Day of School
by Richard Torrey 2015 Ally can't wait to go to school, but not everything turns out the way she expected 
Amanda Panda Quits Kindergarten
by Candice Ransom 2017 Amanda is having a terrible day, so she decides to join her brother in second grade, instead. 
Lena's Shoes Are Nervous: A First Day of School Dilemma
by Keith Calabrese and Juana Medina 2018 Ezra Jack Keats nominee Lena is excited about school, but her shoes? They're nervous. 
Kindergarrrten Bus
by Mike Ornstein 2018 A pirate captain school bus driver has plenty of advice about what to expect at school. 
A New School Year: Poem Stories in Six Voices
by Sally Derby 2017 Students ranging from kindergarten to fifth grade prepare for school, each with different thoughts and feelings. |
School Rules / Expectations
Do Unto Otters: A Book About Manners
by Laurie Keller 2007 Mr. Rabbit's new neighbors are otters, so Mr. Rabbit isn't sure how to act. 
Interrupting Chicken
by David Ezra Stein 2010 Caldecott Honor Chicken constantly interrupts the story 
We Don't Eat Our Classmates
by Ryan T. Higgins 2018 It's Penelope's first day of school, but she struggles with the concept of treating others the way she would like to be treated. 
My Mouth is a Volcano
by Julia Cook 2008 When Louis thinks, the words just have to come out! |
Too Much Glue
by Jason Lefebvre 2013 PAL Award Matty loves glue - a little too much, actually. 
Rex Wrecks It
by Ben Clanton 2008 Rex never met a structure he didn't want to break, which makes his classmates very unhappy. 
Decibella and Her 6-Inch Voice
by Julia Cook 2014 When Decibella has something to say, she shouts it, until she learns the five levels of volume for speaking. |
Class Community, Goal-Setting
I Am Enough
by Grace Byers 2018 Building self-confidence and acceptance 
The Bad Seed
by Jory John 2017 Be open-minded about others; attitude is a choice 
The Important Book
by Margaret Wise Brown 1949 Although the story itself might prompt a lot of disagreement from readers about what is the most ___, that tendency is a great provocation for writing about things that are important to students as a getting-to-know each other activity 
The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes
by Mark Pett and Gary Rubinstein 2011 What happens when you do absolutely everything right? 
The Invisible Boy
by Trudy Ludwig 2013 A message about including everyone 
Strictly No Elephants
by Lisa Mantchev 2015 NCTE Charlotte Huck Honor Book The pet club has rules excluding elephants. What does it mean to be a friend? 
We Love Our School: A Read-Together Rebus Story
by Judy Sierra 2011 Rhyme, rhythm, animals, and pictures invite young students to read |
I Walk With Vanessa: A Story About a Simple Act of Kindness
by Kerascoet 2018 This book encourages readers not to be a bystander to bullying 
Peanut Butter and Cupcake
by Terry Border 2014 This story can be a good way to springboard discussions about strategies to find friends 
The First Day Speech
by Isabelle Hadala 2012 Nathan has a cranio-facial condition, and his first day of school involves telling other students about it. 
Spoon
by Amy Krouse Rosenthal 2009 Sometimes people think "everybody has it better than me," until they learn to fully appreciate themselves and others. 
The Proudest Blue
by Ibtihaj Muhammed 2019 Faizah's first day of school is the first day her older sister is wearing the hijab. She faces some hurtful words, but has pride in herself. 
I Wish You More
by Amy Krouse Rosenthal 2015 A lovely book for a parent and child, this also works beautifully for the first and last day of school. On the first day, read it and write your wishes for the school year. On the last day, read it, and return all the wishes and reflect on the year together. 
The Day You Begin
by Jacqueline Woodson 2018 Jane Addams Award The message of the book is that sometimes you don't feel like you fit in, whether it's how you look, what you wear or eat, and so on, but you can be brave and face the world just as you are. |
