Books about school for children
Diverse Picture Books for the First Day of School
Picture Books for the First Day of School
All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold
Send a message to your students that everyone is welcome, no matter their race, religion, gender, culture or background.
Use this book on the first day of school to discuss inclusion, kindness, empathy, acceptance and community.
Amazon
ACTIVITIES
Be Big!: Beatrice's First Day of First Grade by Katie Kizer
Beatrice loves wearing a blue tutu but is afraid to be herself when she starts first grade. Benjamin, the butterfly, helps her face her fears, be brave, and be big. Use this book at the beginning of a new school year to help students feel welcome and be themselves.
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Becoming Vanessa by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Vanessa wears her fanciest outfit on her first day of school. The reaction from her new classmates to her bold clothes makes her feel self-conscious. This feeling increases when she tries to write her long name. She complains to her mother, who tells her why she is called Vanessa. This gives her the confidence to find a common bond and make new friends.
Promotes discussions on self-esteem, individuality, identity, making friends, and self-expression.
Amazon
The Buddy Bench by Patty Brozo
A compassionate group of children encourage their teacher to let them build a buddy bench. They understand that some children find the playground a lonely place. Promotes kindness, empathy, loneliness and making friends.
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Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
The first of two books for the first day of school by Kevin Henkes. Chrysanthemum loves her name, but she gets teased for its uniqueness on her first day of school.
When her music teacher reveals she is naming her baby Chrysanthemum, everyone wants to change their name to a flower.
Promotes identity, friendships and self-management.
Amazon
ACTIVITIES
Chu's First Day of School by Neil Gaiman
Chu is nervous about his first day of school. He freezes when he has to introduce himself to his classmates. When he sneezes, everyone laughs, and they learn why the panda is called Chu.
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The Colour of Home by Mary Hoffman
When Hassan and his family are forced to move to England because of war, he feels lonely and out of place. He finds his new environment cold and grey compared to his colourful life in Somalia. Hassan feels more settled as he makes new friends and begins to appreciate the colours of his new home.
Promotes a sense of community, creativity and resilience.
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The Cool Bean by Jory John
Of four beans in a pod, three are super cool. The fourth beans feel inferior because it doesn't feel it is special. It starts to notice that what makes these beans cool is their kindness towards others. The fourth bean changes its outlook when it learns no gesture is too small when done in kindness.
Promotes discussions on school life, kindness, isolation and self-esteem.
Amazon
Daddy Long Legs by Nadine Brun-Cosme
A worried child questions his father about being picked up from school. His father gives ever creative answers to his son's continuing questions until he gives one that satisfies. Promotes independence, thinkers, fears, and social and emotional learning.
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The Day I Became a Bird by Ingrid Chabbert
On his first day of school, a young boy falls in love with Sylvia, who sits in front of him.
While she is all he can see, Sylvia only has eyes for birds. The boy comes to school dressed up as a bird to get Sylvia's attention. Ignoring the giggles of his classmates, he is thrilled when Sylvia finally sees him.
This translated book promotes discussions on personal interests, self-discovery, self-expression, and social skills.
Amazon
The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
The Day You Begin considers the difficulty of entering a room where you don’t know anyone. In these situations, we are “an only” until we share our personal stories. Woodson reminds us that we are all outsiders, and it takes courage to be ourselves.
Read to promote discussions on empathy, identity, growth mindset, open-mindedness, relationship skills, self-awareness and self-esteem.
Amazon
ACTIVITIES
I Don’t Want to Go to School by Stephanie Blake
Simon reluctantly goes to school after much debate with his parents.
Once there, he meets new friends and has so much fun he doesn't want to go home when his mother picks him up.
Amazon
The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
An art teacher encourages Vashti to make a mark, a dot, prompting Vashti to create a wide range of dot paintings. She displays her work at the school art show and inspires a young boy to make his own unique mark.
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ACTIVITIES
Edda: A Little Valkyrie's First Day of School by Adam Auerbach
When Edda, the littlest Valkyrie, leaves her home in Asgard to start school, she feels different. She remembers that the Valkyrie are brave and she uses her courage to make new friends.
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A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Creech
A well-meaning principal learns that learning outside of school can be as important as being in school.
Reinforces themes of self-management, balance, well-being and enthusiasm.
Amazon
Going to School by Rose Blake
An introduction to school for young children. Follow a group of friends getting to and from school and following their daily routine, including classroom activities, playtime, storytime and the food they eat.
Amazon
I Got the School Spirit by Connie Schofield-Morrison
Feel the positivity and enthusiasm as a young girl starts school. She shows empathy to students struggling with first-day nerves and makes new friends. Told in the first person, the girl shows how fun and exciting school can be, especially if you have a positive mindset.
