Your 26-27 OMGBTS Read Aloud List

Oh-My-Gosh it's Back-To-School! (OMGBTS!)

If you're starting to think about how to build culture and community (and a love of reading!), I've curated a list of old classics, and new favorites to help you hit the ground running. I've even included a few picture books that are GREAT for building community in middle or high school classrooms (Yes! Picture books are for everyone!). Plus, many of them are available in languages other than English, such as Spanish and Chinese.

Stories to Calm First-Day (or First-Week) Nerves:

First Day Jitters (written by Julie Danneberg, illustrated by Judy Love) is a timeless classic, and it has such a satisfying surprise at the end. "Sarah Jane Hartwell has that sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach—she’s nervous and doesn’t want to start a new school year. She doesn’t know anybody, and nobody knows her. It will be awful. She just knows it. With a little convincing from Mr. Hartwell, Sarah Jane reluctantly heads to class. Shy at first, she’s quickly befriended by Mrs. Burton and is reminded that everyone at school gets the jitters sometimes." ~ From the Penguin Website

Wemberly Worried (written and illustrated by the one and only Kevin Henkes). Who doesn't love a Kevin Henkes story? This timeless story is like reading a hug out loud, and will help ease little worries on the first day of school.

"Wemberly worries about spilling her juice, about shrinking in the bathtub, and about snakes in the radiator. She worries morning, noon, and night... Wemberly worries about one thing most of all: her first day of school. But when the big day arrives and she meets Jewel, Wemberly realizes that school is too much fun to waste time worrying!" - From the Scholastic website

First Day Critter Jitters (written by Jory John , illustrated by Liz Climo) This newer book presents a humorous and endearing cast of characters who are all nervous for different reasons. This story will calm your kiddos, AND give them a laugh.

"It’s almost the first day of school, and the animals are nervous. Sloth worries about getting there on time, snake can’t seem to get his backpack fastened onto his body, and bunny is afraid she’ll want to hop around instead of sitting still... But by the next day, the animals have all figured out how to help one another through their jitters. School isn’t so scary after all." From the Penguin Website

Gloriana, Presente: A First Day of School Story (written by Alyssa Reynoso-Morris, illusrated by Doris M Rodríguez-Graber) tells the story of a girl whose family is from the Dominican Republic, as she faces the challenge of starting school with teachers and students who speak in English. This is the perfect picture book to help your class welcome one another, and to think about the stories, experiences, and languages we all bring to the classroom (Bonus: This book is also available in Spanish as Gloriana, Presente: De la República Dominicana al Bronx)

"On the first day of elementary school, Abuela soothes Gloriana’s nerves by telling her stories from their family home in la República Dominicana. But as soon as Gloriana enters the classroom, the tropical scenery crumbles and la música is replaced with English phrases she does not understand. When other kids approach her to play at recess, she freezes, uncertain about how to exist between her two homes, or how to make new friends between her two languages. Abuela recognizes echoes of her own immigration journey on this challenging day at school, and she gently guides Gloriana towards newfound confidence..." ~ From the Hachette website

Stories to Build Your Classroom Community:

In This Classroom (written by Andrew Hackett, illustrated by Arthur Lin) is a new picture book (just released in 2026) that's perfect for creating an inclusive, empowering classroom full of students ready to support one another, make mistakes, ask questions, and learn a whole lot.

"In Andrew Hacket’s classroom manifesto, young readers are invited into a vibrant and supportive classroom where they can explore the beauty of making mistakes, embracing challenges, and celebrating unique differences. This empowering picture book helps children understand that school is a place of opportunity, where they will learn from setbacks, support each other through difficulties, and ultimately grow in ways they never imagined." ~ From the Red Comet Press website

The Day You Begin (written by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Rafael López ) I don't know if I love the story or the illustrations more in this picture book. If you're looking for a book that feels like home to ALL of your students, look no further. This is a must-have in your first-week-of-school collection.

