Last year, Darcy went from ecstatic about starting school to…not wanting to talk about it. Books were an amazing vehicle to talk about how we can have lots of feelings at once (excited and nervous), as well as to talk about what school is like and what she could expect. She eventually shared her concerns and it was so helpful to be able to talk through her fears before she started school.
This year, she’s just excited to get back to all of her friends and can’t wait to start. The two of us made homemade peanut butter and almond butter. I used the same method for each nut butter and added a bit of honey to each for a little sweetness.
Then we made some freezer jam. I made two batches–raspberry and mixed berry. I just substituted the strawberries. And I heated the berries and sugar over the stove until boiling and allowed to simmer for five minutes. Then I added the Certo. The stove step isn’t in the original recipe, but I get nervous that the jam won’t properly set.
The nut butters and jelly made for delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to pack up in her favorite bentgo. For extra fun, we like to use these sandwich stamps.
We’ve rounded up several favorite picture books that are great for showing what school is like, as well as for talking about feelings and how to process them.
Did we miss any? What are some of your favorite back-to-school books?
The Pigeon Has to Go to School by Mo Willems – the pigeon is scared to go to school…until he realizes all the great stuff he’ll get to do at school.
ABCs of Kindness by Patricia Hegarty, ill by Summer Macon. I hope everyone is kind to my children when they go to school. And I hope that they’re kind to all their classmates. This sweet boardbook is a great vehicle for finding different ways to be kind.
If You Take a Mouse to School by Laura Numeroff, ill by Felicia Bond. Discover a typical day at school with Mouse and his friend.
Simon Seahorse Into the Kelp Forest by Cora Reef, ill by Jake McDonald. While this beginner chapter book isn’t about starting school, so many of the books in this series show a typical day at school for Simon and his friends. Into the Kelp Forest is about Simon and his best friend who are determined to have the best presentation in their class.
I Am (Not) Scared by Anna Kang, ill by Christopher Weyant. Two friends must face their fears together. This book is a great vehicle for discussing kids fears and worries. We love the entire series.
Time for School, Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle, ill by Jill McElmurry. I have yet to meet a Little Blue Truck book that I didn’t love. Little Blue Truck has to get his friend Piggy to school on time!
Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes. Wemberly worries about everything, including starting school. But on her first day of school, she discovers she’s not the only student who felt worried.
The Crayons Go Back to School by Drew Daywalt, ill by Oliver Jeffers. The Crayons are heading back for a new year!
The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson, ill by Rafael Lopez. A beautiful story of a girl who starts a new school year feeling like she doesn’t fit in. But she discovers that she does have similarities with others in her class. A story of celebrating our similarities and our differences. This has been a favorite of ours for years. You can hear it read by Julie Andrews here!
Ruby Finds a Worry by Tom Percival. Ruby finds a worry. And it keeps growing and growing and growing. It follows her everywhere but nobody else seems to notice it. Then Ruby discovers that talking about her worry makes it shrink! This entire series by Tom Percival is excellent.
David Goes to School by David Shannon. David has lots of energy and gets up to plenty of mischief at school.
KINDergarten: Where Kindness Matters Every Day by Vera Ahiyya, ill by Joey Chou. Leo is nervous for Kindergarten and isn’t sure how he can make friends. With the help of his teacher and classmates, Leo discovers that he’s got a lot of kindness in him. I cannot recommend this book enough for kids starting Kindergarten!
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