Back to School Reads (not required)

Have you noticed them yet? The subtle (or sometimes not-so-subtle) changes that mean school will be starting soon? I sure have. Children who are bored with everything and increasingly prone to fits of whining and crying at the drop of a hat; elementary parents and high school students rushing to the library with required summer reading that was forgotten until the last minute; and my personal favorite, the back to school section at Target!

In honor of a new school year starting, I thought I’d recommend a few of the books I remember reading and loving when I was in elementary school. Fit these in when you need a break from shopping for new clothes, planning what lunches to pack, or just want to sit under the fan and cool off (anyone else still suffering 100+ temperatures?).

Happy reading and happy new school year!

Bunnicula, by James Howe

When I was in elementary school, I went through a phase where the start of a new school week made me slightly nervous. So Sunday afternoons were my time to relax and ease into the new week. For awhile, I remember always reaching for a book from the Bunnicula series. They always transported me to a fun and new place, and totally calmed my worries and put me in a good state of mind.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, by Judith Viorst

A classic that every kid should read! Whether you’re having a bad day or not, everyone can relate to Alexander at some point in his or her life!

Kristen Learns a Lesson: A School Story (American Girls series), by Janet Beeler Shaw

I read the American Girl books when there were only a handful of them. I had the whole set of books about Kristen, and I loved reading about her life on a country farm and the things she learned as an immigrant to America. In this book, she meets an Indian girl from a local tribe on her way to school, and learns a lot about a way of life different from her own.

The Magic Schoolbus Inside the Human Body, by Joanna Cole

For some reason, this particular Magic School Bus stands out in my mind above the others. I distinctly remember the picture of the bus among the blood cells, and there’s something with the stomach and digestion … possibly involving Cheetos, if memory serves me correctly. Such an imaginative and informative book!