Promotes self-esteem, a growth mindset, self-confidence, enthusiasm, empathy, curiosity, and relationship skills.
Amazon
How to Read a Book by Kwame Alexander
A young boy shares how he reads a book starting with finding an enjoyable story.
He then finds a reading buddy before finding a comfortable reading spot.
Promotes word choice, perseverance, enthusiasm, open-mindedness and communication.
Amazon
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
Brian struggles to make himself stand out. When he befriends a new student from Korea, she helps him grow in confidence and feel less invisible.
Promotes themes of loneliness, kindness and relationship skills.
Amazon
ACTIVITIES
TIslandborn by Junot Diazitle
Lola collects memories of the Caribbean island where she was born. She finds out about music, beaches, sweet mangoes, a colourful environment and destructive forces. These tales help Lola feel pride in her heritage.
Reinforces themes of belonging, identity, immigration and inquiry.
Amazon
The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes
A young boy is ready for Kindergarten. He meets new friends and takes part in many new experiences. He enthusiastically tells his parents about his day and how he can’t wait for the next day.
Amazon
Lailah's Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story by Reem Faruqi
Lailah and her family have emigrated to a new country, and she has to start at a new school. She is excited to participate in the upcoming Ramadan fast but worries about the reaction of her new classmates.
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Lila and the Crow by Gabrielle Grimard
Lila's dark skin, hair and eyes make her stand out at her new school. She is bullied and likened to a crow. She embraces who she is at the autumn festival costume party and dressed as a crow.
Promotes self-acceptance, self-awareness, discrimination, resilience, and loneliness.
Amazon
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
The second of two books for the first day of school by Kevin Henkes. Lilly loves school, her teacher, and her purple plastic purse. When her teacher, Mr Slinger, confiscates the purse, she plans her revenge. She draws a mean picture of Mr Slinger but soon feels remorse and sets out to make amends.
Promotes self-management, forgiveness, integrity, relationship skills and reflection.
Amazon
ACTIVITIES
Lissy's Friends by Grace Lin
At school, Lissy plays by herself, making animal friends from paper. When the wind carries the animals away they are returned to Lissy by a new friend.
Amazon
Mae's First Day of School by Kate Berube
School is scary, and Mae IS. NOT. GOING! Mae thinks of all the things that could go wrong on her first day of school.
When she makes a new friend they help each other conquer their fears.
Amazon
The Magical Yet by Angela DiTerlizzi
Despite her frustrations, a young girl persists in learning to ride her bike. Use to discuss a growth mindset, determination, making mistakes and not giving up.
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Monsters Love School by Mike Austin
Despite her frustrations, a young girl persists in learning to ride her bike. Use to discuss a growth mindset, determination, making mistakes and not giving up.
Amazon
Marianthe's Story: Painted Words by Aliki
Marianthe doesn't understand any English after moving from Greece to America. As she struggles to communicate with her peers, her teacher suggests she paints her ideas.
Reinforce themes of immigration, storytelling, visualising, relationship skills and self-awareness.
Amazon
Marshall Armstrong is New to Our School by David Mackintosh
Quirky Marshall Armstrong doesn’t fit in at his new school. But he soon shows the other students you don’t have to follow the crowd to be popular.
Promotes individuality, self-awareness, relationship skills and open-mindedness.
Amazon
My Name is Yoon by Helen Recorvits
After leaving South Korea, Yoon tries to settle into her new home in America. Her name means ‘Shining wisdom’ and she loves the way it looks written in Korean. She doesn’t like how it looks when written in English. She wonders if she should change her name to help her fit in.
Read to start discussions on immigration, identity, loneliness, and self-acceptance.
Amazon
My Teacher is a Monster! by Peter Brown
Robert’s teacher, Ms Kirby, is a monster.
Or that is how he sees her in the classroom. When Robert meets Ms Kirby outside of the school, his opinion of her changes as he realises she is not who he thought she was.
Promotes discussions on school life, perspectives, perceptions and making judgements.
Amazon
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
When Unhei moves from Korea to America, her classmates can’t pronounce her name. She wants to choose a new name that is easier to pronounce but decides she likes her name just the way it is.
Promotes themes of acceptance, identity, integrity, open-mindedness, principled and tolerance.
Amazon
Activities
Nana Akua Goes to School by Tricia Elam Walker
Zura hesitantly brings her Nana Akua to her school for Grandparents Day.
With traditional Ghanian tribal markings on her face, Nana Akua looks very different from the other grandparents. She creatively explains to Zura and her classmates the meaning of her culture and why it makes her special.
