Back to School!

School has started for most children in the area.  Check out one of these great school stories.  Here's a few of our favorites . . . .

Matilda by Roald Dahl
Matilda applies her untapped mental powers to rid the school of the evil, child-hating headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, and restore her nice teacher, Miss Honey, to financial security.

School Spirit by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel

Like her mother, a professional medium, Kat has been able to see dead people since turning thirteen, and although they would prefer to be normal, Kat and her best friend come to terms with their own talents while helping free the spirit of a girl trapped at their middle school.

The School Mouse by Dick King-Smith

Flora, the world's most educated mouse, saves her family during a crisis.

More Books --

In Honor of Broken Things by Paul Acampora

Lights, Camera, Middle School by Jennifer L. Holm

Never Glue Your Friends to Chairs by Katherine Applegate

The New Kid at School by Kate McMullan
Restart by Gordon Korman

Scary School by Derek Kent

School Daze by Nick Bruel

The School for Whatnots by Margaret Peterson Haddix

The School Is Alive by Jack Chabert
School of the Dead by Avi

Spy School by Stuart Gibbs
Zoo School by Laurie Miller Hornik

Celebrating Schools & Teachers

 This week, we are sharing picture books stories about schools and teachers.  Here's a few of our favorites . . . .

School's First Day of School by Adam Rex

It's the first day of school at Frederick Douglass Elementary and everyone's just a little bit nervous, especially the school itself.

Dinosaur vs. School by Bob Shea

Fearless Dinosaur takes on new challenges as he starts preschool, from meeting new friends to pasting glitter and googly eyes, but one task requires assistance from everyone.

Miss Nelson Is Missing! by Harry Allard

The kids in Room 207 take advantage of their teacher's good nature until she disappears and they are faced with a vile substitute.

Mr. S by Monica Arnaldo

It was the first day of school. But even the kindergarteners of room 2B could tell something was seriously wrong . . . Where was the teacher? Who left this sandwich on the desk? The only clue, written neatly on the chalkboard, was the name: Mr. S.

Moses Goes to School by Isaac Millman

Moses and his friends enjoy the first day of school at their special school for the deaf and hard of hearing, where they use sign language to talk to each other.

More Books --

Author Day for Room 3T by Robin Pulver

Back to School, Backpack! by Simon Rich

Bear's School Day by Stella Blackstone

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

Dad's First Day by Mike Wohnoutka

Field Trip to the Moon by John Hare

First Day Critter Jitters by Jory John

I Am Absolutely Too Small for School by Lauren Child

If I Built a School by Chris Van Dusen

The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes

Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Are You Going to School? by Bill Martin

Little Rabbit Goes to School by Harry Horse

Miss Fox's Class Gets It Wrong by Eileen Spinelli

Mission: Back to School: Top Secret Info by Morag Hood

Monsters Love School by Mike Austen

My Teacher Is a Monster! (No, I Am Not) by Peter Brown

Ninja Boy Goes to School by Nathan D. Wilson

Once Upon an Ordinary School Day by Colin McNaughton

Our Classroom Rules! by Kallie George

Picture Day Perfection by Deborah Diesen

The Pigeon Has to Go to School! by Mo Willems

School Is Wherever I Am by Ellie Peterson

Stanley's School by William Bee

Superhero vs. School by Ethan Long

Take Your Octopus to School Day by Audrey Vernick

The Teachers from the Black Lagoon and Other Stories by Mike Thaler

This Is a School by John Schu

We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

School Stories

It's time for school!  This week, I'm sharing stories to read about school . . . .

Wayside Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
Humorous episodes from the classroom on the thirtieth floor of Wayside School, which was accidentally built sideways with one classroom on each story.

The School Mouse by Dick King-Smith

Flora the mouse learns how to read, a skill not even her parents appreciate. When she finds a bag marked, "poison," she must convince them that reading is very important.

School of the Dead by Avi

Starting at the Penda School after his uncle's death, Tony Gilbert starts seeing his uncle's ghost everywhere.

Operation Frog Effect by Sarah Lynn Scheerger

Ms. Graham's fifth-grade class wants to promote change in the world; but when eight of them take an assignment too far, they must take responsibility for their actions and unite for a cause they all believe in.

