A back to school theme is such a fun unit to teach to our little learners! Going back to school is such a fun experience for our little ones and a classroom is a place they spend so much time every day. There are so many exciting ways to explore the beginning of the school year. And, watching little minds learn and grow as they read back to school books that go along with this unit.
Finding back to school books to read with them is a wonderful addition to this unit as they learn all about going back to school!
Taking the time to read back to school books is important for our little learners as they explore a new school year. They’ll learn all kinds of things about school and many important lessons for the year! Some things may be familiar to them, others will be totally new!
I’ve found some perfect back to school books for you to use with this unit that can easily be purchased on Amazon. Just click the links below and stock up on some of your favorite back to school books! If you use your prime membership, you can get your books quickly and easily with FREE 2-day shipping.
Know and Follow Rules
A child who isn’t following the rules is a child who’s always in trouble. This book starts with simple reasons why we have rules: to help us stay safe, learn, be fair, and get along.
Then it presents just four basic rules: “Listen,” “Best Work,” “Hands and Body to Myself,” and “Please and Thank You.” The focus throughout is on the positive sense of pride that comes with learning to follow rules. Including questions and activities, adults can use to reinforce the ideas and skills being taught.
How to Get Your Teacher Ready
This humorous new book in the beloved HOW TO . . . series takes readers through a fun and busy school year. Written in tongue-in-cheek instructional style, a class of adorable students gives tips and tricks for getting a teacher ready—for the first day of school, and all the events and milestones that will follow (picture day, holiday concert, the 100th day of school, field day!).
And along the way, children will see that getting their teacher ready is really getting themselves ready. Filled with charming role-reversal humor, this is a playful and heartwarming celebration of teachers and students. And, the perfect gift for back-to-school readiness or graduation.
The Night Before Preschool
It’s the night before preschool, and a little boy named Billy is so nervous he can’t fall asleep. The friends he makes the next day at school give him a reason not to sleep the next night, too. He’s too excited about going back! The book’s simple rhyming text and sweet illustrations will soothe any child’s fears about the first day of school.
Let’s Be Friends
Simple, rhyming verse discusses the best ways to make friends.
Go to School, Little Monster
Little Monster is going to school for the very first time. That means he’ll be meeting all the other little monsters, including one who has really big teeth and draws scary pictures. Who will ride the ogres and dragons with Little Monster at recess, and listen with him during story time? And what happens when—gulp—Little Monster realizes he forgot his lunch?
It’s a good thing Mr. Drool is there to guide Little Monster the whole day through. Helen Ketteman’s soothing rhymes and Bonnie Leick’s sweet watercolor illustrations combine to create a reassuring first-day-of-school story that’s perfect for little monsters everywhere.
Olivia: A Guide to Being a Friend
Olivia explains what being a good friend is all about in this 8×8 storybook with stickers! What makes someone a good friend? Find out from the best best friend around: Olivia! Olivia loves baking cookies with Francine and playing music with Julian. She loves being a friend! Everyone’s favorite pig gives humorous advice on how to share, how to listen, and more.
Mouse’s First Day of School
Mouse decides to hide inside a bright red backpack…and ends up at school! As he explores this place full of colors, letters, and numbers, Mouse discovers a world beyond his imagination–and makes some friends along the way. Now a Classic Board Book, Mouse’s First Day of School is sure to entertain children with its simple, energetic text and sweet illustrations, as well as get readers excited about their own first trips to school.
Can I Play Too?
Gerald is careful. Piggie is not. Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can. Gerald and Piggie are best friends. In Can I Play Too? Gerald and Piggie meet a new snake friend who wants to join in a game of catch. But don’t you need arms to catch? Mo Willems’ Geisel Award-winning duo never fails to tickle readers of all ages. Like previous Elephant & Piggie Books, this adventure has been vetted by an early learning specialist and emerging learners themselves. It turns reading into play and turns a problem into a solution!
Thank You for Being My Friend
When the clock strikes midnight Cleo the horse and her friend Daphne wake up for some nighttime adventures, in a text with die-cut pages and a finger puppet attached to the last page.
First Day Jitters
Everyone knows that sinking feeling in the pit of the stomach just before diving into a new situation. Sarah Jane Hartwell is scared and doesn’t want to start over at a new school. She doesn’t know anybody, and nobody knows her. It will be awful. She just knows it.
With much prodding from Mr. Hartwell, Sarah Jane reluctantly pulls herself together and goes to school. She is quickly befriended by Mrs. Burton, who helps smooth her jittery transition. This charming and familiar story will delight readers with its surprise ending.
