Heading Back to School? Welcome the New Year with These Kids Book Recommendations

Mar. 15, 2025

PEOPLE’s picks for the best back to school books.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.From children’s books that deliver important lessons via approachable narratives to middle grade novels that will keep your middle schooler reading right up til bedtime, peruse our picks for the best books to welcome in the new school year.

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Candlewick

ProducerStephanie Allainteamed up with friend and co-author Jenny Klion to write this age-appropriate book about consent and bodily autonomy. Threading the needle between playfulness and authority, this book about “who’s in charge” is a great book to share with a young reader heading into the school year.

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Scholastic Inc.

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Greenwillow Books

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Merci Suárez is already dreading the sixth grade. She’s scared that she and her brothers won’t fit in at their new, expensive private school, and that she’ll stick out, since she doesn’t have fancy things like her classmates. As her grandfather begins to lose his memory, Merci sees that her first year of middle school may be more challenging and eye-opening than she anticipated, in this Newbery Medal-winning middle grade novel.

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HarperCollins

The most recent book in theEmmie & Friendsseries follows two friends, Anthony and Leah, who must navigate a bullying incident that occurs at their middle school. This graphic novel is an important read about kindness and friendship.

If your young reader likes this one, there’s seven more where that came from to keep them reading all year long.

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Puffin Books

This classic rhyming children’s book follows Miss. Bindergarten as she sets up her classroom, and prepares to welcome her new students, for the first day of kindergarten. It’s a great way to teach little readers the alphabet too!

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Yearling

When Piper’s dad gets a new job and she’s suddenly thrown into a new posh private school, she’s sure that she’s not going to fit in. All Piper really wants is to shine like her hero, astronaut Nellie Dumont Frisse, and she’s on a mission to see if she’s destined to be a star. This STEM-focused middle grade novel is all about learning to find our true selves.

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Charlesbridge Publishing

This book, which follows young Sarah Jane, is a great read for those who may be nervous about their first day of school. Julie’s friendship with her new teacher, Mrs. Burton, just may help her to realize that it’s normal to be shy — and provides a great lesson to share with young readers who may have a few new school year jitters themselves.

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Tanglewood

When Chester Raccoon reveals he’s nervous about starting school, his mother lets him in on a family secret called the Kissing Hand, which reminds him that her love is always with him, wherever he is. This book is a moving reminder for anyone who may need that extra push to make it through the school doors with confidence.

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In this picture book, beloved character SkippyJon Jones yearns for nothing more than to go to school, even though his mother it’s a place only dogs are allowed once they’re trained. Nonetheless, Skippy travels to a playground in his imagination, where he meets other animals, checks out books from the library and even stops a bully. A fun read about the surprises that the school year can bring.

source: people.com