Alhberg, Allan.  1998. Starting School.  Illustrated by Janet Alhberg.  New York:
    Viking Kestrel.

    This book does a wonderful job of introducing pre-school students to life in first grade.  Janet Alhberg beautifully illustrates this new world created for these students.  Older students will also take pleasure in this book because it gives them the opportunity to reminisce with past experiences.  This book would be appropriate for children ages 2-6.

Dannenberg, Julie.  2000. First Day Jitters.  Illustrated by Judy Love.  Watertown,
    Massachusetts: Charlesbridge Publishing.

    In this book, the readers are introduced to Sara Jane Hartwell.  Throughout the story students will definitely be able to empathize with Sara Jane's jitters.  In the end however, the reader will find that Sara Jane is the teacher!  This book will give children insight to human behavior.  This is a very funny story that should be shared on the first day of class.
 

Henkes, Kevin.  1991. Chrysanthemum.  Illustrated by Kevin Henkes.  New York:
    Greenwillow Books.

    Chrysanthemum is a very sweet mouse who loves her special name.  But on the first day of school, the students make fun of her name and leave Chrysanthemum feeling blue.  Students will enjoy reading about this young mouse and her family.  The format in which the illustrations are situated pull the book together in a very funny/comedic way.

Henkes, Kevin.  2000. Wemberly Worried.  Illustrated by Kevin Henkes.  New York:
    Greenwillow Books.

    Student will love reading this book because the characters are believable.  Student will definitely be able to identify with Wemberly's worries.  The illustrations in this book are delightful and strengthen the content of the story.

Dakos, Kalli.  1990. If You're Not Here, Please Raise Your Hand.  Illustrated by Brian
    Karas.  New York: Aladdin Paperbacks.

    This book captures the energy of student life in elementary school.  A variety of issues are addressed in this collection.  Students can read funny poems about cobras in the bathroom, or more serious poems about self-perception.  Like the text, the illustrations in this book are superb.

Lansky, Bruce.  1991. Kids Pick the Funniest Poems.  Illustrated by Stephen Carpenter.
    New York: Meadowbrook Press.

    There is one chapter in this book dedicated to school.  The poem that goes along with the theme, The First Day of School, is titled Look Out!  and was written by Max Fatchen.  The illustrations in this book are hilarious and will definitely make kids laugh out loud.

Shields, Diggory, Carol.  1995.  Lunch Money and Other Poems About School.
    Illustrated by Paul Meisei.  New York: Dutton Children's Books.

    I had to include this book as one of my poetry selections because it made me laugh over and over again.  Students will enjoy reading these poems because they are funny!  The illustrations are also sure to please.
 

Rowling, J. K.  1997. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.  Illustrations by Mary
    GrandPre.  New York: Scholastic.

    This book is phenomenal.  Even though there are many themes intertwined throughout the text, I feel that it was important to mention this book because Harry makes an enormus transition into Hogwarts.  Everything in this book including characters, language, plot, and setting are simply spectacular.  This is a "must have" book for the classroom!
 

Edwards, Michelle.  1999. Pa Lia's First Day.  Illustrations by Michelle Edwards.  San
    Diego, California: Harcourt Brace & Company.

    This book follows Pa Lia through her first day a Jackson Magnet school.  The characters in this book are very unique and students will enjoy reading about how these characters become friends.  The illustrations by Michelle Edwards are simply charming.
 

Floyd, Lucy.  2000. Rabbit and Turtle Go to School.  Illustrations by Christopher
    Denise.  San Diego, California: Green Light Readers Harcourt, Inc.

    This book is from the Green Light Reader Series.  Students will be happy to hear this new twist on the classic Rabbit and Turtle fable/folklore.  In this version, Turtle makes it to school before Rabbit because he decides to ride the schoolbus.  The repetitions in this book are perfect for beginning readers.

Banks, Katie.  Howie Bowles, Secret Agent.  1999.  Illustrated by Isaac Millman.  New
    York: Frances Foster Books.

    In this story, Howie Bowles is the new kid in school.  Howie adjusts to this move by pretending that he is a secret agent sent from the principal to investigate the school.  In the midst of being his alternate persona Agent Bean Burger, Howie realizes that his friends like him just the way he is.  The short chapters in this story add unity to the text, and teh pictures also help to strengthen the plot.

Strasser, Todd.  1994. Help!  I'm Trapped in the First Day of School.  New York:
    Scholastic.

    In this story, Jake Sherman is stuck in time and unfortunately it happens to be the first day of school.  Students will find humor in this silly story.  They will also be anxious to finish the book in order to see if Jake ever reaches the second day.

Bail, Raymond.  1999.  One Room School.  Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

   I decided to include this book because I thought that students would enjoy reading about the first schoolhouses.  The photographs in this book are terrific and they are placed in a way that is very appealing to the eye.  Readers will definitely get the feeling that there was quite a bit of research involved when the author created this book.

Robert Coles.  1995.  The Story of Ruby Bridges.  New York: Scholastic Inc.

    This is an extraordinary story that shares the life of the first African American girl to intergrate Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans in 1960.
 

Wong, Harry & Wong, Rosemary.  1998.  The First Days of School.  Mountain View,
    California: Harry K. Wong Publications Inc.

    I have found this book to be very insightful and informational.  Preservice teachers and teacher who have been in field for years, can benefit from reading this book.