More School Stories --

Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon by Paula Danziger

Archimancy: Shadow School by J.A. White

From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess by Meg Cabot

The Landry News by Andrew Clements

The Only Girl in School by Natalie Standiford

Pennybaker School Is Headed for Disaster by Jennifer Brown

The School for the Insanely Gifted by Dan Elish

School for Sidekicks by Kelly McCullough

Spy School by Stuart Gibbs

The Unlucky Lottery Winners of Classroom 13 by Honest Lee

The World According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney

Zoo School by Laurie Miller Hornik

School Time!

The school year has started (or is about to) for most kids.  So this week, I'm sharing some of my favorite picture books about school . . . .

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
Chrysanthemum loves her name, until she starts going to school and the other children make fun of it.

I'm Smart by Kate McMullan
Depicts a super-smart school bus that uses its savvy to navigate the roads in super-safe ways while transporting kids to and from school.

Moses Goes to School by Isaac Millman
Moses and his friends enjoy the first day of school at their special school for the deaf and hard of hearing, where they use sign language to talk to each other.

Dinosaur vs. School by Bob Shea
Fearless Dinosaur takes on new challenges as he starts preschool, from meeting new friends to pasting glitter and googly eyes, but one task requires assistance from everyone.

Here Comes Teacher Cat by Deborah Underwood
Cat is not so keen on stepping in as substitute teacher at Kitty School, but he's surprised by how much he's able to teach the kittens--and how much he learns from them.


More School Stories --
ABC School's for Me! by Susan B. Katz
Baloney (Henry P.) by Jon Scieszka
Carmen Learns English by Judy Cox
A Day at School by Severine Cordier
A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Creech
Fiona's Little Accident by Rosemary Wells
Flight School by Lita Judge
Hands Off, Harry! by Rosemary Wells
I Am Absolutely Too Small for School by Lauren Child
If an Elephant Went to School by Ellen Fischer
If You Take a Mouse to School by Laura Numeroff
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Are You Going to School? by Bill Martin Jr.
The Miss Nelson Collection by Harry Allard
Mission: Back to School by Susan Hood
Not This Bear by Alyssa Capucilli
On the First Day of First Grade by Tish Rabe
One Happy Classroom by Charnan Simon
The Pigeon Has to Go to School by Mo Willems
Shrinking Violet by Cari Best
The Smushy Bus by Leslie Helakoski
Teacher! Sharing, Caring, Helping by Patricia Hubbell
Too Shy for Show-and-Tell by Beth Bracken
Turtle's Penguin Day by Valeri Gorbachev
When You Go to Kindergarten by James Howe
You Can't Go to School Naked! by Dianne Billstrom

Check these and more school stories out on display at the Arnold Branch through September 6, 2019.

Real Friends by Shannon Hale

Shannon and Adrienne have been best friends since the start of school.  But one day, Adrienne becomes friends with Jen.  Now, they are all part of The Group, a circle of girls that are friends.  Everyone wants to be next to leader Jen and some of girls will even bully the others to get to that coveted position.

Now every day is a roller coaster for Shannon.  Will she and Adrienne stay friends?  Can she stand up for herself?  And is she part of The Group -- or not?



This graphic novel memoir by author Shannon Hale is really well done.  It accurately portrays how it feels when your friends start to abandon you and when a former friend becomes an enemy.  It also incorporates OCD in children without forcing the issue.  The symptoms are merely mentioned at times without any commentary.  I would highly recommend this to grade school girls to read.

Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl is the world famous author of children's books such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG, and James and the Giant Peach.  But he started out as a young boy growing up in Wales and England.

In this memoir, the author recalls stories from his childhood including his time at boarding school, his summer vacations in Norway, and his large family of brothers and sisters.  The stories are interesting and humorous.  Dahl does a great job of highlighting how things have changed since the 1920s and 1930s when he was growing up.

I would highly recommend this biography for anyone who has enjoyed Dahl's stories for children.  It is a great audiobook for those who would like to listen to the stories.  It is narrated by Dan Stevens, the Beast in Disney's live-action movie Beauty and the Beast.

