First Day Around the World (Ibi Zoboi)

 

This book is beautiful! There is a ton of information. It isn't so much about the first day of school, but about school and children around the world. 

Topics/activities that could emerge:

• non-fiction texts don't have a beginning, middle and end. You could jump around and read stories from countries that the children were interested in
• We could do a writing assignment about their first day of school or maybe even what their parents remember from school when they were growing up, especially if many of the children are from another country.
• Mapping activity - break the story apart and make a big map that shows all their experiences on an annotated map

Goodreads says:

From award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Ibi Zoboi and artist Juanita Londoño, this lyrical celebration of the first day of school across every continent explores what going back to school looks like for children in countries around the world!

How do children around the world spend their first day of school?

Some eat warm akara for breakfast in Nigeria, while others unwrap lunches of kluski in Poland. In China, they practice intricate characters in special notebooks, and in Argentina, they learn each other's names in a sing-song memory game. No matter where in the world, every student has something new to look forward to on their first day!

From Ethiopia to Germany to India to Brazil, this lyrical text introduces young listeners to the breakfast-to-bedtime routines, cultures, and landscapes that connect people across all continents.

Emma McKenna, Full Out (Kate Messner)

 

There's a lot of things I liked about this book. The kids are in third grade. Perfect. It's pretty easy reading....accessible for my students. I read it aloud to my class...and the truth is, we all found it kind of meh. It's not exciting....just meh. Although, it did have some good friendship things to talk about. I had great hopes for it. I heard a podcast where Kate Messner discusses creating the series with a number of different authors (every book is written by a different author) and what an interesting experience it was to do that....but as for reading it...I just found it okay. It's not one I'll likely read aloud next year. 

Goodreads says:

Emma McKenna can’t wait for third grade at the brand-new Curiosity Academy. She’ll have a cool teacher who wears high-tops and science earrings. She’ll meet interesting classmates from all over Peppermint Falls. Best of all, she’ll get a fresh start after last year’s talent-show disaster left her with that awful nickname. It’s going to be the best year ever!

Then Lucy walks into Mrs. Z’s room.
Lucy, Emma’s best-friend-turned-enemy.
Lucy, who gave Emma that nickname and spread it all over school!
Emma’s fresh start is doomed . . . unless she can make friends before Lucy ruins everything.

So Emma sets out to be pals with everyone, just like her favorite animal, the capybara. As her classmates argue over the choice of a new school mascot, Emma stays quiet and doesn’t pick sides. (The last thing she needs is another enemy.) But maybe speaking up could be the thing that helps her really connect with her class—and saves her at last from third-grade doom.

Both sweetly poignant in its attention to kids’ worries and friendships and laugh-out-loud funny in its storytelling, with black-and-white illustrations throughout by Pura Belpré Honor artist Kat Fajardo, Emma McKenna, Full Out is the perfect launch for the exciting new Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class chapter-book series.

This Is a School (John Schu)

 

This would be a fun book to give the grade four students when they graduate and have each of their teachers write in their book....like people do for The Places You'll Go.

Goodreads says:

A moving celebration of school and all it may signify: work and play, creativity and trust, and a supportive community that extends beyond walls.

A school isn’t just a building; it is all the people who work and learn together. It is a place for discovery and asking questions. A place for sharing, for helping, and for community. It is a place of hope and healing, even when that community can’t be together in the same room. John Schu, a librarian and former ambassador of school libraries for Scholastic, crafts a loving letter to schools and the people that make up the communities within in a picture book debut beautifully illustrated by Veronica Miller Jamison.

Mr. S (Monica Arnoldo)

 

When I read this book myself, I didn't get it. 

Then I read a bunch of reviews on Goodreads and saw that there's a story inside a story. 

Okay. I sort of got it then. 

Then I read it to my class. They got it!  They noticed the story inside the story and the different "faces" the sandwich had. 

The ending though....what does Mr S stand for if it doesn't stand for sandwich?

We enjoyed the story....but we're left wondering.

