Last Updated: January 16, 2026
Goodnight School
by Catherine Bailey
As the sun sets, a security guard arrives to help this sleepy little school get some rest. From tucking in chairs to checking all the locks to listening to the silverware snoring, she makes her moonlit rounds. One by one, the lights are turning off and everyone is turning in. Well, everyone except for the turtle from 2A. Will this escapee make it back to bed on time? Bailey’s lusciously lyrical and dreamy story expertly peels back the curtain for the littlest readers who ever wondered what happens to school at night.
Look How Much I’ve Grown in Kindergarten!
by Vera Ahiyya
Kindergartener Mason learns there are lots of different ways to grow.
First Day, Hooray!
by June Sobel
This back-to-school picture book follows a group of kids as they learn to identify and process the wide range of feelings they bring on the first day of school.
Sister Friend
by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
Ameena feels invisible. Ever since she arrived at her new school, kids look at her like she’s something strange. Is it because of the twists in her hair or her brown skin? Then, one day, there’s a new new girl in class. Ameena wants to be her friend, but she can’t seem to find the right words–until one day, when the girls find the words together.
The First Week of School
by Drew Beckmeyer
An ensemble cast of characters in one classroom experience the first week of school, including one unexpected visitor.
Gloriana, Presente: A First Day of School Story
by Alyssa Reynoso-Morris
Gloriana overcomes anxiety on her first day of school and finds her voice in the classroom.
The World’s Best Class Plant
by Liz Garton Scanlon and Audrey Vernick
A class that is terribly disappointed in their lack of a class pet discovers that having a class plant is the best thing ever.
William is Loading…
by Connie Colwell Miller
William, who is autistic, processes speech slowly and has trouble making friends at school until he and his teacher come up with a plan to help the other kids understand that he just needs a little extra time.
School = La Escuela
by Mary Berendes
Texto y dibujos sencillos enseñan a los lectores las palabras para los sentimientos y emociones en inglés y español. Simple text and illustrations teach readers common words they use and encounter every day.
Do I Belong Here? = ¿Es Este Mi Lugar?
by René Colato Laínez
Award-winning children’s book author Ren Colato Laníez teams up again with illustrator Fabricio Vanden Broeck to explore the experiences of newcomers in U.S. schools and affirm that yes! They do belong here.