A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck

Mary Alice and her brother have spent summers with her Grandma Dowdel in the past.  Now, however, she's spending a whole year by herself with Grandma while her father looks for work and her brother is out west working on a WPA job.  She doesn't know what to expect from the hick town or her outspoken grandma.  All she knows is that is going to be an unusual year like nothing she's ever known before.

This sequel to the Newbery Medal book A Long Way From Chicago shares a year in the life of sixteen year old Mary Alice in a small southern Illinois town.  The stories are full of hometown characters and humor.  Grandma Dowdel is a woman unlike anybody else and one that you definitely want to get to know.  The audio version would be great for a family car trip.

The Teacher's Funeral: A Comedy in Three Parts by Richard Peck

Russell Culver, 15 years old, is raring to light out for the Dakotas to join one of the team of harvesters working the new 1904 all-steel Case Special threshing machine.  The only thing standing in his way is school.

Lucky for him, his teacher just dropped dead weeks before the start of school.  Hopefully, the school board will decide there aren't enough students to hire another teacher and keep the school open.

No such luck.  Russell and his schoolmates are about to get the teacher of their nightmares -- Russell's sister Tansy.

Despite stolen supplies, vandalism, privy fires, and snakes, Russell discovers the new school year isn't as bad as he first thought.  In fact, it might just give him a new dream.



This is another great historical book from Richard Peck looking at rural Indiana in 1904.  Readers will enjoy hearing how people thought differently about education years ago.  This would be a great book for boys to read.

NIchijou: My Ordinary Life by Keiichi Arawi

Their school is just like yours -- except for the robot student built by a mad scientist.

They deal with normal problems like forgetting their homework -- except for the rogue deer fought off by the principal.

Yes, their school life is just like yours . . .





This manga series is a collection of short episodes in the life of several students at an "ordinary" Japanese high school.  The humorous stories are appropriate for all ages and would be a good pick for younger manga readers.

School-Live, v. 1 by Sadoru Chiba & Norimitsu Kaihou

Meet the members of the School Live Club!  There's shovel-loving Kurumi, big sister figure Yuuri, club advisor Megumi, and ever optimistic Yuki.  They're just your average after-school organization where the girls hang out, have fun . . . and live at school as the sole survivors of a zombie apocalypse.

This manga series definitely follows the dystopian trend of high school students surviving an apocalypse.  In this case, it is four girls trying to survive at their school after everyone else has been turned into zombies.  The first volume introduces the characters and their personalities.  It gives hints as to what has happened without revealing anything.  This would be a great series for those who like zombies, dystopian, or school stories.

Horimiya, v. 1 by Hero

At school, Kyouko Hori is pretty and popular, but at home she is a plain jane homebody.  On the other hand, her classmate Izumi Miyamura is known at school as a gloomy fanboy when he's really tattooed and pierced outside of school.  When these two meet outside of school a friendship is started -- a friendship where they keep each other's secrets about their true personalities.

This is a fun manga series about two odd duckling classmates that discover true friendship with each other.  This would be a great manga for anybody who enjoys realistic school and friendship stories.

The Best Man by Richard Peck

Archer Magill has three heroes in his life -- his architect grandpa, his car remodeler dad, and his cool Uncle Paul.  Then during his fifth grade year he meets his fourth hero -- teacher Mr. McLeod.  That's the year his class and teacher become celebrities.  That's the year his life starts to change in big ways and he'll need all four of those heroes to help him through.

This is a simple everyday story of a boy's life.  It is a great book for boys as it focuses on the wonderful role models and heroes he has in his life.  I would highly recommend this chapter book for all boys to read.

Scary School by Derek the Ghost

Scary School is the first school of its kind -- a school that accepts both monster kids along with regular human children.  There are zombies, vampires, werewolves, and even a ghost who narrates this story.

Derek the Ghost is going to tell you about one of the most exciting years ever at Scary School -- the year they are selected to host the Ghoul Games.

The Ghoul Games are an annual competition between the various schools for monsters.  This is the first time a school with regular children are invited to participate.  They can't wait for the fun to begin.

Only there is a new rule.  This year the winners' prize is to eat the losers.



This book by Derek Kent is great for kids who like their horror to also be funny.  There is a lot of humor in this book.  It's also the first book in a series, so check out the other books also.

