Are you looking for the perfect first day of school book to read to your class?Reading aloud is a great way to ease students’ back to school jitters and help them settle back into the classroom environment.
Fortunately, we’ve got just the thing — a complete list of books recommended by other teachers to read aloud on the first day!We asked some of the teachers on the Teach Stater teacher team and teachers from around the country what their go-to book is for the first day of school.
From books for kindergarten to sixth grade, the list of favorite children’s books covers a range of topics to help you set the foundation for a school year filled with kindness, inclusiveness and a celebration of self.
How do you choose just the right book to read on the first day back in the classroom? Explore the whole list, and find the one that’s just right for your classroom!
Books to Read on the First Day of School
1.Your Name Is a Song byJamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
This pick comes from Melissa Larkin, the second-grade teacher behind the Instagram handle @mslarkins_bookshelf, and tells the story of a little girl who comes home from school frustrated by all the people who mispronounced her name during the day. Her mom’s response is to take her little girl on a walk through their city where she celebrates the lyrical names of theAfrican, Asian, Black-American, Latinx and Middle Eastern neighbors and friends in their corner of the world.
“I read it during our first morning meeting before we make introductions,” Larkin says of her first day of school read. “Names are so important, and the easiest way to build relationships and classroom culture is to take the time to learn how to pronounce everyone’s name correctly.”
Teach Starter Teacher Tip: After reading this book, have students complete this All About My Name Worksheet.
2.Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal
Third-grade teacher Jen V — the Brooklyn teacher behind the Instagram handle @missvin3 — shared this pick for back-to-school books with us, and yes, we know you’re probably spotting a bit of a theme here — names. It’s well-documented that when a teacher mispronounces a student’s name, it can actually stymie academic success. But teachers aren’t the only part of the equation — it’s also important to teach your young learners to learn to pronounce their classmates’ names and to do so correctly.
A good book — like Alma and How She Got her Name — can go a long way in helping explain that to kids in an age-appropriate and relatable way.
“In this story, Alma is concerned about her name and she talks to her dad about their history, their identity, and the importance of each and every one of our names,” Jen says of this reading pick. “We love using this as a springboard to talk about our own names, identity, and what makes us who we are as a getting to know you activity!”
Bonus: Juana Martinez-Neal was born in Peru, and her book is also available in Spanish asAlma y cómo obtuvo su nombre!
Why not have students complete this Getting to Know You T-Shirt after reading this book?
3. Our Class is a Familyby Shannon Olsen
Can you believe this book was only published in 2020? It feels like it’s popping up in every classroom and on every back-to-school reading list! That may be because it was written by a teacher — Shannon Olsen has spent more than 15 years teaching the second grade, and her book Our Class is a Family is a perfect way to teach kids that their new classroom is a safe space where they can feel they will be accepted by their teacher and their peers and that they should do the same for their classmates.
Create an inclusive All About Me – Beehive Bulletin Board Displaywith your students after reading this story.
4.Soar byHillary Daecher
Soar is another book that’s pretty new to bookshelves, but the story of a hummingbird named Ramone who is very nervous about taking his first flight resonated with the teachers on the Teach Starter team! The story of overcoming your fears is a good one for younger children who are uneasy about starting school or even heading back in after a long period of time out of the classroom.
After reading this story, children could complete this I’m a Proud Peaco*ck Because… Craft Activity Template where they are encouraged to think of all the ways they are smart.
5.What If Everybody Did That? by Ellen Javernick
Every year teacherAndrea Burns reads What If Everybody Did That? when going over expectations and rules with her students on the first day of school. “The book talks about a world where everybody broke the rules,” Burns explains. “The story teaches the kiddos about what if everybody decided to obey the rules?? It would make the world become a much better place. The illustrations are beautiful and hilarious and it paints a picture for kids to show them the consequences of thoughtless and mindless actions and behaviors.”
To open up further discussion about consequences, use these Classroom Behavior Discussion Cards to help students think about what a positive learning environment looks like, sounds like, and feels like.
6.The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
First-grade teacher Audra Spath has read The Kissing Hand on the first day of school every year for the past 10 years, and it’s a mainstay in her classroom. The story follows Chester Raccoon on his first day of school. Nervous about leaving his mom, Chester learns about the family secret “the kissing hand” from Mrs. Raccoon. To accompany the book, Spath sends each child home with a cut-out of their hand with a Hershey’s Kiss in the middle!
This hand and heart template would work well with a chosen activity to pair with The Kissing Hand.
7. The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
Fourth-grade teacher Jessica Nemet of Arizona loves readingThe Name Jar by Yangsook Choi on the first day of school. Here’s what she told Teach Starter: “Especially if you have students who are new to the school, this helps students make connections to peers they thought they may not have had something in common with. It also is a story that encourages acceptance of others, which is a great way to set the tone for an inclusive classroom community throughout the school year.”
After reading this story, why not have students complete an All About Me – Desk Plate.
First Day Books About the Importance of Kindness
Boy in the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Rauf
A book for children aged 8 years or older that explores a child’s perspective on the refugee crisis, this story highlights the importance of friendship and kindness — two themes perfect for the first days of school and all year through.
Wherever You Are, Whoever You Are by Sandra Martin
Need a book that focuses on reminding children to be kind and how important it is to be kind? This Sandra Martin tale is perfect for setting the tone for the new school year.
Why not ask students to write about all the ways they can “stick with kindness” this school year with a kindness activity perfect for first through third students? This simple template is one teacher Miss March told us opened up “great discussions” in her classroom, and it’s sure to do the same in yours! Print the kindness activity template here.
Thanks to teacher Miss March for this photo of the template in action!
Fill a Bucket by Katherine Martin
This is a delightful book to teach kids how to experience the joy of giving and receiving. It introduces the concept of the invisible bucket.
The Sunflower Sword by Mark Sperring
This beautiful tale teaches kids that fighting is not the best alternative and that an enemy can become a friend. It makes a great set-up to talk about conflict resolution.
Get started with our free conflict resolution poster!
Have You Filled Your Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud
This book teaches young readers a valuable lesson about giving, sharing and caring using the visual of a bucket that is filled up. It’s a great way to help students visualize something that is not tangible and can be hard for little ones to understand.
More Read-Alouds for the First Day of School
Need more ideas? Here are some favorites from the teachers on the Teach Starter team to read aloud that first day or week!
- The Teacher From the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler — This silly book about how a student can turn their teacher into a monster is one we love to read with some small modifications. Change the character names to school staff for extra laughs!
- The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds — International Dot Day falls in September every year, so you may already have this popular book on your first-day-of-school reading lost. Or maybe not! The book is all about promoting students’ creativity and encourages them to make their own mark on the world.
- The Best Part of Me by Wendy Ewald — This book touches on themes of identity, diversity, self love, empathy and building community, making it perfect for setting the right tone for the new school year.
- First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg — Sarah Jane Hartwell is starting over at a new school and is scared. Mr. Hartwell spends the morning encouraging Sara Jane to get ready and go to school. Mrs. Burton steps in and helps smooth the way. This is the perfect book to read if you have a lot of students who are new to the school in your classroom. Let your students know it’s OK to feel nervous on the first day of school with a book that lets them know everyone feels jitters every once in a while!
- The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson — This New York Times bestselling book isalso available in Spanish, asEl Día En Que Descubres Quién Eres.
