Back to School

Whew! It sure gets busy at the library during the summer in the Youth Services department. This, of course, is a very good thing! We love seeing kids of all ages browsing the stacks, asking us questions, attending library programs, and participating in the Summer Reading program. Now that school has started again for many children, it's been a bit quieter at the library this week.

For some children in our community, this week and next mark the first days of kindergarten. What a big step for those boys and girls - not to mention the parents. It can be a mixture of excitement, nervousness, joy, and tears for everyone concerned. When my son started school, the kindergarten teacher had to politely nudge the huddle of parents out the door after we all settled our children in, read them books at the rug, and said our long goodbyes. I'm pretty sure many of us would have loved to stay the whole morning - that first school separation can be just as hard on parents! One book that touches on this transition in a humorous way is Ann Redisch Stampler's Go Home, Mrs. Beekman!, illustrated by Marsha Gray Carrington.

Go Home, Mrs. Beekman! by Ann Redisch Stampler, illustrated by Marsha Gray Carrington (Dutton's Children's Books, 2008)

Young Emily is so nervous about starting school that she makes her mother promise to stay with her forever. But after Emily makes friends and adjusts to school, she has to work with her teacher to try to convince Mrs. Beekman to stay at home.

Happy Back to School Days! How did the transition go for you?

Back to School

Many area schools started today and others will begin tomorrow. So how have you prepared your children for heading back to school? Is this your daughter's first experience with school? Will she be heading to preschool or kindergarten this year? Maybe the transition is from half-day to full-day. Is the transition met with excitement, nervousness...or both? Sometimes just knowing ahead of time what to expect can greatly reduce the back-to-school jitters. Here are a few of my favorite back-to-school stories:

My Preschool by Anne Rockwell

Follows a little boy during his day at preschool, from cheerful hellos in circle time, to painting colorful pictures and playing at the water table, to passing out paper cups for snack.

Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney

Llama Llama experiences separation anxiety on his first day of nursery school.

Jake Starts School by Michael Wright

No one can pry a frightened Jake away from his parents on the first day of school, and so the three must watch as his classmates have fun until, at the end of the day, his teacher finally gets him to let go.

Go Home, Mrs. Beekman! by Ann Redisch Stampler

Emily Beekman is so nervous about starting school that she makes her mother promise to stay with her forever, but after Emily makes friends and settles in, she and her teacher must convince Mrs. Beekman to break her promise and stay home.

Back to School Books

For many children, this past week marked the start of school in our community. Some preschool and kindergarten children may be beginning school for this first time this week. What stories have you enjoyed sharing with your child(ren) about beginning school? It can be a time of great excitement, as well as nervousness, as children (and parents) adjust to this big transition.

Here are a few staff favorites and new books to help with the transition:

Kindergarten Diary by Antoinette Portis

A Pirate's Guide to First Grade by James Preller

Adventure Annie Goes to Kindergarten by Toni Buzzeo

Amelia Bedelia's First Day of School by Herman Parish

Dinosaur Starts School by Pamela Duncan Edwards

I Don't Want to Go to School! by Stephanie Blake

It's Your First Day of School Annie Claire by Nancy White Carlstrom

Kevin Goes to School by Liesbet Slegers

Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn