50 Back to School Books

Looking for some good back-to-school book selections? We’ve compiled a list to help build community, develop listening comprehension and stamina, and get your year off to a great start. Titles are listed in alphabetical order and include links to Amazon as well as helpful lesson information.

When you see an * after the title, that means it's a chapter book.

1. A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue by Julia Cook
2. A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Creech
3. Amelia Bedelia’s First Day of School by Herman Parish
4. And Here’s to You! by David Elliott (Book Look)
5. Bailey by Harry Bliss
6. The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak
7. Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes (Lit Lesson)
8. Clifford’s First School Day by Norman Bridwell
9. The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
10. Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson (Book Look)
11. Enemy Pie by Derek Munson (Lit Lesson)
12. First Day Jitters (Mrs. Hartwell’s Classroom Adventures) by Julie Danneberg
13. First Day, Hooray! by Nancy Poydar
14. Franklin Goes to School by Paulette Bourgeois
15. Froggy Goes to School by Jonathan London
16. The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School by Laura Murray
17. Going Places by Paul A. and Peter H. Reynolds (Book Look)
18. The Golden Rule by Ilene Cooper (Book Look)
19. Hooway for Wodney Wat by Helen Lester
20. How Do Dinosaurs Go to School? by Jane Yolen
21. How to Be by Lisa Brown (Book Look)
22. How to Read a Story by Kate Messner
23. If You Take a Mouse to School by Laura Numeroff
24. Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus* by Barbara Park
25. The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn (Lit Lesson)
26. Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes (Lit Lesson)
27. Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate
28. Miss Brooks Loves Books (and I Don’t) by Barbara Bottner
29. Morris Goes to School by Bernard Wiseman
30. The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires (Book Look)
31. Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little* by Peggy Gifford
32. Mrs. Watson Wants Your Teeth by Alison McGhee
33. My Teacher Sleeps in School by Leatie Weiss
34. My Name Is Yoon by Helen Recorvits (Brief Focus Lesson) 
35. The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
36. The New Girl . . . and Me by Jacqui Robbins
37. Only One You by Linda Kranz (Book Look) 
38. Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes by Eric Litwin
39. The Pout-Pout Fish Goes to School by Deborah Diesen
40. The Reader by Amy Hest (Book Look)
41. The Recess Queen by Alexis O’Neill (Lit Lesson)
42. Ruby the Copycat by Peggy Rathmann
43. School Bus Board Book by Donald Crews
44. Sideways Stories from Wayside School* by Louis Sachar
45. Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell
46. The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles
47. The Teacher from the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler
48. This School Year Will Be the BEST! by Kay Winters
49. The Year of Billy Miller* by Kevin Henkes
50. Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes (Lit Lesson)

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