It’s that time of year again, when the air fills with the smells of #2 pencil shavings and the sounds of full bouncing backpacks filled with supplies. That’s right; it’s back to school time! We may have been coaxed into thinking this time came about quite a bit earlier but don’t let the Target ads fool you, the prepping for many has just begun. Excited teachers have been in their classrooms creating welcoming spaces for fresh new faces. Kids of all ages are anxious, excited, and even a little apprehensive this time of year. Some students are going to school for the very first time, while others are cool as cucumbers as this late August ritual has become an old hat for these experts, and still we have those students starting what may be their last years a part of the Lewistown schools. This is the big time in central Montana. Are we ready for another busy year?

To help with the upcoming transition I have a few reading suggestions that may help us find our bearings and keep our kids successful at school. For those youngest students, the library has many books about new school jitters. For example, We Love our School by Judy Sierra, Don’t Go! by Jane Zalben, Butterflies in My Stomach and other school hazards by Serge Bloch, and Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton all provide fun and heart-warming stories to help our preschool and kindergarten students on their new adventures.

Middle readers may enjoy, Sparky and Eddie: the first day of school by Tony Johnston, Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa: school days by Erica Silverman, or maybe Back to School, Mallory by Laurie B. Friedman is more your reader’s style. Don’t forget the power of the go to books also. The Diary of a Wimpy Kids series by Jeff Kinney and Dork Diaries series by Rachel Russell are always favorites when considering school stories. A personal favorite that keeps coming to mind is Matilda by Roald Dahl, this story speaks wit and courage of a young girl in a wonderfully “Dahlian” world.

Lastly, our older students may not be anxious about the daily ritual of school anymore but finding how you fit into school and society is an ever-present anxiety. A couple of finding yourself books I suggest are Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah and The Dumbest Idea Ever! by Jimmy Gownley.

 

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