Back to school books for children, teens and adults.
Picture Books
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
Chester is about to start kindergarten, but he feels a little scared about leaving his mother. His mother teaches him a secret way he can carry her love with him all day.
The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
Rigoberto just moved from Venezuela and is new in school. The kids in his class haven’t been that nice to him, but when he meets Angelina, he discovers that he is not the only one who feels like an outsider.
We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins
It is Penelope Rex’s first day of school and she can’t stop herself from eating her classmates because she thinks they are delicious! She can’t make any new friends if she keeps eating them.
Junior Books
The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty
Twelve year old Lucy (aka Lighting Girl) was struck by lightning, but she has no memory of it. The lightning helped her become a math genius and she has been homeschooled ever since. Her grandma wants Lucy to go to middle-school, but can she calculate her way through her new school?
New Kid by Jerry Craft
Jordan would love to be attending an art school, but instead his parents enroll him in a posh private school in Riverdale and he is one of the only students of colour. He now finds himself stuck between his two worlds and needs to figure out how to navigate this new life.
Teen Books
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Leo thinks school is a drag! That is until Stargirl starts grade 10 after being homeschooled her whole life. Leo falls for her immediately and together they try to find their way through high school and the popularity pitfalls.
Black Boy White School by Brian F. Walker
Anthony receives a scholarship to the prestigious Belton Academy and he couldn’t be more excited. The students there are not very welcoming and everyone expects him to play basketball. Being the new kid is hard, but it’s even harder when you feel like you don’t belong.
Older students
How to College: What to Know Before You Go (and When You're There) by Andrea Brenner and Lara Schwartz
Helps prepare first-year college students (and their families) to succeed and thrive as they transition and adapt to college. The book draws on the authors' experiences teaching first-year college students.
Never Too Late: The Adult Student’s Guide to College by Rebecca Klein-Collins
Going back to school isn’t just for kids and teens. Adults of all ages are heading back to school while working, raising kids, caring for parents and more. This is a comprehensive guide to learning how to choose a school or program, how to study, and what it’s like to be an adult student.
Parents
The Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning, and Life by Julie Bogart
An accessible approach to homeschooling that helps parents make education an exciting experience for their elementary or high school children.
Middle School Matters: The 10 Key Skills Kids Need to Thrive in Middle School and Beyond and How Parents Can Help by Phyllis Fagell
Fagell helps parents to use the middle school years to teach kids the key skills they'll need to thrive, including making good friend choices, negotiating conflict, regulating their own emotions, being their own advocates, and more.
The Organized Child: An Effective Program to Maximize your Kid's Potential-- in School and in Life by Richard Gallagher
Nagging your child to write down homework assignments? Organizational problems can get in the way of school success and wreak havoc at home. Maximize your child’s potential by teaching your child specific skills to organize school materials, track assignments, improve time management and more.
Rethinking School: How to Take Charge of your Child’s Education by Susan Wise Bauer
Offers help negotiating the school system in a way that nurtures and protects your child's mind, emotions, and spirit.
When the World Feels Like A Scary Place: Essential Conversations for Anxious Parents & Worried Kids by Abigail Gewirtz
How to use conversation to help children deal with worries, stress, and other negative emotions caused by problems in the world. The book contains age appropriate conversation scripts.
For many more staff favourites go to Richmond Public Library's www.yourlibrary.ca/books-we-like.
