Posted by Elizabeth Lee on Aug 24, 2015
The 12 Best Back to School Books for Kids & Teachers
Find the best back to school books for your classroom!
Start the school year off on the right foot by being prepared for back to school. These books will help you and your students ease into the academic year. Learn and laugh with this year's best back to school books!
Back to School Books for Elementary School
1. Clifford Goes to Kindergarten
Clifford joins Emily Elizabeth for her very first day of Kindergarten. With Clifford by her side, she overcomes her nerves and learns how much fun school can be!
2. What I Saw in the Teachers' Lounge
What exactly do teachers do in the teachers' lounge? When a child with a wild imagination peeks inside, he embarks on a hilarious adventure that you'll never forget!
3. Ally-Saurus & the First Day of School
Ally loves dinosaurs and she's excited to meet lots of other dinosaur-loving kids in class. But when she gets to school, she realizes that she's the only one drawing dinosaurs on her name plate. After a group of would-be "princesses" snubs her, she beings to wonder: will she ever make new friends?
Back to School Books for Middle School
Roan Novachez has no idea what to expect at the Coruscant Jedi Academy and feels enormous pressure as the oldest student ever to enroll there. Told via cartoon strips, journal entries, emails, letters, and more, this is Roan's story of finding friends and building self-confidence.
2. Auggie & Me
Bestselling author R.J. Palacio returns with a collection of three stories from the world of Wonder. Previously only available as eBooks, the stories of Julian, Pluto, and Shingaling are finally available in a hardcover collection!
3. From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess
Olivia Grace Clarisse Mignonette Harrison is your completely average 12-year-old. But one day, everything goes wrong: the most popular girl in school threatens to beat her up, the principal gives her a demerit, and Olivia gets knocked down at the bus stop. Then, a limo containing Princess Mia Thermopolis of Genovia pulls up...
Back to School Books for High School
They used to be inseparable before their futures were torn apart. Is their story still written in the stars, or are they like two different puzzle pieces that are impossible to fit together?
Ninth-grader Philip Malloy breaks the school's policy of silence during the national anthem and ends up in a crisis at the center of the nation's attention. This book is a thought-provoking novel that examines what America's freedom and patriotism really mean.
3. How to Read Literature Like a Professor
What exactly does it mean when a fictional hero goes on a journey? What does it mean when he shares a meal, or gets soaked in a sudden rain shower? Covering topics such as literary models and narrative devices, this book helps students discover the hidden truths that come from reading between the lines.
Back to School Books for Teachers
What wisdom would you impart to the world if you knew it was your last chance? What would you want as your legacy? Randy Pausch's last lecture, "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams," is filled with lessons for what he hopes children will continue to learn, even after he is gone. A classic on the power of teaching, the book will profoundly impact the way you understand your job as an educator.
2. Real Talk for Real Teachers
New York Times bestselling author Rafe Esquith candidly discusses the three stages of life for the career teacher, offering encouragement and no-nonsense wisdom for teachers of all ages. This book is the perfect companion for teachers who need a long heart-to-heart, a quick pick-me-up, or a reminder that they're not alone.
Forget everything you thought you knew about how and why children succeed. Paul Tough, a journalist for The New Yorker and New York Times, solves the mysteries of why some children succeed and others fail, and how we can help move individual children toward their full potential for success.
Get more back to school resources — for free!
As a part of our 2015 Summer of Literacy program, we’re giving away free teacher resources all summer long. Our latest downloadable resource is the “Back to School Shopping Guide.” Packed with printable lists and templates, as well as shopping tips just for teachers, this will help you stock up your classroom with all the supplies you need to tackle the year!
