My baby is starting Kindergarten this year! ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ I plan on reading The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn the night before school starts.
School is starting in the forest, but Chester Raccoon does not want to go. To help ease Chester’s fears, Mrs. Raccoon shares a family secret called the Kissing Hand to give him the reassurance of her love any time his world feels a little scary. Since its first publication in 1993, this heartwarming book has become a children’s classic that has touched the lives of millions of children and their parents, especially at times of separation, whether starting school, entering daycare, or going to camp. It is widely used by kindergarten teachers on the first day of school. Stickers at the back will help children and their parents keep their Kissing Hand alive.
On the first day of school, I always read First Day Jitters by Julie Love to my 3rd graders.
Everyone knows that sinking feeling in the pit of the stomach just before diving into a new situation. Sarah Jane Hartwell is scared and doesn’t want to start over at a new school. She doesn’t know anybody, and nobody knows her. It will be awful. She just knows it. With much prodding from Mr. Hartwell, Sarah Jane reluctantly pulls herself together and goes to school. She is quickly befriended by Mrs. Burton, who helps smooth her jittery transition. This charming and familiar story will delight readers with its surprise ending.
Here are some other wonderful books to read before school starts back from summer break. Just click on the book. 🙂
I Love You All Day Long by Fancesca Rusackas is a favorite in our house. The main characters name is Owen!
Owen’s anxious question prompts this heartwarming, comforting tale of how a parent’s love stays with a child whether they are together or apart — all day long.
The Night Before Kindergarten by Natasha Wings.
It’s the first day of school! Join the kids as they prepare for kindergarten, packing school supplies, posing for pictures, and the hardest part of all–saying goodbye to Mom and Dad. But maybe it won’t be so hard once they discover just how much fun kindergarten really is! Colorful illustrations illuminate this uplifting takeoff on the classic Christmas poem.
Pout-Pout Fish Goes to School by Deborah Diesen.
Mr. Fish is nervously awaiting his first day of school, and he frets about not knowing how to write his name, how to draw shapes, and how to do math―until he’s reassured that school is the perfect place to learn how to master all of these new skills, in Pout-Pout Fish Goes to School from Deborah Diesen and Dan Hanna.
Splat the CAt Back to School Splat! By Rob Scotton.
It’s the first day of school and there’s only time for Splat to share one of his summer adventures with the class. Will it be the time he went searching for pirate treasure? Or the time he went swimming with sharks in the ocean? But before the end of the day, Splat knows exactly what to talk about—and it’s the biggest surprise of all!
Back-to-School Rules by Laurie Friedman.
School’s in session! When it comes to surviving school, Percy’s at the head of the class. If you can follow his ten simple rules, making the grade will be a piece of cake (and school will be a lot of fun). But there’s more to school than showing up on time and staying awake in class. If you have any doubts, Percy also shows exactly what not to do.
What’s your favorite back to school books?
As the standardized tests creeps closer I have been adding more independent reading passages into the school day. While I understand that test strategies are not the most interesting thing in the world, it is a necessity. I have found over the last few days that throwing in a brain break about every 45 minutes has really improved my students attention and added some motivation. 