Goodreads says:

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 or not the sandwich must be their teacher. A comical, first day of school book of mayhem and chaos by Monica Arnaldo, perfect fans of Miss Nelson Is Missing. “This might be the funniest first-day-of-school book I’ve ever read." —Adam Rex, New York Times bestselling author of School’s First Day of School It was the first day of school. But even the kindergarteners of room 2B could tell something was seriously wrong . . . Where was the teacher? Who left this sandwich on the desk? The only clue, written on the chalkboard, were three simple Mr. S Praise for Mr. "Confusion, mystery, and laughs are on the menu in Arnaldo’s deliciously goofy back-to-school tale." — Publishers Weekly  (starred review) "The tale's genuinely absurd situation, the mystery of the teacher's identity, and the deadpan storytelling make this a memorable read-aloud choice."—  Booklist  (starred review) "Mysteries for young readers are few and far between and this one is fun and entertaining." —School Library Journal  (starred review)

Little Bat In Night School (Brian Lies)

 Great book for September! I need to look into more books this author has written....lots of interesting books that I've never seen before!

This would be  good pair with lots of our favorite bat stories: Stellaluna, Bat Count, etc.

Goodreads says:

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 best-selling and Caldecott Honor–winning Brian Lies. Perfect for fans of We Don't Eat Our Classmates and The King of Kindergarten.

Little Bat can't wait for his first night of school. He is excited about everything: his new school supplies, learning amazing things, and making new friends.  
 
But when he finally arrives, his world turns upside down.

Any little bat who's tried something new or gone somewhere they've never been before knows that first times can be scary. With the help of Little Bat and his adorable classmates, readers will see that spreading your wings is easy when you listen, act with kindness, and take a chance on new friends.

With his signature, gorgeous artwork, New York Times bestseller and Caldecott Honor winner Brian Lies brings his expressive bats back for the youngest readers.  

Alma and How She Got Her Name (Juana Martinez-Neal)

At the beginning of the school year, I love to ask the children in my class how they got their name. It is a nice way to get to know them a little better. This is a great way to introduce that activity.

Goodreads says:

What's in a name? For one little girl, her very long name tells the vibrant story of where she came from — and who she may one day be.

If you ask her, Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela has way too many names: six! How did such a small person wind up with such a large name? Alma turns to Daddy for an answer and learns of Sofia, the grandmother who loved books and flowers; Esperanza, the great-grandmother who longed to travel; José, the grandfather who was an artist; and other namesakes, too. As she hears the story of her name, Alma starts to think it might be a perfect fit after all — and realizes that she will one day have her own story to tell. In her author-illustrator debut, Juana Martinez-Neal opens a treasure box of discovery for children who may be curious about their own origin stories or names.

We Don't Eat Our Classmates (Ryan T Higgins)

*Contrasts and contradictions: We don’t expect a dinosaur to be in school! We also don’t expect a teacher to let her stay when she has a problem with EATING classmates!!
*What might the author be trying to teach us?

•  everyone has their own challenges
• We need to watch for people who are left out and help them
• Dinosaur learned what it was like when he got bit (empathy)
• Everyone has expectations about school. What are some things we expect about school? What if someone expects something totally different than you?
• We should never never ever eat our classmates! LOL

Goodreads says:

Penelope the dinosaur starts school, but it’s hard to make friends when her classmates are so delicious!

It’s the first day of school for Penelope Rex, and she can’t wait to meet her classmates. But it’s hard to make human friends when they’re so darn delicious! That is, until Penelope gets a taste of her own medicine and finds she may not be at the top of the food chain after all. . . . Readers will gobble up this hilarious new story from award-winning author-illustrator Ryan T. Higgins.
--books.disney.com 

Dog Days of School (Kelly DiPucchio)

Freaky Friday returns, kid-lit style! This one will get a laugh for sure. Charlie doesn't like school - but in the end, decides it's not so bad.

Goodreads says:

Charlie thinks his dog, Norman, has got it good: he gets to spend his days lounging on the couch or playing fetch, and he never has to do any homework. But when Charlie makes a wish to be a dog instead of a boy, things get a little topsy-turvy!

New York Times best-selling author Kelly DiPucchio's signature humor and Brian Biggs's bold, playful illustrations come together in a hilarious tale that proves that the grass always does look greener on the other side (even if that side involves drinking from the toilet!).

Beatrice Doesn't Want To (Laura Numeroff)

This is a great example of there aren't kids who don't like reading, just kids who haven't found the right book yet!


This would be a great book to read at the beginning of the year when I spend a lot of time talking to my students about all the reading we will do this year and how my goal is to inspire a love of books in everyone this year.

