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BOOK PICKS: BACK TO SCHOOL
By: Shannon Kaiser | September 2, 2022
For many kids and families September brings the start of school. Some are newly entering preschool and others are off to kindergarten. A great way to prepare your kids for new life adventures is to read stories as a way to talk about their new experiences and prepare them for the excitement and challenges they may face. There are so many amazing books about starting school but here are a few of my favorites. I hope you and your little student enjoy some time cuddling up and reading these fun books!
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK: A BACK TO SCHOOL BOOK FOR KIDS
By Alice Schertle // Illustrated by Jill McElmurry
Little Blue Truck and his good friend Toad are excited to meet a bright yellow school bus on the road. They see all the little animals lined up in the school bus’s many windows, and Blue wishes he could be a school bus too. What a fun job—but much too big for a little pickup like Blue. Or is it? When somebody misses the bus, it’s up to Blue to get his friend to school on time. Beep! Beep! Vroom!
Purchase the book through Amazon HERE.
THE PIGEON HAS TO GO TO SCHOOL!
By Mo Willems
Why does the Pigeon have to go to school? He already knows everything! And what if he doesn't like it? What if the teacher doesn't like him? What if he learns TOO MUCH!?!
Ask not for whom the school bell rings; it rings for the Pigeon!
Purchase the book through Amazon HERE.
CLICK, CLACK, QUACK TO SCHOOL!
By Doreen Cronin // Illustrated by Betsy Lewin
Farmer Brown has been invited to be a guest at the elementary school’s Farm Day! The animals excitedly practice their best classroom behavior: standing quietly in line, using their inside voices and learning how to share. But then they find out that farm animals aren’t actually allowed in school (who knew they were considered a health code violation?!). Rules are rules, so Farmer Brown goes to school solo—or so he thinks…for while our favorite barnyard bunch don’t get high marks in rules, they do excel in disguise.
Purchase the book through Amazon HERE.
DEAR TEACHER: A FUNNY BACK TO SCHOOL BOOK FOR KIDS ABOUT FIRST DAY JITTERS
By Amy Husband
Face your first day jitters with the perfect laugh-out-loud back to school comedy.
Can Michael's imagination save him from the first day of school?
Dear Teacher is a hilarious collection of letters from Michael to his new teacher explaining why he can't go to class. From traveling to the pyramids of Egypt to getting attacked by pirates and going to the moon in a rocket ship, each letter is increasingly outlandish and covered with Michael's incredibly funny sketches from his many "adventures."
When Michael's teacher writes back telling him how sorry she is that he'll miss all of the exciting school activities planned for the year, Michael realizes all the fun he'd really miss out on.
Purchase the book through Amazon HERE.
SORRY, GROWN-UPS, YOU CAN’T GO TO SCHOOL!
By Christina Gest // Illustrated by Tim Bowers
It's just another school morning...until Mom, Dad, Grandma, and even Bow-wow the dog BEG the kids to let them come to school, too! Dad can tie his own shoes--why can't he come? Mom is all ready with her brand-new backpack--she's allowed, right? No! Only kids and teachers!
Christina Geist's warm, interactive story is the perfect tool for parents of kids who are reluctant or nervous about going to school. The fun refrain--"Sorry, grown-ups! You can't go to school! Only kids and teachers! Only kids and teachers!"--brilliantly paints school as something exclusive and desirable...which kids can access! Tim Bowers's lively illustrations enhance the fun and heighten the hilarity. This is sure to be a back-to-school classic in many families and classrooms!
Purchase the book through Amazon Smile HERE.
Book Picks for Moms
MARY JANE: A NOVEL
By Jessica Anya Blau
Now that your kids are in school, take some time for yourself and enjoy the last days of summer with Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau.
In 1970s Baltimore, fourteen-year-old Mary Jane loves cooking with her mother, singing in her church choir, and enjoying her family’s subscription to the Broadway Showtunes of the Month record club. Shy, quiet, and bookish, she’s glad when she lands a summer job as a nanny for the daughter of a local doctor. A respectable job, Mary Jane’s mother says. In a respectable house.
The house may look respectable on the outside, but inside it’s a literal and figurative mess: clutter on every surface, Impeachment: Now More Than Ever bumper stickers on the doors, cereal and takeout for dinner. And even more troublesome (were Mary Jane’s mother to know, which she does not): the doctor is a psychiatrist who has cleared his summer for one important job—helping a famous rock star dry out. A week after Mary Jane starts, the rock star and his movie star wife move in.
Over the course of the summer, Mary Jane introduces her new household to crisply ironed clothes and a family dinner schedule, and has a front-row seat to a liberal world of sex, drugs, and rock and roll (not to mention group therapy). Caught between the lifestyle she’s always known and the future she’s only just realized is possible, Mary Jane will arrive at September with a new idea about what she wants out of life, and what kind of person she’s going to be.
Purchase the book through Amazon HERE.
Come chat about the book on the SMMC Book Club WhatsApp Group and join the Book Club Discussion over Zoom on September 22nd at 7pm. Register HERE >>
AMAZON SMILE
Help raise money for SMMC philanthropy projects by selecting Southern Marin Mothers’ Club as your AmazonSmile beneficiary. AmazonSmile is an easy way to give back and support the organization with your Amazon purchases. Register your Amazon account HERE.
Shannon Kaiser lives in Tiburon with her husband, Rolf, and three kids who are in 4th grade, 1st grade and Montessori. She spends her days chauffeuring her kids around town, folding laundry and listening to audiobooks. You can reach Shannon at smmcshannon@gmail.com.
More from this issue:
All Wrapped Up Read >>
Book Picks: Back to School Read >>
Do You Remember September? Read >>
Middle School Awaits Read >>
Never Too Early to Start Learning Read >>
PAASS: Project Awareness and Special Sports Read >>
Returning to School as an Adult? How to Fund Tuition Read >>
Stick to the Script Read >>
Stretching Summer's Vibes Into Fall Read >>
They Still Need You Read >>
Trust Your Gut Read >>
We Love Lizards! Read >>
What to Wear for Your Fall Family Photos Read >>