As students got back into school this month, it is met with mixed feelings by many children as they get ready for the new school year. Sadness that summer vacation is almost over, along with some excitement, but a little uneasiness, too. It might be the first day of kindergarten for the little ones, going to a new school for middle school or high school students, or going off to college. All of these are fraught with mixed feelings, but there are some effective ways of dealing with it — for students and parents alike. Books can always help us with those feelings by showing us how others deal with these normal transitions.
1. On the First Day of Kindergarten by Tish Rabe (Author), Laura Hughes (Illustrator). Ages 4–6
The first day of school is both exciting and scary for kids and their parents. This book is a delightful adaptation of The Twelve Days of Christmas and shows them just how much fun school is going to be. From the first day of kindergarten, when the kids get to ride the bus and meet new friends, through the 12 exciting firsts of kindergarten, both the kids and parents will be more than ready for that first day!
2. The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes (Author), Vanessa Brantley-Newton (Illustrator). Ages 4–6
He’s all ready for the first day and thinks he’s going to be the King of Kindergarten! When one confident little boy gets himself ready for the first day of school, he tells himself it’s going to be great, and it is. And now he can’t wait to come home and tell Mom and Dad what a super day he had. He really is the King of Kindergarten!
3. You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!) by Taraji P. Henson (Author), Paul Kellam (Illustrator). Ages 4–8
Going back to school can be just as scary as the first day of school. When Lil TJ starts back to school, quirky and a little bit different than the others in her class, she suddenly comes face-to-face with those differences. Standing out like that is not what she wants to do, especially after one of her classmates starts teasing her in front of all the other kids. TJ is horrified until she remembers the special words of wisdom her Grandma Patsy taught her — “embrace what is unique about you and look for friendship over bullying.” It all boils down to being a good friend to others, and they will be good to you.
4. Captain Courage and the Fear-Squishing Shoes by Stacey Marshall, Illustrated by Andy Catling. Ages 6–9
Being new to a school can be scary for anyone, and Katie is no exception. When she enters the new 3rd-grade classroom for the first time and sees all the kids who are excited to be there, she is overwhelmed by the butterflies in her tummy. Even with all the fun things they do in the classroom, Katie feels herself shrinking with fear. That is until an amazing superhero shows up with his amazing, fear-squishing shoes!
5. Posted by John David Anderson. Ages 10–12
When their middle school bans cell phones, Frost and his three best friends figure out a way to communicate — they leave sticky notes all around school for each other. As the other kids catch on, notes appear everywhere! That’s when the kids learn that words aren’t just words; they can be kind gifts or they can be cruel weapons. When a new girl arrives at school, she reaches out to Frost and his friends, but he doesn’t want to add another friend to his circle. The sticky-note war escalates, and the pressure mounts for the other kids to choose sides. Will Frost realize what he has done before it is too late?
6. Heat by Mike Lupica. Ages 9–12
Sports can be a way for many kids to find a place for themselves in a new setting. Michael Arroyo has an amazing pitching arm for a 12-year-old. He is orphaned when his father dies after having led the family’s escape from Cuba. With his 17-year-old brother Carlos, they try to dodge the Social Services’ agents and take care of themselves alone. Then someone wonders how a 12-year-old boy can pitch like Michael, and it becomes harder for him to stay in the shadows. With no family and no birth certificate, Michael fears he and Carlos will be discovered and even sent back to Cuba. Then he discovers that family can come in many different ways and that love and caring can appear in the most unexpected places.
7. Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl. Ages 12 and up
Here is a good novel for middle and high school kids — a murder mystery, no less! It features a clever but different teenager who finds herself at a new school again. It doesn’t help that her itinerant dad can’t stay in one town for long, so she is always the “new kid.” Blue van Meer is now facing her senior year in yet another high school in a quiet North Carolina town. When she starts at the elite St. Gallway School, she finds some friends in an eccentric clique known as the Bluebloods. The group is also close friends with the equally eccentric film studies teacher Hannah Schneider. When Schneider suddenly dies, apparently by suicide, Blue wants to know more. With visual aids by the author and chapters based on great literary books, Pessl has written a clever murder mystery that will appeal to teenagers and even older readers who enjoy all types of literature.
Read CityView Magazine’s “The Back To School Issue” August 2025 e-edition here.
