You know we love sharing good books and the amazing way that a good book can help kids (and adults) make their way through difficult situations. Well, this collection of the best back to school chapter books is filled with titles that will help early readers navigate through the challenges of heading back to school.
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If your kid is heading into kindergarten or transitioning to grade one, be sure to check out our collection of awesome back to school read alouds and picture books for kids. This collection is for students who are entering grades 2 and beyond. The stories touch on all the fun and friction that can come up as kids get older. Lots of humor, mysteries, and adventures to be had!
15+ Best Back to School Chapter Books
The first day of school at a new school can be difficult, find out how one young girl handles the challenge in The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi.
Sometimes it's not easy telling the truth, especially when the cake is involved...Keena Ford and the Second Grade Mix Up by Melissa Thomson.
Find out Percy Isaac Gifford's list of everything you need to know about the Back to School Rules by Laurie B. Friedman.
Starting 3rd grade and your little brother is starting kindergarten! Sounds like trouble in How Not to Start Third Grade by Cathy Hapka.
A new grade, new teachers, and new friends can seem exciting...at first. But then again, you aren't Katie Kazoo. Katie Kazoo is up to her old switcheroo tricks in Who's Afraid of Fourth Grade? by Nancy Krulik.
Trying to fit in with the "cool kids" can be so hard, especially when Sud doesn't know know how to be a rat. Fourth Grade Rats by Jerry Spinelli.
Things start going wrong at school...but, who is to blame? The Worst Best School Year Ever by Barbara Robinson.
I can't imagine my childhood without the books Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and Superfudge by Judy Bloom. True reflections of growing up and struggling with school and siblings.
The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Rauf tells the struggle of refugees through the lens of young children. When Ahmet, a Syrian refugee, joins Mrs. Khan's classroom the children come together to support Ahmet is a surprising way. A beautiful story of allyship and the realities of war and the refugee crisis.
Wonder by RJ Palacio introduces us to one of literature's most memorable characters - Auggie Pullman. Auggie finally enters a mainstream school and has to overcome his fears of being bullied and not finding friends, due to his "differences". This touching book takes us through this experience from Auggies perspective and then expands to include the perspective of those around him. In a world where bullies run rampant, how will Auggie fair? You might be surprised.
Author Louise Sachar takes us inside the Wayside School...a school that was built sideways and is filled with curious characters. In Sideways Stories from Wayside School readers will meet the students and learn all about their incredible talents and follow along with their remarkable adventures. This is the introduction to a series of wonderful books.
Welcome to another great series of books for early readers. The Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng introduces us to Anna - the ultimate book lover. Anna likes to escape the stress of school life and the complications of friendships, in the pages of a good book. However, Anna must move beyond the pages of her books and figure out how to navigate real-life friendships.
Calendar Mysteries: September Sneakers by Ron Roy is the 9th book in the Calendar Mysteries and this time the kids have to figure out where the missing goldfish went and why green and orange sneakers keep popping up all around the school! Will they solve the mystery of the September Sneakers and find the beloved class pet?!
The School Is Alive!: A Branches Book by Jack Chabert is the first book in the Eerie Elementary series. In this first book, we meet Sam Graves and his friends as Sam thinks that school is alive?! Sam recruits his friends Lucy and Antonio to find some way to stop this spooky school before it's too late.
Author Jane Schoenberg introduces us to Stuey Lewis in, The One and Only Stuey Lewis: Stories from the Second Grade. Stuey is a positive force in the second grade. This collection of short stories follows him through all kinds of challenges that Stuey inevitably finds his way successfully through.
The New Kid: The Carver Chronicles by Karen English When a new kid shows up in class the students are cautious, curious, and uncertain. When a bike goes missing, the new kid, Khufu, is the first suspect. Will the kids a Carver Elementary give Khufu a chance? A relatable story, with realistic characters who live and learn through the pages of the book.
Did your favorite back-to-school chapter book make our list? Let us know in the comments below if we missed a great title! Happy reading.
Check out all of our Top Book Lists for Kids of all Ages
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