13 Back-to-School Chapter Books to Kick Off the School Year

Source: 13 Back-to-School Chapter Books to Kick Off the School Year

Reading aloud to your class is a great way to build class community early in the school year. But reading aloud should not only be reserved for picture books or elementary school classes! A shared reading experience can bring older children together and is an easy way to get everyone moving into the new year. Try one or more of these 13 back-to-school chapter books to get the semester started!

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Classic back-to-school chapter books

Side Stories from the Wayside School by Louis Sachar

The Wayside School was to be a single story with 30 classrooms. Instead, the builders built a 30-story building with one classroom per floor. This is just the beginning of the strange things happening at Wayside. This classic chapter book follows the kids on the 30th floor. It’s full of quirky humor that elementary school kids of all ages will love.

Tales of a Nothing fourth grade by Judy Blume

Peter Hatcher is fed up with his little brother Fudge and his antics. Fudge is always causing trouble for Peter, and when Peter gets a pet turtle, Fudge is there to wreak havoc. This is the first novel in the Fudge series. So if your students like it, you need to read some other books.

A crazy summer by Rita Williams Garcia

In the summer of 1968, the Gaither sisters traveled from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to stay with their mother for a few months. Much to their surprise, their mother isn’t exactly thrilled to see them and instead wants them to spend the summer at a Black Panther camp.

Mathilde by Roald Dahl

Matilda is a brilliant, magical little girl who loves to read. Her parents neglect her and when she finally goes to school, she has to deal with the evil headmistress Mrs. Trunchbull. It’s the relationship between Matilda and Miss Honey that makes this classic so heartwarming. After you finish the book, you can show your class the 1996 film adaptation!

A wrinkle in time by Madeline L’Engle

Meg Murry’s father is missing. Mr. Murray is a scientist who has traveled between dimensions but has never returned. Then three mysterious women appear in Meg’s house. Meg, her little brother and her boyfriend Calvin all embark on a journey through space and time to find their father and save the universe. This is another great book to pair with the recent film adaptation.

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty McDonald

The magical Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle lives in an upside down house and helps the neighborhood kids to break their bad habits. She teaches children with unconventional methods. Each chapter is a different funny story about how a child she helped.

New back-to-school chapter books

The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon

Brothers Bobby Gene and Caleb were minding their own business in their small Indiana town when Styx Malone walked in. Older and wiser, Styx teaches the boys how to do an escalator trade and get better and better stuff until they get something incredible. This book is full of hilarious antics and sweet brotherly relationships.

Pull yourself together, Vivy Cohen by Sarah Kapit

Vivy Cohen wanted to be a baseball pitcher ever since she met pro ball player VJ Capello. But things aren’t that simple for Vivy: she has autism and her mother says she can’t play baseball because she’s a girl. That doesn’t stop Vivy from being invited to a Little League team. And when Vivy writes a letter to VJ, she’s surprised to get a response.

Merci Suárez switches by Meg Medina

Merci is in sixth grade and things are changing. She’s tired of being different at her private school. Unlike her wealthy classmates, she has a scholarship. And when Merci is set to become a new boy’s sidekick, she becomes the target of a jealous classmate. Things aren’t going so well at home either. Merci’s grandfather is acting strange and no one wants to tell her what’s going on. This coming-of-age novel captures the uncertainty of middle school and the love of family.

A good kind of trouble by Lisa Moore Ramee

Seventh year Shayla never gets in trouble. Then a black man is killed by a cop in their town. Shayla’s family keeps talking about it and she doesn’t know what to make of it. Her older sister takes her to a Black Lives Matter protest and Shayla is inspired to speak out at school. But she must decide if it’s worth getting into trouble to stand up for what’s right.

The unteachable by Gordon Korman

While most middle school students change classes throughout the day, the kids in Room 117 never leave. They have been dubbed the “Unteachables,” a group of misfits with learning disabilities and socio-emotional problems. Her teacher Mr. Kermit is here as a punishment and at first it seems like he doesn’t care about her at all. But as the year progresses, the students of 117 develop an unusual bond with each other – and with Mr. Kermit.

The last fifth grade of Emerson Elementary by Laura Shovan

Each of the 18 children in Ms. Hill’s fifth grade tells their story in this novel-in-verse. Emerson Elementary has run down and is in danger of closing. Ms. Hill challenges her students to write a book of poetry for the school’s time capsule. The poems express each student’s challenges, sorrows and pains as they process the loss of their school.

save me a seat by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan

Joe has lived in the same town all his life and everything was going well until his best friends moved away. Ravi’s family has just arrived in America from India, and he’s having a hard time adjusting. Joe and Ravi have nothing in common – until they team up against the class bully.

What are your favorite back to school books? Share in the comments below.

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