The beginning of a new school year is one of my favourite times to use picture books. They can really help establish the classroom community and culture. It’s time to dig out my favourite back-to-school books!

A great back-to-school read aloud can help students feel more comfortable, start conversations about classroom routines and friendships, and build a positive classroom community. And sometimes, you just need a funny book that gets everyone laughing together! (Sidenote – one of the best pieces of advice I ever got as a beginning teacher was to laugh WITH the students every day.)

Over the years, I’ve collected quite a few favourite books for the first days and weeks of school.

Here are 15 of my favourite back-to-school read alouds for Kindergarten and the primary grades.

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1. You’re Finally Here! by Mélanie Watt

This is one of my favourite books for getting students laughing right away.

The bunny has been waiting and waiting for the reader to arrive — and he has a lot to say about it!

The character speaks directly to the reader, which reminds me a little of the humour in the Pigeon books by Mo Willems. Kids love answering the bunny’s questions and reacting to his dramatically exaggerated frustration.

It isn’t specifically a school book, which makes it useful throughout the year, but it is especially fun during those first few days when you are working on building classroom community.

Great for: engagement, humour, classroom community and interactive read alouds.

2. Back to School, Splat! by Rob Scotton

 

I have always loved book series.

As a teacher, and as a parent, I think familiar characters are one of the easiest ways to help children become excited about books.

Once students fall in love with a character like Splat the Cat, suddenly there are many more books they are eager to read.

In Back to School, Splat!, Splat has to think about one of his favourite school memories. It is a fun way to start conversations about what students enjoy about school and what they hope to experience this year.

Great for: making connections, sharing school memories and introducing a favourite book series.

3. Froggy Goes to School by Jonathan London

 

Froggy books are always entertaining, and Froggy Goes to School is perfect for the beginning of the year.

Froggy is excited and a little nervous about his first day.

And yes, there is an underwear joke.

Instant Kindergarten hit.

This book is a fun way to talk about all of the silly, surprising and sometimes slightly embarrassing things that can happen when we are learning something new.

Great for: first-day nerves, humour and making students feel comfortable.

 

4. Wow! School! by Robert Neubecker

This is a wonderful choice for younger students, especially Kindergarten.

The text is simple, the illustrations are colourful and the story captures the excitement of discovering all the different things there are to see and do at school.

It is also a great jumping-off point for talking about the different areas of your own classroom and school.

Great for: Kindergarten, school vocabulary and building excitement about school.

5. First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg

 

This is one of those classic first-day-of-school books that teachers can read year after year.

Sarah Jane Hartwell does NOT want to go to her new school.

She is nervous. She worries that she won’t know anyone. She would much rather stay home.

Most children can relate to at least some of those feelings.

And then comes the surprise ending.

I won’t spoil it, but it creates a wonderful opportunity to show students that adults can feel nervous about new experiences too.

Great for: anxiety, empathy, discussing feelings and first-day nerves.

6. The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn

This is another classic beginning-of-the-year story, especially for children who are nervous about being away from their families.

Chester Raccoon doesn’t want to go to school, so his mother shares a special family tradition with him: the Kissing Hand.

It is a gentle story about love, reassurance and knowing that the people who care about us are still connected to us even when we are apart.

Great for: separation anxiety, Kindergarten and talking about family connections.

7. The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! by Mo Willems

If your students already love the Pigeon, this one is an easy choice.

Pigeon has a LOT of reasons why he does not need to go to school.

What if the teacher doesn’t like him?

What if he learns too much?

What if there is math?

As always, students get to interact with Pigeon while the story tackles some very real worries in a hilarious way.

Great for: reluctant students, school anxiety, humour and interactive reading.

8. We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

 

This book is hilarious, but it also opens the door to an important beginning-of-the-year conversation about how we treat other people.

Penelope Rex is excited to start school.

There is just one problem.

Her classmates are children.

And children are delicious.

As Penelope learns how her actions make other people feel, students get an introduction to empathy, friendship and treating classmates with kindness.

Great for: classroom expectations, empathy, friendship and kindness.

9. All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold

 

This is a beautiful choice for establishing the kind of classroom community you want to create.

