Books About School

Picture Books
Bailey by Harry Bliss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great for the beginning of the year. Well, really any time. But especially then.

Plus I love the whole decision about which collar to wear. :]

View all my reviews Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes by Eric Litwin

Of course we all know this one. I had some kids help me make this book trailer the last couple days of school. We'll show it to the new kinders.





The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School by Laura Murray

This looks cute. I haven't used it but it looks cute.
We're not allowed to give treats but I like these ideas.
But I LOVE this idea.




Messing Around on the Monkey Bars: and Other School Poems for Two Voices by Betsy Franco

Need some poetry? Fluency practice? Not for beginning readers but third or fourth grade will be fine.




First Week at Cow School by Andy Cutbill

Another one of the "everyone is different and that's OK" stories. But this one was a little different. So it's OK. ;]




Rules for School by Alec Greven

This is the same author that wrote How to Talk to Girls when he was in the 4th grade. Hilarious! And spot on! (Actually, you need all of his books in your classroom and library collections.)



One Smart Cookie: Bite-Size Lessons for the School Years and Beyond by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

I love how she relates vocabulary words to different kinds of cookies.





Ten Rules You Absolutely Must Not Break if You Want to Survive the School Bus by John Grandits

To be honest a little long for reading aloud to younger students unless you break it up. But super fun as like a model text.




Skippyjon Jones, Class Action by Judy Schachner

No explanation needed. Did you get a copy at Kohls?



I'm Not Ready! by Jonathan Allen

I have a thing for owls. Cute, fluffy ones who are nervous to go to school.






Rain School by James Rumford

I go to this one when I am ready to scream at our frustrating "library with no walls in the middle of a major traffic hallway" situation. It's all in the attitude.


And these don't have the pretty cover embed code because I never put them on Goodreads after I finished them and if I do it now and mess up my "numbers" for this year's goal. :/ So ... sorry!

What a Day It Was at School by Jack Prelutsky
MORE POETRY

This Is the Teacher by Rhonda Greene
I love the hamster that you can find on every page.

Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten? by Audrey Vernick
TOO FUN.

A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Creech

Back to School Rules by Laurie Friedman

Manners at School by Carrie Finn






Chapter Books (possible read alouds for really second through fifth)
Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things by Lenore Look
--FUNNY! The scene where all the boys in the class are stuck up the tree in their underwear? Priceless.







Justin Case: School, Drool, and Other Daily Disasters by Rachel Vail

I love it. The Hat Dance is one particular part I remember ... but there were lots of funny places. ;]
I just finished the next one (summer vacation). Also hilarious!





Friendship According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney

Most of the books in this series center around the classroom. Would make for a great read aloud for second grade and up.

Oh, a similar one? I, Freddy by Dietlof Reiche.




The Teacher's Funeral : A Comedy in Three Parts by Richard Peck


This one is historical fiction so the kiddos would need some context. Maybe fourth grade and up? I love the first line. "If your teacher has to die, August isn't a bad time of the year for it." Who would the worst possible substitute be if you were a young boy? That's right ... HIS OLDER SISTER. I loved that. I'm the oldest of six. ;]


Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Also set in the main character's home and not just school ... but any chance to talk this one up I will take it. If you want to open the floor up to discussion on accepting differences in the classroom? THIS IS THE BOOK. I would say third grade read aloud and up.




Any of the Lunch Lady books. They are funny and based around the school. Our students like to write their own stories and make up new Lunch Lady spy equipment. ;]
Several of the Babymouse ones feature classroom scenes as well.

The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary School by Candace Fleming--I really liked this one and with the fables lends itself to all sorts of writing connections. Not as big a fan of the fifth grade incarnation.

My Weird School series by Dan Gutman--maybe not so much of a read aloud (although that would work) as one you want to have at least a few of available either in the classroom or the school collection.


So these are some of my favorites. What are yours?



Post Graphic ... Jen Jones/ Hello Literacy