Ryan and Craig read this one. They're always worth watching:


Goodreads says:

A humorous story of a stubborn little girl, a patient older brother, and the magical workings of the local library.

Beatrice doesn't like books or reading — and she especially doesn't like accompanying big brother Henry to the library three days in a row. But that's where he has to take her while he works on his dinosaur report. Naturally, Beatrice doesn't want to get books from the shelf. Beatrice doesn't want to let Henry work. And Beatrice certainly doesn't want to sit in a room full of boys and girls during story hour. Is there anything that could possibly change her mind? Meet Beatrice, a little girl who knows exactly what she doesn't want. Or does she?

I Wish I Could Draw (Cary Fagan)

This would be a great book to read when you're working on a writing project that you want your class to illustrate, especially with kids who say they don't draw well. This is a delightful story about creating a story.

Goodreads says:

The narrator of I Wish I Could Draw shares a name with creator Cary Fagan and has the same curly hair and glasses. Perhaps most interesting of all, though, the narrator believes he has no artistic talent — just like the Cary Fagan, who not only wrote but also bravely and exuberantly illustrated this book. Fortunately for readers, both Cary-the-narrator and Cary-the-children’s-book-creator refused to let self-doubt stop them from trying to tell (and draw) the funniest and most exciting story they could think of. The result is a book that delivers plenty of excitement, silly jokes, and fun — and also an important message about self-confidence and perseverance. Designed to look like a child’s notebook, I Wish I Could Draw will inspire readers to pick up a pencil and let their imaginations do the rest.

Jeffrey and Sloth (Kari-Lynn Winters)

Good story about inner voices and speaking positively to ourselves. This would be a great story to read in September when we start writing narrative stories.

Jeffrey makes a fun reference to Canada in the story too...which made sense when I found out the author was Canadian. Yea for Canadian authors!

It is illustrated by the same guy who did Richard Was A Picker.

Goodreads says:

Jeffrey can't think of a thing to write, so he doodles instead, only to have his doodle begin to order him about. Jeffrey struggles with the situation until he discovers that the most strong-willed doodle is powerless against a well-told tale. Jeffrey and Sloth is bound to have children rushing for their colored pencils and their pens to see who and what they can create.

The Best Books to Read (Debbie Bertram and Susan Bloom)

This would be a great book to use to kick off a book-a-day project. The illustrations are cute and students always love the rhythm of rhyming books (although some of the rhymes in this book were suspect).


Goodreads says:

THE LITTLE BOY who loves to read is back, and this time he and his classmates are visiting a big public library! In their signature catchy, rhyming verse, Debbie Bertram and Susan Bloom give readers a taste of the variety of books that can be found at the library. Michael Garland’s bright, graphic illustrations bring to life the array of fantastic and hilarious scenes that can result from finding the best book to read! 

Splat the Cat (Rob Scotton)

Read January 5, 2017 Cute story! It would be great to read this book in September when school starts. Splat has many of the feelings kids have when they're starting school. His attempts at trying to not go to school are quite funny and relate-able. The teacher is hilarious. Splat has a pet mouse, which of course, is going to cause a problem at cat school. We could see that one coming! We noticed that all the other cats are grey in this book and Splat is black.

Reread Sep 1, 2018 - My students mentioned that perhaps we should have read this on the first day of school. They caught on to the subtle humor where Splat is knocked over and it says "splat!" on the page. Many students were familiar with other books in the series and had comments about patterns in the series.

Goodreads summary:

It's Splat's first day of school and he's worried. What if he doesn't make any new friends? Just in case, Splat decides to bring along his pet mouse, Seymour, and hides him in his lunchbox. The teacher, Mrs. Wimpydimple, introduces Splat to the class and he soon starts learning all his important cat lessons. But when Seymour escapes and the cats do what cats do (they chase mice!), Splat's worried again. Maybe now he'll lose all his friends, old and new! Just in time, wise Mrs. Wimpydimple takes charge and teaches everyone an important new lesson. Maybe Cat School is going to be okay after all! 

School's First Day (Adam Rex)

Great book for the first day of school. We could talk about feeling nervous, talk about how to help others that are feeling nervous, etc. Sometimes kids are surprised to hear that teachers are nervous too. Who would have thought of a school feeling nervous?

Goodreads summary:

It's the first day of school at Frederick Douglass Elementary and everyone's just a little bit nervous, especially the school itself. What will the children do once they come? Will they like the school? Will they be nice to him?

