As schools are closing down for the school year, teachers across the country are cleaning their classrooms and ready for the much-needed rest and recovery summer brings. In the back of every teacher's mind is next year. Questions like what should I do the first day, what books should I read, does the curriculum need adjusting and more are circling through their brains. Yes, as one year finishes, teachers often have an eye on the next one even though they badly need the rest that summer can bring. Today we are sharing two new books that are perfect for the new year and make amazing end of the year gifts for teachers or start of the year gifts for next year! The first book is Welcome to Our Classroom! by Alexandra Penfold and illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman. It is part of the All Are Welcome series and recommended for ages 4 to 8.
About the Book:
Welcome to Our Classroom! (An All Are Welcome Book) is a part of the All Are Welcome collection.A teacher welcomes a new group of students as they prepare for an exciting and collaborative year ahead in this uplifting ode to educators from the bestselling creators of All Are Welcome.
Includes a poster on the flip side of the jacket!
On the first day of school
Everything is new
School supplies, classmates,
and teachers, too.
Starting a new school year can be scary, but your teacher is here for you! Come along with the kids from the bestsellers All Are Welcome and Big Feelings as they learn to work together, try new things, and—with the support of their teacher—soar!
With an inspiring fold-out spread, this is the perfect gift for new students, and their teachers, with its lasting message: Someday you’ll come visit and tell me what’s new. I’ll always be your teacher, I love teaching you!
From Me:
This book is diverse and shares the voice and point of view of the teacher. The teacher welcomes the kids and shares many of the things he/she hopes will happen in the class. The kids will help one another, work together, take turns, make mistakes, listen and share. Through it all the teacher will be there to help. At times each will be nervous and that is okay. The teacher is there to help. Kids will be learning new things and growing. This book is just a beautiful positive message to students about the teacher, school and class.
It is the perfect book for a teacher to read to a class. It is also a wonderful book for a parent to read to a child before they go to school for the first time. It will help them have a positive idea of what school will be like and also give them the message of cooperating and the teacher is there to help them.
This book should be shared in preschools and early elementary classrooms. It sets up the year in such a fun and positive way. The illustrations are beautiful and the class is very diverse. I can see kids nervous to go to school for the first time finding this book comforting and wanting it read over and over.
Our next book is also perfect for the first day of school, but it is the point of view of a student who doesn't have the type of first day of school she hopes for. The book is A Not So Perfect Start by Trudy Ludwig and illustrated by Maribel Lechuga. It is the first book in The Caring Classroom series and is recommended for ages 3 to 7.
About the Book:
Welcome to The Caring Classroom! A new series that gives kids the building blocks they need to be a kind and caring person in the classroom and beyond, from a trusted expert in social development.In book 1, a young perfectionist learns from her mistakes when her first week of school turns into a perfect mess!
It's the first week of school, and Thea wants everything to be perfect. She's determined not to make a single mistake—which leads to a lot of anxiety! When an art project disaster messes up her perfect week, Thea must make the best of an imperfect situation, with the help of her teacher and classmates. Turns out, a little mess is the perfect way to bring this caring classroom together!
From the renowned bullying expert who brought you The Invisible Boy comes a new series developed in partnership with kindergarten and early elementary teachers to encourage kindness and character growth in the classroom and beyond. Bright, inviting artwork from Maribel Lechuga brings the story to life, with a sprinkling of humor and heart on every page.
From Me:
Thea is ready for her first day of school. She has everything she will need for the most perfect day. She however has huge feelings about the day. She hopes it will be perfect. She is worried it won't be. And she is really excited for it. When she gets to school, she is definitely feeling nervous, but her teacher tells her she often is nervous in new situations too. Thea's first day is not perfect. She goes home rather grumpy. The second day is better and the third seems even better. But then she can't seem to get her drawing quite right. She gets very frustrated with herself, but her teacher suggests she help out over at a different station where the kids are struggling. She finds a way to turn a mess into art, and all of the kids love it and try it too. She literally turns the other kids' mistakes into beautiful flowers, and the class has a new motto--"Let kindness bloom!"
This book shares so many of the feelings that kids have every school year and especially at a new school. Will the teacher like them? Will the teacher be kind? Will the other kids be kind? Will they like them? It is a wonderful book about caring for each other in a classroom setting. It reminds the reader that each day can be different and nobody is perfect. It has wonderful messages about helping one another and being kind. It also reminds the reader to be kind to themselves. At the end of the book there is a page of tips to be perfectly imperfect. They are wonderful and should be taught to everyone! This book is perfect to be read the first week of school but also before school starts. It is a great book for a parent to read with a child before starting school and discussing the emotions the child is feeling. Again, it is an amazing book to gift a teacher!
