#IMWAYR - Fun books for back to school

Here in BC, we are on the Back to School countdown (I know some of you have already headed back and that seems really early to me. It is still far too hot here!). We have just a couple more weeks before we head back to Pro-D and classes so I thought it was appropriate for this week's IMWAYR post to feature some fun back to school books for the younger set (although we all know that those older guys love  to be read a good picture book every now and again, right?!).

My choices this week:

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My Brave Year of Firsts: Tries, Sighs and High Fives (Jamie Lee Curtis & Laura Cornell) - This is not only a great book for back to school but also for connecting. I bought it for my daughter because there are just so many things in this book that she has recently experienced or will be experiencing in the very near future. All kindergarten, grade 1 and grade 2 students should be able to find something to connect to in this book - first day of school, first lost tooth, first bike ride (and crash) and so much more! Although the rhyme is a bit awkward at times, it's still a fun book to read and the illustrations are a hoot! I even found a Bravery Certificate tie-in (check it out here) - super cute for using when the little ones do something new. Definitely a great read for your literacy and social-emotional development programs.

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The Kissing Hand (Audrey Penn) - This beautiful book tells the story of Chester Raccoon, who isn't quite ready to leave his mama and head off to school. Told simply and gently, this book will help kids understand that they can hold special people in their hearts and draw strength from them even if they aren't right there. Beware: this book might make you cry! 
Another great one for social-emotional development as well as connecting (although tread carefully if you have a few who are still struggling to adjust to being away from mom all day; you may have a few tears). There are lots of tie-in activities to be found on the internet for this one and there is an iPad/Android app with a read-to-me option for enjoyment at the Love to Read station or at home.

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Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready For Kindergarten (Joseph Slate) - Despite the fact that every time I read this book I wonder what kind of magician Miss Bindergarten must be to be able to get her classroom all ready in just a few hours before the first day of school, it is a fun read. The rhyming text bounces along and is simple enough that young children will be helping you out in no time, while the colourful illustrations provide lots to look at. I personally like how the alphabet appears in obvious and not-so-obvious ways; each animal's name (Adam Krupp, Brenda Heath, Christopher Beaker, etc) appears alphabetically but so does the type of animal (Adam is an alligator, Brenda a beaver and so on), giving kids lots of opportunities to practice the alphabet in a fun way. Again, lots of tie-in activities on the internet and, bonus, it's a series so your kids can be reading Miss Bindergarten books all year! 

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On the adult reading side of things, I didn't get finished Emancipation Day (Wayne Grady) so I'm still working on finishing that one off. It is definitely getting more interesting though, so that should help (that and my upcoming flight and camping trip!). My friend invited me to join her book club and the choice was Think (Lisa Bloom), so I've started that one. My husband is getting a kick out of me reading it because I can't make it more than two sentences before I have to comment on something ridiculous Bloom has said (my apologies if you're a fan but man, I cannot handle a book premised on the idea that women need to appear less dumb that then uses words like "celebs" on a regular basis. The hypocrisy is killing me). That one doesn't get read right before bed!

For next week, I think we might continue the back to school theme a little bit, but maybe with some books for older kids. See you then!