"There will be times when you walk into a room and no one there is quite like you.

There are many reasons to feel different. Maybe it’s how you look or talk, or where you’re from; maybe it’s what you eat, or something just as random. It’s not easy to take those first steps into a place where nobody really knows you yet, but somehow you do it." ~From the Penguin website

This Is A School (Written by John Schu, illustrated by Veronica Miller Jamison) celebrates all of the ways that our schools become our community. With engaging illustrations and concise text on each page, reading this book to your students is an easy, yet effective way to curate your classroom community.

"A school isn’t just a building; it is all the people who work and learn together. It is a place for discovery and asking questions. A place for sharing, for helping, and for community. It is a place of hope and healing, even when that community can’t be together in the same room." From the Penguin website

A Letter from Your Teacher on the First Day of School (written by Shannon Olsen, illustrated by Sandie Sonkie) was written by a second-grade teacher to her students, and quickly became a bestseller. I especially like this book, because if you read this on the first day of school, you can end your year with A Letter from Your Teacher on the Last Day of School. Voila! Two read alouds already chosen! Look at you, being all prepared...

Other books by Shannon Olsen and Sandie Sonkie (whose illustrations I ADORE) are also great for kicking off the school year with a solid sense of community... Check out Our Class is a Family and We're so Happy You're Here.

The Book Of Rules (written by Brian Gehrlein, illustrated by Tom Knight) is a HILARIOUS way to build community with your kiddos. I've gifted it to my own co-teachers, and have read it to my students, and my own children's classes when I've been a "mystery reader." It ALWAYS gets laughs... and gives the warm and fuzzy vibes too.

"Beware! This book has rules. You must follow all the rules. If you break the rules . . . Dennis the monster will eat you. And you don’t want to be Dennis-food—do you? With a laugh-out-loud, interactive style, The Book of Rules invites you to get your sillies out before it’s time to focus and listen to directions—making it the perfect storytime read-aloud for rambunctious kids in the classroom, at the library, or at home. And you better get started, because Dennis can’t wait to eat—or, um—meet you!" ~ From the Macmillan website

Picture Books to Make Your Students Think (Even if they're in middle or high school!)

They All Saw A Cat (written and illustrated by Brendan Wenzel) I'd read this Caldecott Honor book before, but it wasn't until I asked fellow teachers on social media for their first-day-of-school recommendations that I realized how genius it is to use this book with students in the first week of school. Even better, a teacher explained that they used this book with middle school students (say it loud and say it proud, picture book are for EVERYONE - children, teens, and adults!). The text in this story is deceivingly simple, yet the message about how we all perceive the world... so deep. Use this picture book to talk about different perspectives, respect, and class expectations for dialog throughout the year.

"It was easy to name the single best children's book of the past 20 years. Hands down, it's Brendan Wenzel's "They All Saw a Cat."" -- The Wall Street Journal

The Suitcase (written and illustrated by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros) will always have a place in my heart, a place on my kids' bookshelves, and a place in my ML classroom. Honestly, this book belongs everywhere. Described as a book "for anyone who has ever felt unwelcome or out of place," it could not be more perfect for having the important conversations that shape your classroom community. While it is, at it's core, a story about immigration, it also begs the questions - How do we show resect in our classroom community? How do we show trust? How do we treat those who are new? Those we aren't friends with? Those who are in need?

"When a weary stranger arrives one day, with only a suitcase, everyone is full of questions: Why is he here? Where has he come from? And just what is in that suitcase?

To learn the answers, they can either trust the newcomer or discover what they risk by not believing him. A story about hope and kindness, truth and perception—and most importantly, about how we treat those in need."

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I could go on, and on, and on... these are just a few of my favorites. Teachers, which picture books are YOUR favorites to use during the first few weeks of school? How do you use or discuss the stories and illustrations? Parents, do you use picture books to help gear up for the first day back at school? Tell me which ones!