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Countdowns are SUCH a fun way to build anticipation and excitement for a big event. There are so many great books for kids about school and about the first day of school. Grab a free copy of our Back to School Books Countdown and read, read, READ your way to the first day of school!
Back to School Books Calendar Printable Countdown
We are always counting down to something around here. We count down to vacations, birthdays, and yes, the first and last days of school. Countdowns are so fun and always help to build excitement. Counting down to the first day of school is both exciting and many times, a little anxious. New school, new grade, new teacher, new classroom, new friends – any ONE of those could certainly be a source of anxiety for many kids. Often, the start of a new school year means a combination of those things.
It might be the teacher in me, or it might just be the book lover in me, but I turn to books on many occasions to help my kids through various milestones. School is no exception! There are dozens upon dozens of fantastic children’s books out there about the first day of school and other back to school related happenings.
My printable calendar (see below!) includes some of my favorite books for kids about school. You can round them up at your local library or bookstore or find them online for example at Amazon. You can also look for these books in audiobook format (on audible, for example) or including in ebook subscriptions (Kindle Unlimited, for example).
Here are the books included in my calendar:
- The Book with No Pictures by B. J. Novak
- If You Take a Mouse to School by Laura Numeroff
- Dear Teacher by Amy Husband
- This School Year Will Be the BEST! by Kay Winters
- The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
- First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg
- You’re Finally Here! by Mélanie Watt
- We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins
- The Exceptionally, Extraordinarily, Ordinary First Day of School by Albert Lorenz
- Back to School Splat by Rob Scottson
- How to Get Your Teacher Ready by Jean Reagan
- If You Ever Want To Bring An Alligator To School, Don’t by Elise Parsley
- Back To School Rules By Laurie B. Freedman
- David Goes To School by David Shannon
- A Place Called Kindergarten By Jessica Harper
- Is Your Buffalo Ready For Kindergarten? By Audrey Vernick
- School’s First Day of School by Adam Rex
- The Teacher’s Pet By Anica Mrose Risi
- Lailah’s Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story by Reem Faruqi
- Ally-Saurus And The First Day of School By Richard Torrey
- My Teacher Is a Monster! (No, I Am Not.) by Peter Brown
- Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse By Kevin Henkes
- The Day You Begin By Jacqueline Woodson
- The Kissing Hand By Audrey Penn
- A Bad Case of Stripes By David Shannon
- Llama Llama Misses Mama By Anna Dewdney
- I Like Myself! By Karen Beaumont
- First Grade Stinks! By Maryann Rodman
- Miss Nelson Is Missing! By Harry Allard
Get the Free Printable Countdown
Get your free printable: Back to School Books Calendar Printable Countdown
You can grab our printable right here. Simply enter your email address in the box and opt-in to receive our free newsletter. Check your inbox for this printable, which you will receive as a subscriber bonus.
This printable is an easy-to-open PDF file and you can print out however many copies you need. Note: this printable is for personal use only.
How to Use Countdown
There are two ways I would recommend using this book countdown.
- There are 29 books on the list. Find the first day of school on your calendar and count back 29 days. That is day 1 when you read book #1 on the list. Read each book in order as you count down the days to school.
- Use the countdown as more of a “book bingo” and choose a different book every night from the list, in any order you’d like. Read the first book 29 days before school starts. Cross off each book after you have read it.
PIN Back to School Books Calendar Printable Countdown TO PINTEREST!
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