As children head back to school, smaller kids heading to Kindergarten for the first time may be feeling anxiety. To get them ready for the moment, consider reading one or more of these books. They are heartwarming tales about little ones who are nervous about going to school for the first time but who overcome their fears.
One of my faves is Princess Cupcake Jones Won’t Go to School by Ylleya Fields and illustrated by Michael LaDuca.
It is a very nice storybook tale about a young princess who comes up with a laundry list of tricks to avoid going to school the first day.
None work, but by the end she realizes quickly that school wouldn’t be bad after all. The illustrations are modern and colorful and bring Fields story to life. Personally, it reminds me of my 7-year old daughter who had to start a new school mid year recently and was also nervous about doing so.
Like Cupcake Jones in this book, my daughter too made friends on the first day and quickly adapted.
Here are eleven other books to consider nabbing for your kids or gifting to a child you know in your life who is heading to school for the first time this year:
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Not This Bear: A First Day of School Story
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Maisy Goes to Preschool: A Maisy First Experiences Book
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I Will Never Get a Star on Mrs. Benson’s Blackboard, by Jennifer K. Mann
I Will Never Get a Star on Mrs. Benson’s Blackboard
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Maple & Willow Apart, by Lori Nichols
Maple & Willow Apart
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Monkey: Not Ready for Kindergarten, by Marc Brown
Monkey: Not Ready for Kindergarten
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First Grade Dropout, by Audrey Vernick
First Grade Dropout
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Eva and Sadie and the Best Classroom EVER! by Jeff Cohen
Eva and Sadie and the Best Classroom EVER!
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The Berenstain Bears Get Ready for School, by Mike Berenstain
The Berenstain Bears Get Ready for School
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Birdie’s First Day of School, by Sujean Rim
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Totally Tardy Marty, by Erica S. Perl
Totally Tardy Marty