Away We Go by Emil Ostrovski

All they do at Westing is make things up.  Maybe aliens infected all the children.  Maybe the Peter Pan virus is a punishment from God.  Maybe their memories will be downloaded in chips.  Maybe they'll just sit in a bed until they die.

Noah is at Westing boarding school / treatment center for teens with the Peter Pan virus.  All they know is they won't live to graduate.  They're just trying to make the best of the time they have left . . . .


This tearjerker for teens was a great read.  You really grow to care for Noah and the other teens at the center.

Hollow Fields by Madeleine Rosca

Lucy is on her way to Saint Galbat's Academy for Young Ladies when she gets lost in the woods.  Somehow she finds her way to the school -- but the wrong school.  It is Miss Weaver's Academy for the Scientifically Gifted and Ethically Unfettered -- otherwise known as Hollow Fields.

It seems like the perfect school at first with huge private rooms and scrumptious meals prepared to order.  However, Lucy quickly discovers that it is a school for mad scientists.  The worst part though is that the student with the lowest grades each week is sent to detention . . . and is never seen again!



This is an interesting graphic novel for older kids and teens.  Lucy is a great character who never seems to lose her optimism.  The school and teachers are appropriately creepy.  A great read for those wanting a few chills with their reading.

Afterschool Charisma series by Kumiko Suekane

St. Kleio Academy is a school for the clones of some of the most famous and notorious people throughout history.  Its students include the clones of Florence Nightingale, Adolf Hitler, Joan of Arc, Sigmund Freud, and many more.

Shira Kamiya is the only human among the entire student class.  But is he really all that different from all of the teenage clones?


This is a manga series for those who like history -- especially reading about famous figures from the past.  The personalities of the clones and their interactions are a great part of the story.

The Only Girl in School by Natalie Standiford

Claire has never minded being outnumbered by the boys in her school.  In fact, she's good friends with many of them.  Until the year, she is the only girl in the entire school.  Suddenly, the boys are all either ignoring her or mercilessly picking on her.  How is she going to survive an entire school year as the only girl in the school?


This story, told through Claire's letters to her best friend who moved away, is fun to read.  The dynamics between the boys and girl are realistic for their ages.  A great story for both girls and boys to read.

Pilfer Academy by Lauren Magaziner

George has just been kidnapped by men in an ice cream truck.  They take him to Pilfer Academy -- the premiere school for training master thieves.

George excels at Pilfer Academy.  He had always gotten into trouble before for his sneaking, cons, thievery, and mischief.  Now he gets all As in those exact subjects.  He loves the school.

Then he goes on his mid-term and discovers that he's too nice to be a thief.
But what can he do?  Nobody ever leaves Pilfer Academy!



This was a wonderful story of a mischievious kid who learns that he is not as bad as he always thought he was.  The characters are hilariously wacky.  The plot is unbelievably fun.  This is a great story for both boys and girls.

Assassination Classroom by Yusei Matsui

Class 3-E is loser class.  The students have all been relegated there by their bad grades.  Their school life all takes place in a rundown building nearly a mile away from the main school.  They're looked down on by all the other students and teachers.

Then one day, they get a new teacher.  He appears to be an octopus-like monster.  They have one year to kill this monster before he destroys all of earth.

Can the students finally excel at their studies enough to kill the teacher and live to see another school year?

This is a wonderfully funny manga.  Although the topic of assassination figures into nearly every page of the story, it isn't gory or gratuitous.  The students are interesting and the teacher is fascinating.  A great series for teens.

The Year of Miss Agnes by Kirkpatrick Hill

Fred loves school.  Unfortunately, they can't keep a teacher at their small Alaskan school for more than two months.

Then Miss Agnes comes.

Miss Agnes loves to teach.  She makes learning fun.  She wins over the parents who don't see the need for their kids to attend school when they could be working with their family.  She makes Fred's sister attend school even though she is deaf.

Then Miss Agnes says she is homesick for England.  Will she stay more than just the one year?


This was a wonderful historical novel of growing up in Alaska.  It is a simple story focusing on Fred's time at school while still giving a lot of information about living in Alaska in 1948.  I would recommend this book for those who liked The Little House on the Prairie series and the Sarah, Plain and Tall books.