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Back to School Book Picks

3 Sep

Going back to school can bring a slew of emotions: anxiety, excitement, nervousness and more. The following titles show young readers that those feelings are normal and to be expected. And if you’re like any of these protagonists from our BCCLS catalog, back to school season could mean solving mysteries or going on adventures, too. 

Picturebooks 

Cover of Olu's Teacher: A Story About Preschool by Jamel C. Campbell and illustrated by Lydia Mba. Depicts a young black boy wearing a backpack holding an adult's hand.
Cover of David Goes to School by David Shannon. Depicts a drawing of a boy with a paper airplane in front of a blackboard.
Cover of El Dia En Que Descubres Quien Eres by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by Rafael Lopez. Features a drawing of a girl holding a book and peeking out from behind a door.

Olu’s Teacher: A Story about Starting Preschool by Jamel Carly Campbell (physical)
Olu is excited to see his friends at school but he’s not so sure about his teacher. What does a teacher even look like? What do they eat? Where do they live? This story by an early childhood educator will help to calm both children’s and adults’ nerves ahead of school starting. 

Olivia Wrapped in Vines by Maude Nepveu-Villenueve (physical)
Lots of situations make Olivia feel wrapped in vines: a line behind her when it’s her turn at the big slide, going to the dentist, and seeing a spider. But with the help of her teacher, she’s able to see herself without vines and realize maybe there isn’t so much to be afraid of. 

The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson (physical, e-audiobook on Libby, physical audiobook, ebook on Libby, disponible en español) 
When Rigoberto has his first day at school, he fears he might be the only one who’s different. As he’ll soon learn, he’s not the only one who feels that way. 

The Queen of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes (physical, eBook)
With her tiara in tow, MJ Malone is ready for her first day of kindergarten. At school, she helps her teacher and classmates have a great day. Check out the accompanying King of Kindergarten, too.

Your Name is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow (physical, ebook, physical audiobook)
This book celebrates the beauty and history behind names from around the world. These names deserve to be respected and celebrated. 

Truman by Jean Reidy (physical)
Told from the perspective of a tortoise on his owner’s first day of school, Truman explores all the excited and nervous feelings that come from big changes. 

Mr. S by Monica Arnaldo (physical)
The students in Baloney Elementary School’s class 2B are in for a surprise for their first day. Instead of finding a teacher, they see nothing at the front of the room but a sandwich. 

David Goes to School by David Shannon (physical, ebook)
Up to his usual antics, David shows newcomers how not to act on their first day at school .

Middle Grade 

Cover of Merci Suarez No Sabe Bailar by Meg Medina, winner of a Newbery Medal. Translation by Alexis Romay. Features an illustration of a girl standing in the foreground with children dancing in the background. A boy is walking towards her with his hand reaching out.
Cover of J vs. K by #1 Bestselling and Newberry Medal-Winning Authors Kwame Alexander and Jerry Craft. Shows drawing of two boys one with a paper and pencil and another holding a book facing each other.
My Presentation Today is About The Anaconda by Bibi Dumon Tak, illustrated by Annemarie Van Haeringen, tanslated by Nancy Forest-Flier. Features a drawing of a large green snake with black spots next to a pink earthworm.

One Time by Sharon Creech (physical, Hoopla eBook, Hoopla e-audiobook)
Gina Filomena has always felt different from other kids. That changes when she meets her new neighbor, Antonio. With the help of their new teacher, Miss Gladstone, Gina hopes to find out more about herself. 

Merci Suárez Can’t Dance by Meg Medina (physical, disponible en español)
Merci is about to begin her seventh grade year. She’s got a new crush, a strict science teacher, and a new job at the school store. One thing’s for certain: Merci still can’t dance.

Falling Short by Ernesto Cisneros (physical, ebook)
Entering sixth grade, Isaac is a basketball star who wants to improve his grades. His best friend, straight A-student Marco, wants to win his father’s approval by getting on the basketball team. They can’t risk falling short on their lofty goals.

Diary of a Fifth Grade Outlaw by Gina Loveless (physical) 
Robin Loxley is ready to rebel. The school bully’s already on a rampage and Robin still has to win back her best friend, Mary Ann. But there’s nothing this fifth grade outlaw can’t do.

My Presentation Today is About the Anaconda by Bibi Dumon Tak (physical, ebook)
School will almost certainly be full of presentations by humans for other humans, even when they’re talking about animals. This book flips the script, letting a zebra present on all black and white animals, and the mole tell you all about a daddy longlegs. Prepare to be entertained.

J vs K by Kwame Alexander and Jerry Craft (physical, ebook) 
Created by two real-life rivals, J vs K tells the story of two talented ten year olds who must decide whether to join forces or go head-to-head in their school’s annual storytelling contest.

