This column first appeared in CityView magazine’s “Back to School” August 2026 edition.
Students are back in class across Cumberland County. Some children are excited to get back to school and see their friends. Some are sad to see summer vacation end. Parents may have mixed feelings, glad to have the kids back in school but also a bit misty-eyed to see them leave after a summer together. Reading can help the family address any concerns and help prepare for a new school year.
For younger children, parents can read together with them. Older students can pick out some great reading just for themselves. All of it will help reverse the summer slide where they might have lost some of the reading progress they had achieved. Reading is a good way to help them focus on the coming school year and ease back into it. Here are some selections for each age group to do just that.
1. Getting Ready for First Grade: A First Day of School by Vera Ahiyya and illustrated by Debby Rahmalia
What better way to get ready for the first day of your child’s school year than to read about another student who is nervous for the same reason? Leilani is both excited about going to first grade and also a bit nervous. With the help of her wonderful family and her new teacher, she learns about the many things she will get to do in first grade. As Leilani gains the confidence that will help her succeed, so will the rising first graders who read about her along with their parents.
2. The Truth About My Unbelievable Summer … by Benjamin Chaud and Davide Cali
Do you remember coming back to school after summer vacation and the teacher asking everyone to either get up and tell what they did over the summer or write a paper about it? Here is a story about one student’s fantastical summer vacation that started with a treasure map found in a bottle that takes him all over the globe with a mischievous bird, a giant squid, a submarine, and a desert island. Was it real or all in his imagination? Either way, it’s a wonderful ride for him and for you.
3. Surviving Middle School: Navigating the Halls, Riding the Social Roller Coaster, and Unmasking the Real You by Luke Reynolds
Veteran teacher Luke Reynolds brings some adventures from his teaching days to help rising middle school students learn not only how to survive, but to thrive and enjoy the ride through middle school. With humor and honesty, Reynolds offers ways to navigate the challenging times in those years between elementary and high school. With his real-life experiences and a genuine affection for students of this age, he covers topics such as bullying, peer pressure, study habits, and romantic relationships that can begin during this adolescent period.
4. The High School Survival Guide: Your Roadmap to Studying, Socializing & Succeeding by Jessica Holsman
This book is a great gift for a student starting high school. It is a handy guide to help teens navigate entering high school with valuable ideas on time management, study habits, and personal growth. It also has tools for dealing with stress and anxiety to help students enjoy the journey ahead. There are some strategies for balancing academics and the fun of teenage life. It is a helpful guide with specific ideas on managing this exciting journey.
5. 99 Things to Do Before You Finish High School by Steven Jenkins, Erika Stalder, and Evan Villas
“Being in high school is about a lot more than going to high school,” the authors write in their opening to this revised and updated version of a book first published in 2008. In this book, high school students will find many interesting ideas about things to consider doing before graduation. These are things they don’t teach in high school that can help prepare students for coming adulthood, enhance their high school experience, and provide a positive effect many years afterwards. A good example is “Get a Passport.” After all, college is right around the corner and the opportunity to travel and study abroad may be here before you know it. The book is something teens can share with their parents and friends. Parents should not feel like their child should do all 99 things, but instead let them decide which ones resonate and then encourage them to discuss their ideas with you.
6. School Is Wherever I Am by Ellie Peterson
School might not be so scary if you realize that learning can take place anywhere. This is a great book for the whole family to read together and find out the many ways they can learn new things anywhere. We can learn together with our family on nature outings, trips to museums and historical sites—or just curled up reading. The book reinforces and expands on what is taught in the classroom. It can help all members of the family think about learning as a lifelong adventure and not a chore.
Diane Parfitt owns City Center Gallery & Books in downtown Fayetteville. She can be reached at citycentergallerybooks@gamil.com.
