These books about starting school are a great way for students to get excited about reading and the upcoming school year! Whether you’re feeling anxious about starting a new grade or even at a new school (or your student is), these reads are sure to put some fears at ease and point out things to be excited for. A fresh start can be scary, but it can also present so many opportunities!
Read on for books about starting a new grade that’ll catapult any young reader into a school year packed with reading.
Books About Starting School: Elementary Grades
Younger elementary students being nervous about starting a new school year is far from being a unique experience. These early years introduce big changes into a child’s life, and they’re also some of the most vital years to start developing critical reading (and math) skills. Luckily, there are so many books out there that can help a young student navigate the start of a new year.
Fiction Books About Starting Kindergarten
These books have been used for years as effective tools to get kids a little more excited (or, at least, a little less nervous) about starting school! Animal protagonists tend to have that effect…
Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come by Nancy Carlson
Henry, a positive mouse with a big heart, looked forward to Kindergarten with excitement! Once he got there, however, the nervousness started to set in. In Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come, students will see how he got right back to his excited self, teaching them to lean on the people around them when they need help.
We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins
It’s Penelope the dinosaur’s first day of school and she has a lot to learn; mainly that human classmates are not food! Her desire to make friends is hindered by her appetite for people, and she must learn that looking delicious is not an invitation to get eaten. Students find We Don’t Eat Our Classmates charming and funny, and it helps them learn how to treat one another with respect.
Reading for Students Starting 1st-3rd Grade
Young students are all at different reading levels, so here are some exciting stories about starting school in both picture book and chapter book format!
Hello World! by Kelly Corrigan
Perfect as a read-along for first graders, Hello World! is about the beauty that comes in new beginnings—especially meeting new people! In the first few weeks of a new grade, students meet so many new people. Their classmates and teachers may be an intimidating cast of characters to meet for some, but there is so much value in community. Hello World! reminds students of how the people we meet make us better people!
Harry Versus the First 100 Days of School by Emily Jenkins
Looking for a chapter book for first graders instead of a picture book? One of the best fiction books about starting school in early elementary, especially for students who want to breeze through chapters, is Harry Versus the First 100 Days of School—in fact, to immerse students in the 100 days, it’s composed of 100 short passages. (If students don’t want to rush through, they can follow along as they finish their own first 100 days of first grade!)
Henry is a sweet kid, nervous about the year ahead. An informative, funny read about his start to first grade, the exciting illustrations and page-turning plot will leave any kid ready for the school year ahead!
Our Class is a Family by Shannon Olsen
Written by a longtime second grade teacher, Our Class is a Family encourages students to grow comfortable with their school community. Family isn’t just your relatives—it’s the group of people who will support you and accept you for who you are, and that can include classrooms! With adorable illustrations and wholesome, positive messaging, this picture book will help any student feel more comfortable in their new classroom.
Our Class is a Family is also a great opportunity for a reading comprehension activity to start off the year. Ask students what they think about the message, and consider what commitments they can make to one another to be a happy, supportive family.
Kelsey Green, Reading Queen by Claudia Mills
Competitive third-graders will love Kelsey Green, Reading Queen! When the principal of her school announces a reading contest at the start of the year among all the classrooms, Kelsey Green (the self-proclaimed best reader in 3rd grade) is ecstatic to lead her classroom to come out on top. However, some of her classmates aren’t as proficient at reading as she is. What should she do when she’s so ahead of the kids around her? Are her peers letting her down—and what can she do about it?
The message of Kelsey Green, Reading Queen is to use your skills to help those around you—especially the peers you’ll spend a whole school year with! Students will love this story and (hopefully!) catch the reading bug from Kelsey!
Books to Read for Starting 4th–5th Grade
For many students, the new beginning each school year is always nerve-wracking, even if they’ve already experienced so many new beginnings. These reads are great for young readers preparing for a new school year—and middle school in the near future.
Somebody on This Bus Is Going to Be Famous by J.B. Cheaney
Nine students ride Mrs. B’s school bus every morning and every evening. These are ordinary kids—but, for one of them, they will become famous by the end of the year. From diva Shelly to little genius Spencer, all 9 students’ perspectives are dissected to uncover the mystery in Somebody on This Bus Is Going to Be Famous.
This book spans a whole school year, so starting it as you start your own year is a great way for a student to both feel immersed in the story and anticipate the coming months of their life. Readers love the mystery and the way these students work together to uncover the truth: which of them will be a household name by summer break?
