BOOK MARKED
11 Books to Get
Your Kids Excited
About Back to School
BY WF STAFF
With the new school year approaching, get your kids
excited for their first day back with one of these newly
released books that focus on themes like making new
friends, starting new routines, gaining confidence in
school subjects and having fun in the classroom!
‘The Pigeon HAS to Go to School!’ Who knew preschool could be so much
fun? Just don’t forget your groovy back-
By Mo Willems
Why does the Pigeon have to go to school? pack and your yummy snack, Pete the Kitty!
He already knows everything! And what Preschoolers and little ones getting ready
if he doesn’t like it? What if the teach- to go to preschool for the first time will
er doesn’t like him? What if he learns too enjoy cheering Pete the Kitty’s fun entry to
much? Discover what Pigeon learns about preschool. Ages 3-6.

the importance of school. Ages 4-7.

‘When Pencil Met Eraser’
By Karen Kilpatrick
‘The King of Kindergarten’
Ever wonder why there’s a little pink eras-
By Derrick Barnes
Starting kindergarten is a big milestone, er on every pencil? Find out in this funny,
and this kindergartener is ready to make his clever picture book that tells the true story
mark! He’s dressed himself, eaten a pile of of how Pencil and Eraser became the best
pancakes and can’t wait to be part of a whole of friends. When Pencil draws on the pages
new kingdom of kids. The day will be jam- of this book, Eraser erases parts of Pencil’s
packed, but he’s up to the challenge. And work, and the book itself becomes a canvas
afterward, he can’t wait to tell his proud for their different takes on creativity — until
parents all about his achievements. Ages 3-6. the two discover their artwork is even better
when they work together. Ages 3-6.

‘I Will Be Fierce’
‘First Day of Groot!’
By Bea Birdsong
This is a powerful picture book about cour- By Brendan Deneen
age, confidence, kindness and finding the Just like the rest of us, Groot’s learning
extraordinary in everyday moments. It’s that there’s a first time (and a first day!)
a brand new day, and a young girl decides for everything. Follow Rocket and Groot as
to take on the world like a brave explorer they set off across the galaxy learning new
heading off on an epic fairy-tale quest. From lessons, developing new skills and making
home to school and back again, our hero new memories with friends along the way.

conquers the library, forges new friendships With so many new experiences on the hori-
and leads the victorious charge home on her zon, Groot’s sure to have a first day rooted
in spectacular fun, heroics and everything in
school bus. Ages 3-6.

between. Ages 4-7.

‘Pete the Kitty’s First
‘Life According to Og the Frog’
Day of Preschool’
By James Dean
By Betty G. Birney
It’s a big day for Pete the Kitty: his first day Og the Frog has just moved into Room 26
of preschool! He meets his cool teacher, at the school, and the place is hopping.

sings a few fun songs and even gets to paint. There are lively kids, new routines and a
34 WashingtonFAMILY AUGUST 2019



Happy
BOOK Birthday,
MARKED Suzanne Collins!
furry neighbor who seems to squeak all day.

Luckily, everyone seems friendly. But just
as Og is getting used to this new life, there
is talk of sending him back to the pond. But
will his classmates decide to keep Og as
their classroom pet or take him back to his
old life at the pond? Ages 6-9.

‘Take Your Pet to School Day’
By Linda Ashman
When pets show up with their kids at Maple
View Elementary, it’s total chaos! These
animals have no respect for school rules,
and every class quickly gets out of hand.

But why did they show up in the first place?
Who said they could come? Could it have
been … the pets themselves? It turns out
they just wanted in on the fun! Now, if they
want to stay, they’ll just have to behave.

Ages 3-7.

‘My Teacher is a Robot’
By Jeffrey Brown
Fred does not want to go to school because
it’s boring. Especially since he thinks his
teacher is a robot. If only Fred could imag-
ine a way for his day to be more exciting.

This inventively funny picture book cel-
ebrates the boundlessness of a child’s
imagination and celebrates the teachers,
families and friends who get wrapped up in
the fantastic worlds of children. Ages 3-7.

‘Bunny’s Book Club Goes to School’
By Annie Silvestro
Bunny and his forest friends meet at the
town library every Saturday morning for
book club. But one summer day, their library
buddy, Josie, confesses to Bunny that she’s
nervous about starting school. Bunny has
an idea: He’ll go with her! Soon, Bunny’s
friends, Bear, Raccoon, Bird, Porcupine,
Squirrel, Mole, Mouse and Frog, decide
to join him — and Josie’s first day of
school turns into a critter-filled adventure.

Ages 3-7.

‘Maisy’s Preschool’
By Lucy Cousins
It’s time for school! Maisy and her friends
play with building blocks, practice their
counting and sit down for story time. A
pop-up classroom scene waits at the end
of the book with paper press-outs of Maisy
and her pals. Kids will relish the chance
to play teacher and decide the lessons, all
while putting their imaginations to the test
and learning about the routines that make
up a day at school. Ages 3-5. ■
Each month, we celebrate a birthday
of literary significance.

“What I need is the
dandelion in the spring.

The bright yellow that
means rebirth instead
of destruction. The
promise that life can go
on, no matter how bad
our losses. That it can
be good again,” Katniss Everdeen says
in the final chapter of “Mockingjay,” the
third and final installment of much-loved
“Hunger Games” series by Suzanne
Collins. Her words revealed the
long-awaited conclusion of a
series-long love triangle between
Katniss, Peeta and Gale, characters
who became household names. The
2008 novel once reigned at the top
of the bestseller lists of The New
York Times, USA Today and the Wall
Street Journal. It was read by teens
and young adults alike and became
a popular movie in 2012. In addition
to this series, Collins is known for her
“Underland Chronicles” series about
sewer-dwellers in New York City
which, like “The Hunger Games” series,
created a fascinatingly grim universe
in which young people could immerse
themselves. Collins’ father was in the military
which required her family to move
frequently — she lived in Indiana and
Belgium before graduating high school
Alabama — and inspired her writing.

She told Scholastic that her father’s
storytelling made her feel like she was
at the battlefield herself, which she
tries to mimic in her writing. Since the
conclusion of “The
Hunger Games”
series, Collins
has focused on
authoring children’s
books like “Year
of The Jungle”
and “When
Charlie McButton
Lost Power.” ■
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