Return to Sender by Vera Brosgol (physical)
Oliver isn’t a big fan of his new school. That is, until he finds a mysterious mail slot that grants his wishes after he slips them in. He soon discovers that the wishes don’t come for free and adventure ensues. 

Young Adult

Cover of Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes. Features a photograph of a teen surrounded by graffiti.
Cover of The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School, A National Bestseller, by Sonido Reyes. Drawing of a teen with long black braided hair wearing a school uniform surrounded by pink roses.
Cover of The Chandler Legacies by Abdi Nazemian. Features drawing of five teens in school uniforms sitting on a lawn front of a large building.

Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes (physical, Hoopla e-audiobook) 
Told by 18 different students, Bronx Masquerade highlights the diversity of Mr. Ward’s English class. In studying the Harlem Renaissance, the classmates learn more about one another. Check out the book’s companion Between the Lines by the same author.

Like Ability: The Truth about Popularity by Lori Getz (physical)
Perfect for high school, Like Ability breaks down the science of what makes people popular. This workbook encourages self-reflection and personal insight so teens can explore the role popularity plays in their lives. 

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson (physical, ebook, e-audiobook)
Stevie Bell is an amateur detective who may have a new case on her hands. After starting at a new private school, she learns that the founder’s wife and daughter were both kidnapped shortly after the school’s opening. Truly Devious is the first of five mysteries in a series by Mauren Johnson with a new book launching this fall. If you enjoy this, check out book 2, The Vanishing Stair, next.

The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar (physical, ebook, e-audiobook)
Life is getting complicated for Nishat, a Bangladeshi-Irish girl attending a Catholic school in Dublin. She comes out to her parents as a lesbian, and after that doesn’t go over well, she develops a crush on her childhood friend, Flávia, who just started attending her school. Their feelings become more complicated when they both enter a school contest as henna artists.

The Chandler Legacies by Abdi Nazemian (physical, Hoopla ebook, Hoopla e-audiobook)
At the elite boarding school, Chandler, five teens from very different backgrounds join the Circle, a coveted writing group. There, friendships are born…and secrets are revealed. 

The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes (physical, ebook, Hoopla e-audiobook)
A lot is new for Yami Flores. She and her younger brother just started Catholic school. She’s still trying to get over her crush on her best friend. And now her new, openly gay classmate has caught her eye.

Throwback by Maurene Goo (physical, e-audiobook)
After a huge fight with her mom, Priscilla, Sam finds herself in the 1990s as her mother’s high school classmate. Sam has to figure out how to settle things with Priscilla before she ends up stuck in the past for good. Along the way, she has the chance to learn more about the both of them. 

Written by:
Allison Woodley
Information and Digital Services Assistant

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Magical Reads: The Hocus Pocus Handbook and Cards on the Table

2 Sep
Cover of Cards on the Table: A Witchy Mystery by Lana Harper and Jilly Gagnon. Features an illustration of a manor house behind iron gates with two women at the gate entry. The edge of the cover resembles the line work one would often find around a tarot card.

The Hocus Pocus Handbook
by Ann Aguirre
I’ve enjoyed some of Ann Aguirre’s previous contemporary fantasy novels set in the modern world including Witch Please and The Only Purple House in Town. The Hocus Pocus Handbook, however, although it focus on Thea, a changeling who was snatched from a world similar to our own as a baby, is set in the realm of the world of fairies. It was amusing to see Thea talk about things in our modern world that she read about in fiction, the way in which we often see the reverse where people speak of the fantasy creatures and magic in fantasy tales. The story alternates perspectives between Thea and her love interest Kerboros who have been tasked with hunting down a fairy from another fairy court, who Thea was forced into an arranged marriage with. Each of Thea’s chapter starts with an excerpt from the spellbook aka The Hocus Pocus Handbook, that was given to her by a hobgoblin who had acted as an adoptive father, and object descriptions of the artwork that Kerboros created for his chapters, which is an interesting way to include their backstories. Fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses should check this one out.

Cards on the Table
by Lana Harper and Jilly Gagnon
Cards on the Table is a gothic novel by Lana Harper and Jilly Gagnon about two sisters who find themselves lured to the isolated estate of a wealthy occultist. The sister’s are descendants of one of the women who was executed during the Salem witch trials; Cassie believes they have inherited psychic powers, but her older sister Tori thinks they are just skilled at doing cold readings like their con-artist mom. I was a fan of Harper’s Witches of Thistle Grove series and enjoyed this novel as well, though it has a much darker and spookier tone. It kept me guessing whether the sister’s had real powers and when a death and a theft occur, who might be the responsible culprit. Gagnon is the author of several mysteries and romances including her debut #famous. I enjoyed this story a lot so hope we see more collaborations between the two authors in the future.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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