The school has a rough start, but as the day goes on, he soon recovers when he sees that he's not the only one going through first-day jitters.

Dinosaur vs School (Bob Shea)

Cute story, but too young for my Gr. 3 crowd.

Goodreads Summary:

Dinosaur is starting preschool today. ROAR! There are new friends to meet, dress-up outfits to wear, glitter and googly eyes to paste, musical instruments to play, and snacks to eat. What's not to like? But then, oh, no! It's Dinosaur vs. Clean-up Time! Fortunately, when friends work together, EVERYONE WINS! With all the bright colors, bold lines, and toddler-like exuberance that have made the previous Dinosaur vs. books irresistible, DINOSAUR VS. SCHOOL will both amuse and reassure anyone going off to school for the first time.

How To Read a Story (Kate Messner)

There is no better book to read the first day you start Reading Buddies!! My class loved the step by step instructions and totally agreed with many of the points along the way: reading outside is wonderful, snuggle up together, read with great expression, say "the end" when you're finished, and if it's really good, start all over again!

Loved it!

Kate Messner totally gets kids and books.

Goodreads summary:

Step One: Find a story. (A good one.)
Step Two: Find a reading buddy. (Someone nice.)
Step Three: Find a reading spot. (Couches are cozy.)
Now: Begin.
Accomplished storytellers Kate Messner and Mark Siegel chronicle the process of becoming a reader: from pulling a book off the shelf and finding someone with whom to share a story, to reading aloud, predicting what will happen, and—finally—coming to The End. This picture book playfully and movingly illustrates the idea that the reader who discovers the love of reading finds, at the end, the beginning. 

The Matchbox Diary (Paul Fleischman)

Beautiful story! We used this as an introduction to an All About Me project where students are given a paper bag and asked to bring five items. The five items are something will give us information about that person. The students were totally taken by the beautiful pictures, the stories of life long ago, and the unique things that the Grandpa put in the match boxes.

Bagram Ibatoulline also illustrated The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. He does some wonderful work!

Goodreads Summary:

"Pick whatever you like most. Then I’ll tell you its story." 
When a little girl visits her great-grandfather at his curio-filled home, she chooses an unusual object to learn about: an old cigar box. What she finds inside surprises her: a collection of matchboxes making up her great-grandfather’s diary, harboring objects she can hold in her hand, each one evoking a memory. Together they tell of his journey from Italy to a new country, before he could read and write — the olive pit his mother gave him to suck on when there wasn’t enough food; a bottle cap he saw on his way to the boat; a ticket still retaining the thrill of his first baseball game. With a narrative entirely in dialogue, Paul Fleischman makes immediate the two characters’ foray into the past. With warmth and an uncanny eye for detail, Bagram Ibatoulline gives expressive life to their journey through time — and toward each other.

My Teacher is a Monster (Peter Brown)

This is a great book to start off our friendship unit. It reminds students that once you get to know someone they're not quite so scary. Depicting the teacher as a monster makes them laugh. I'm amazed at how every time I read this book to a group of kids they notice as soon as the teacher starts losing her monster-ish green hue.

Good picture book example of Notice and Note Signposts of contrasts and contradictions. We do not expect this teacher to be friendly!

Goodreads summary:

Bobby has a problem.

You see, his teacher is a monster.

But when Bobby runs into his teacher outside of school, he learns there is more to her than meets the eye.

Noni Is Nervous (Heather Hartt-Sussman/Genevieve Cote)

We started Reading Buddies today. The grade three children were VERY excited, but the grade one children were VERY nervous. Noni is nervous was a good way to start talking about how really, we don't need to feel nervous, we just need to get to know each other better because there are friendships just waiting to be found in our school (and Noni's too).

Goodreads Summary:

A unique hardcover picture book for two to five year olds, this is the story of a lovely little girl who is nervous about many things. Noni finds a way to control her nerves and work through her anxiety, making life much more bearable for everyone!

Noni is nervous about playdates, and global warming, and most of all, about the first day of school. Her parents are worried too, and even her brother is a little wary. But Noni finds a friend, someone a little more outgoing than herself, and discovers that through friendship, she can belong and succeed in a world that once filled her with dread. The story is a universal one about the power of friendship and belonging, delightfully illlustrated by award-winning illustrator Genevieve Cote.