Save Me a Seat by Gita Vardarajan & Sarah Weeks
Ravi just moved to Hamilton, New Jersey from his hometown in India. Joe, who has lived there all his life, just had his two best friends move away. Over the course of a week, these lonely fifth graders find a friend in each other as they grapple with the struggles of a new school year.
Told in chapters that alternate perspectives across five sections, one for each day of the week, Save Me a Seat shows how these two completely different kids become friends, beginning a week-long journey to find agency in their lives. Readers love the completely distinct points of view and the fun, heartwarming conversations between Ravi and Joe.
Books About Starting Middle School
The transition from elementary to middle school is an enormous shift. If you need a read to propel you (or your child) into this upcoming year at a new school and pace of learning, these books are beloved stories about starting middle school.
Planet Middle School by Nikki Grimes
Joylin is a classic “tomboy” who enjoys wearing baggy clothes and playing basketball with her best friend Jake, living her true self despite others’ expectations of her as a girl. However, the world around her starts to change when she enters middle school—and so does she. Her friends start flirting with her guy friends, her guy friend treats her differently, and she develops a crush on a classmate. While these are all typical puberty-fueled phenomena, Joy feels like her world is flipped upside down.
Nikki Grimes uses verse to describe snapshots of Joylin’s first year in middle school, from how she sees the changing people around her to how she blossoms into her true self. Students will grow an appreciation for poetry with the help of Planet Middle School, which shows how verse can uniquely convey a story in a way regular prose cannot.
Old School by Gordon Korman
Imagine going to school in a retirement community. Well, this happened to Dexter Foreman for his first six years of schooling. When he’s forced to start attending a public school, he sticks out of the crowd for his—let’s just say, “wise demeanor”. Truthfully, he behaves and dresses like the older folks who taught him for the past six years, and it’ll take a lot for him to get comfortable at his new middle school. Will he assimilate into the crowd—or will he leverage the skills he picked up from his elders to improve the school itself?
This hilarious read is perfect for any student transferring to a new school, moving from homeschooling to public school, or even just starting sixth grade. Old School shows that everyone brings something to the table that can improve the world around them.
7th and 8th Grade–Level Books About Starting School
After the notoriously nerve-racking year of grade six, students tend to find middle school less intimidating than it was before. However, high school is right around the corner, and that means increasingly intense schooling & obligations start in 7th & 8th grade. These books can help students navigate those struggles while enjoying a fun, middle-grade story.
Focused by Alyson Gerber
All students have to juggle schoolwork, family responsibilities, extracurriculars, and more… but doing so is harder for some than others. This is the case for Clea, who finds herself overwhelmed as she adjusts to seventh grade. She wants to get good grades and hang out with her friends and succeed in chess club, but every time she gets the ball rolling on something, she gets distracted and pivots to something else. Her frazzled path through everyday life leaves consequences in its wake—made especially visible in her grades.
When her parents take her to get tested after another failed test, Clea learns she has ADHD, answering her questions about the way her brain functions but posing a new one: how is she supposed to get it all done when she cannot focus? Focused is an excellent read for any middle grade student, especially those feeling overwhelmed at the many changes of a new school year.
Liar, Liar: The Theory, Practice and Destructive Properties of Deception by Gary Paulsen
Kevin prides himself on his ability to lie, and he does so without shame. White lies here and there to protect others and himself from difficult situations are okay, right? They make life easier, so they cause no harm… until they do. When he gets caught in his web of lies to everyone around him—his friends, parents, and teachers—Kevin must learn how to become truthful.
A short, fun read with a strong message, Liar, Liar is a succinct, cautionary tale to start a school year off right. Students who like this read will be pleased to know: there are five more in this series!
How to Improve Reading Skills in Elementary & Middle Schoolers
We hope these books about starting school have motivated you (or your students) to start the year with a positive outlook and a penchant for reading! The window of August through October is a prime time to get into the habit of reading for fun, which can do wonders to improve students’ ELA and comprehension abilities. If you’re looking for ELA help for this upcoming school year, Piqosity has the tools for you to succeed!
Along with our online test prep for the ACT, ISEE, and Digital SAT, we offer full courses for 5-11th grade Math and English. Each ELA course includes dozens of concept lessons, personalized practice software, and over 100 reading comprehension passages.
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The best part? You can try out all of Piqosity’s features with our free community account, which feature a free mini diagnostic exam to evaluate your current ELA skills. When you’re ready to upgrade, Piqosity’s year-long accounts start at only $89.
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