This School Year Will Be THE BEST!
On the first day of school, new classmates are asked to share what they would most like to happen in the upcoming year. Some kids? Hopes are familiar while others are off-the-wall. Whether it’s looking good on picture day or skateboarding at school, everyone’s wishes are shown in humorously exaggerated illustrations. As the first day draws to a close, there can be no doubt? This school year will definitely be the best!
The Hard Hat for Kids
Adapted from Jon Gordon’s bestseller The Hard Hat, The Hard Hat for Kids is an inspiring story that teaches children how to be a great teammate. An engaging tale that resonates with all children, the 10 Ways to be a Great Teammate and the “We before Me” philosophy, make this book an enjoyable read and an invaluable teaching tool for coaches, teachers, and parents.
The Hard Hat for Kids presents practical insights and life-changing lessons that are immediately applicable to everyday situations, giving kids—and adults—a new outlook on cooperation, friendship, and the selfless nature of true teamwork.
Thank You for Being My Friend
Cleo is scared of her new bedroom, where everything around her is filled with strange noises and shadows. Follow her in Thank You for Being My Friend as she makes a new friend and finds out that maybe everything isn’t how it seems.
The Crayon Box that Talked
“While walking through a toy store, the day before today, I overheard a crayon box with many things to say…” Once upon a time, Shane DeRolf wrote a poem. It was a deceptively simple poem, a charming little piece that celebrates the creation of harmony through diversity. The folks at the Ad Council heard it and liked it so much that they made it the theme for their 1997 National Anti-Discrimination Campaign for Children.
Following on the heels of nearly a year’s worth of televised public service announcements, Random House is honored to publish the picture book. And, illustrated in every color in the crayon box by dazzling newcomer Michael Letzig and conveying the sublimely simple message that when we all work together, the results are much more interesting and colorful.
Miss Nelson is Missing!
So begins this quirky classic, first published in 1977 and still relevant today as a lighthearted reminder to show our appreciation to those we value. The students don’t proffer a shred of respect for their good-natured teacher Miss Nelson, but when the witchy substitute Miss Viola Swamp appears on the scene, they start to regret their own wicked ways. James Marshall’s scritchy, cartoonish full-color ink and wash illustrations are hilarious. A back-to-school perennial!
Decibella and Her 6-Inch Voice
Isabella is a spirited girl who enjoys shouting out her thoughts, ideas and feelings. In fact, she loves using her loud voice so much; it’s earned her the nickname, Decibella! Young readers will be entertained as they see how Isabella learns the five volumes of voice and discovers that different situations require a different tone.
Mind Your Manners in School
Brief stories describe classroom friendships, the importance of silence when the teacher is giving a lesson, the friendly way of borrowing and sharing storybooks, picking up toys after playtime, and other typical school situations. Several classroom games are suggested as activities for creative learning and play. The bright color illustrations on every page of How We Should Behave Books will appeal to younger boys and girls, while the easy to understand stories teach them fundamental rules of good behavior.
The brief stories dramatize typical events in children’s lives, showing kids as they interact with other children, with teachers, and with other adults. Beginning readers see boys and girls who are very much like themselves, as they make mistakes, have small accidents, then discover the best ways to correct their errors, avoid mishaps, and feel good about themselves while they have fun. Each book suggests appropriate activities and offers guidelines for moms and dads.
Back to School Rules
School’s in session! When it comes to surviving school, Percy’s at the head of the class. If you can follow his ten simple rules, making the grade will be a piece of cake (and school will be a lot of fun). But there’s more to school than showing up on time and staying awake in class. If you have any doubts, Percy also shows exactly what not to do.
What if Everybody Did That?
If you drop just one soda can out the window, it’s no big deal … right? But what if everybody did that? What if everybody broke the rules … and spoke during story time, didn’t wash up, or splashed too much at the pool?
Then the world would be a mess. But what if everybody obeyed the rules so that the world would become a better place? Using humorous illustrations rendered in mixed media, these questions are answered in a child-friendly way and show the consequences of thoughtless behavior.
Click, Clack, Quack to School!
They can stand in line (sort of), use indoor voices (perhaps), and are capable of sharing (rumor has it), so the Click Clack critters are ready for school…but is school ready for them? A charming addition to the award-winning Click, Clack series from the New York Times bestselling and Caldecott winning team who brought you Click, Clack, Moo and Click, Clack, Surprise!
Teaching the back to school unit is such a fun unit for little learners as they explore all about going back to school. It’s also fun for us as we watch them learn and grow! Grab your favorite books with this back to school unit and explore all the exciting things about going back to school!
