stories for the adventure that is school (or any other big life-changing adventure)

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stories for the adventure that is school (or any other big life-changing adventure)

Savannah is off to pre-school this year, and William and Ivy start Kindy. In honour of these major life moments, here's a small collection of books that are lovely to read in the first week or two of school. I hope you find something that feels right for your new (or returning) school kid.

I’m going to read Off to School Baby Duck to all three of our new school kids via Marco Polo this week too. It’s a cute story of a baby duck who is scared to go to school but, predictably, has a good day. It was a favourite for their fathers long ago—mostly out of print now, but full of nostalgia for our family.

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a special collection of chapter books that little kids* can manage

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a special collection of chapter books that little kids* can manage

Every so often, one of my prep (4 to 5-year-old) students brings me the dictionary, a huge encyclopaedia, or a chapter book akin to Lord of the Rings and requests that I read it to them. The mystery of a chapter book is so enticing: the wonder of what a story with so many words might tell is magical. It is so wonderful to read a chapter book to a child, but to start with Lord of the Rings can often lead to frustration.

However, there are many chapter books that are great for younger listeners!  Here's what I look for:

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6 books with just a bit of thrill for very young readers

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6 books with just a bit of thrill for very young readers

ages 2 to 5 years old
My junior kindy kids love these bear-books!  We found one of them in a bookshelf at kindy and I raided the bookshelves at home for the others. (The big appeal is that they're ‘scary bear’ books.) And then, because bears became so popular, I went on the hunt for more (They’re not all scary, but they are all great!).

Reading books like these is so important ..... they allow children to encounter a range of emotions 

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