Books for Kids: First Day of School

Take a look at some of our Picture Books & Early Readers all about the first day of school!

Updated August 4, 2023
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Never, not ever!
Alemagna, Be?atrice
Paper Book
A perfect back-to-school book...with a twist! For little kids everywhere who feel anxious leaving home to go back to school. A Kids' Indie Next Pick! Never, Not Ever! is the instant classic from Beatrice Alemagna--a laugh-out-loud tribute to little kids everywhere who would...
And then comes school
Brenner, Tom
Paper Book
Joyful anticipation is in the air as a child observes cues that the first day of school is coming soon. Cooler mornings, cicadas buzzing, apples ripening . . . Can shopping for school supplies be far behind? The evening before the first day means laying out your outfit, loading...
The crayons go back to school
Daywalt, Drew
Paper Book
The hilarious crayons from the #1 New York Times bestselling The Day The Crayons Quit are ready to go back to school! The crayons are getting ready to go back to school, and each crayon has a subject they're looking forward to the most. They're also ready to meet...
Becoming Vanessa
Brantley-Newton, Vanessa
Paper Book
Get ready to go back to school with this inclusive, empathetic story that will help kids new to the classroom transform from timid caterpillars into beautiful butterflies who love exactly who they are! On Vanessa's first day of school, her parents tell her it will be easy to make...
Ready for kindergarten
Freitas, Bethany V.
Paper Book
A reassuring and empowering book for all incoming kindergarteners, especially those who wonder: Am I ready? You are! The unknown can be scary and the first day of school intimidating, for kids and the grownups who love them. Perfect for easing nerves and increasing excitement, Ready for...
School day!
Ransom, Candice F.
Paper Book
It's time for school in this Step 1 reader featuring the family from Pumpkin Day!, Apple Picking Day!, Garden Day, Snow Day, and Beach Day! The start of the new school year means new friends and new experiences! It's big sister's first day of...
Isabel and her colores go to school
Alessandri, Alexandra
Paper Book
English, with its blustery blues and whites, just feels wrong to Isabel. She prefers the warm oranges and pinks of Spanish. As she prepares for class at a new school, she knows she's going to have to learn--and she would rather not! Her first day is uncomfortable, until she discovers there's more...
The Queen of Kindergarten
Barnes, Derrick
Paper Book
A confident little Black girl has a fantastic first day of school in this companion to the New York Times bestseller The King of Kindergarten. MJ is more than ready for her first day of kindergarten! With her hair freshly braided and her mom's special tiara on her...
Hurry, Little Tortoise, time for school!
Finison, Carrie
Paper Book
It's the first day of school and Little Tortoise is worried. Can she get there on time? It's the first day of school and Little Tortoise is ready with a backpack filled with new school supplies. Little Tortoise can't wait to get to school and tries very hard not to be the last...
Giant-sized butterflies on my first day of school
Roberts, Justin
Paper Book
Find out how butterflies in your tummy are a good thing in this fresh take on being nervous for the first day of school. When a little girl wakes up on the first day of school, the butterflies in her stomach feel positively giant-sized! She really wants her mom to stay with her,...
Mr. S
Arnaldo, Monica
Paper Book
Prepare for plenty of giggles as a kindergarten class arrives for their first day of school but can't find their teacher--only a delicious-looking sandwich and the words "Mr. S" scribbled on the chalkboard. Chaos ensues as the kids argue whether the sandwich must be their teacher. A...
Llama Llama back to school
Duncan, Reed
Paper Book
A Netflix Original series From bestselling author and storyteller Anna Dewdney comes a back-to-school story featuring the beloved Llama Llama! Summer days are getting shorter and it's almost time for the first day of school for Llama! But Llama Llama isn't ready for...
Wemberly worried /
Henkes, Kevin
Paper Book
Wemberly worried about everything. Big things. Little things. And things in between. Then it was time for school to start. And Wemberly worried even more. If you ever worry (or know someone who does), this is the book for you. Wemberly worried about spilling her juice,...
Danbi leads the school parade
Kim, Anna
Paper Book
An Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature Honor Book Meet Danbi, the new girl at school! Danbi is thrilled to start her new school in America. But a bit nervous too, for when she walks into the classroom, everything goes quiet. Everyone stares. Danbi wants to...
Tomatoes in my lunchbox
Manoli, Costantia
Paper Book
A moving picture book from a debut author about the first day of school, layered with themes about the immigrant experience and the universal experience of feeling out of place. A child, newly arrived in another country, feels displaced, lonely, and a little scared on her first...
The shape of home
Kheiriyeh, Rashin
Paper Book
"A joyful, wildly imaginative book" --The New York Times It's Rashin's first day of school in America! Everything is a different shape than what she's used to: from the foods on her breakfast plate to the letters in the books! And the kids' families are from...
Little bat in night school
Lies, Brian
Paper Book
Little Bat is excited about his first night in school! Readers will love to see him spread his wings in this sweet, inspiring picture book from New York Times bestselling and Caldecott Honor-winning Brian Lies. Perfect for fans of We Don't Eat Our Classmates and The King of Kindergarten. ...
Welcome back!
Penfold, Alexandra
Paper Book
A back-to-school celebration featuring the beloved characters from the New York Times-bestselling All Are Welcome! This Step 2 early reader is perfect for emerging readers who are excited to learn more at school. The sun is up.      ...
Time for school, little blue truck
Schertle, Alice
Paper Book
Ride along to school with the #1 New York Times bestselling Little Blue Truck and meet Blue's new friend: a bright yellow school bus. Beep-beep! Little Blue Truck and his good friend Toad are excited to meet a bright yellow school bus on the road. They see all the little...
I got the school spirit
Schofield-Morrison, Connie
Paper Book
Celebrate the new school year with this lively back-to-school read-aloud! Summer is over, and this little girl has got the school spirit! She hears the school spirit in the bus driving up the street--VROOM, VROOM!--and in the bell sounding in the halls--RING-A-DING!<...
The truth about dragons
Zollars, Jaime
Paper Book
A spellbinding author-illustrator debut about the anxiety and excitement of a new experience, represented by a frightening first day of school full of dragons that slowly transform into friends. As a young girl cautiously approaches a castle full of soaring, roaring dragons,...

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