The message is simple: everyone belongs.

Students see children from many backgrounds learning, playing and growing together in a welcoming school environment.

This is a lovely book to pair with discussions about belonging, inclusion and what it means to make our classroom a safe place for everyone.

Great for: inclusion, belonging, classroom community and diversity.

10. Our Class Is a Family by Shannon Olsen

 

This book works especially well during the first week when you are beginning to establish your classroom culture.

It encourages children to think about the classroom as a community where people help one another, learn together and care about each other.

It can also lead naturally into creating classroom agreements or discussing questions such as:

How do we want people to feel in our classroom?

How can we help someone who is having a hard day?

What does being a good classmate look like?

Great for: classroom community, belonging and creating class expectations.

11. The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson

Beginning something new can feel lonely, especially when you think you are different from everyone around you.

The Day You Begin beautifully captures that feeling.

It encourages children to be brave enough to share their stories and discover the connections they have with others.

This is an especially meaningful book for helping students understand that every person brings something valuable to the classroom.

Great for: belonging, identity, confidence and making connections.

12. School’s First Day of School by Adam Rex

Most first-day-of-school books focus on nervous children.

This one has a fun twist: the school itself is nervous.

The school wonders what the children will be like and whether they will like being there.

It gives students a completely different perspective on those first-day feelings while still exploring themes of uncertainty, friendship and new beginnings.

Great for: perspective-taking, first-day feelings and humour.

13. How to Read a Book by Kwame Alexander

If one of your goals during the first weeks of school is helping children fall in love with reading, this is a beautiful book to add to your collection.

Rather than teaching reading strategies, it celebrates the experience of getting lost in a great book.

The language and illustrations make reading feel magical.

It is a lovely book to use before talking about independent reading, your classroom library or what makes a reading space feel special.

Great for: building a reading community and encouraging a love of books.

14. The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi

Names are such an important part of identity.

In The Name Jar, Unhei is nervous that her new classmates will not be able to pronounce her Korean name and considers choosing a different one.

The story creates an age-appropriate opportunity to talk about names, identity and why learning to say someone’s name correctly matters.

It would pair beautifully with a beginning-of-the-year name activity.

Great for: identity, names, belonging and classroom community.

15. A Letter From Your Teacher: On the First Day of School by Shannon Olsen

This sweet story is written as a message from a teacher to their students.

It reassures children that their classroom will be a place where they are supported, encouraged and cared for.

I especially like it as a book to read near the beginning of the year because it gives teachers an easy way to communicate what they hope their classroom will become.

Great for: classroom community, teacher-student relationships and setting a positive tone.

How I Use Back-to-School Books in My Classroom

You definitely don’t need to read all of these during the first few days!

I like to spread my back-to-school read alouds throughout the first few weeks and connect them to whatever we are learning about as a class.

For example:

• Read First Day Jitters when talking about nervous feelings.
• Read We Don’t Eat Our Classmates before discussing classroom expectations.
• Read All Are Welcome or Our Class Is a Family when building classroom community.
• Read The Name Jar during name activities.
• Read How to Read a Book when introducing your classroom library or independent reading routines.
• Keep funny books like You’re Finally Here!, Froggy Goes to School and The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! nearby when everyone simply needs a chance to laugh together.

The best back-to-school books do more than fill a read-aloud block.

They give children a shared experience that you can refer back to again and again throughout the year.

“Remember how Penelope learned to think about how her classmates felt?”

“Remember how Pigeon was nervous about trying something new?”

Those characters can become part of your classroom language.

 

More First-Week-of-School Ideas

After your read aloud, you could extend the book with a simple activity such as drawing a favourite part of school, sharing something that makes students nervous, creating a class promise, practicing a classroom routine or making a self-portrait.

For younger learners, I usually keep these activities very simple. The goal during those first weeks is not to create elaborate crafts — it is to help students feel safe, successful and excited to come back tomorrow.

What Are Your Favourite Back-to-School Books?

These are some of my favourites, but my collection seems to grow every year.

What picture books do you always pull out during the first few weeks of school?

I’d love to hear your favourites!