Promotes themes of identity, open-mindedness, making connections, and belonging.
Amazon
Never, Not Ever! by Beatrice Alemagna
While the other animals make their way to school, Pascaline refuses. “Never, not ever!” She shrieks so loudly her parents shrink to the size of peanuts. Pascaline tucks them under her wing and takes them to school. What initially seems like a fun idea turns into a nuisance. She returns to school the next day alone.
This translated book promotes discussions on being independent and self-management.
Amazon
Over-Scheduled Andrew by Ashley Spires
Joining his school’s drama club inspires Andrew to join many other groups.
As a result, he has to figure out how to balance all the different aspects of his life.
This book reinforces the themes of balance, time-management, self-management and organisation.
Amazon
The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family by Ibtihaj Muhammad
On the first day of school, sisters, Asiya and Faizah walk hand in hand. Asiya is wearing a hijab for the first time, representing being strong. Faizah admires her sister's beautiful blue scarf but hears other children making fun of her. The sisters follow their mother's advice about being strong and true to themselves in the face of bullying.
Promotes themes of tolerance, self-esteem, making connections, and different points of view.
Amazon
Activities
Rulers of the Playground by Joseph Kuefler
Everyone follows Johan's rules of the playground, all except Lennox.
She wants to become the ruler of the playground. As playground politics and demanding behaviour increase, they lose all their friends. On reflection, they realise that they need to change their attitude, and they come up with a plan to apologise.
Amazon
School's First Day of School by Adam Rex
Frederick Douglass Elementary School feels nervous about opening its doors for the new term. The school finds out it is not the only feeling worried about the first day back at school.
Amazon
The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade by Justin Roberts
Observant Sally notices everything, particularly bullying in the playground. Despite being small, she makes a big difference by standing up to the bullies.
Read during back to school to discuss bullying, compassion, principled, respect, tolerance and character traits.
Amazon
Sumi's First Day of School Ever by Joung Un Kim
Sumi is overwhelmed on her first day of school because she doesn't speak English. A kind teacher helps Sumi discover that school may not be as lonely and scary as she first thought.
Amazon
Sunday Chutney by Aaron Blabey
Sunday Chutney is always the new girl at school, but she makes the best of the situation with her independent attitude and spirit. Promotes identity, individuality and open-mindedness.
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Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts
Jeremy is mortified when his old shoes fall apart, and the school counsellor provides an unstylish replacement pair. He successfully searches a second-hand shop for a pair of ‘those shoes’, but they are too small. After some reflection, he passes the sneakers to a young child who Jeremy realises needs them more than him.
Read to promote discussions on peer pressure, compassion, empathy, generosity, kindness, sharing, and poverty.
Amazon
Activities
We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins
Penelope Rex's first day of school doesn't quite go as planned when she eats her classmates. Unsurprisingly, the other children are scared of her. She finally learns a lesson that helps her understand how her classmates feel.
Promotes empathy, self-management and making friends.
Amazon
I Will Be Fierce by Bea Birdsong
A young girl determined to be fierce puts on her armour (a rainbow shirt). She stands up to dragons (dogs), climbs the Mountain of Knowledge (the library), walks with giants (older children) and, by the end of the day, builds new bridges (making friends).
Promotes courage, overcoming fears and confidence.
Amazon
Your Name Is a Song by J Thompkins-Bigelow
A young girl leaves school frustrated after a day of her classmates and teacher mispronouncing her name. On their walk home she tells her mother she doesn’t want to go back, who in turn tells her daughter “your name is a song.” She returns to school empowered and shares what she has learned.
Promotes themes of identity, respect, individuality, empowerment, love, confidence, and self-esteem.
Amazon
Best books for kids who love school stories
The saying goes that school days are the best of your life. So much so that some of us (like myself!) stay in them and become teachers. Read on to find out if these characters had the best days of their lives in their magical, intergalactic and incredible schools with these suggestions from primary school teacher and avid children's literature reader, Scott Evans.
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Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling(£6.99, Bloomsbury)
I couldn't start this list with any establishment but the most famous school to ever feature in a book – Hogwarts! Published over twenty years ago but forever steeped in magic, the best-selling book series of all time is a school story as well as a tale of wizards and wonder. I can still remember the day when my parents introduced me to Harry Potter and I boarded the Hogwarts Express through these very pages. A must-read.
Malory Towers: First Term by Enid Blyton(£6.99, Hodder)
Perfect for 9+, this series will hook young readers and turn them into wannabe Malory Towers pupils! Lots of adult readers will never have forgotten about reading about Darrell and friends as children, making this the perfect shared reading experience.
- A huge collection of creative writing & reading comprehension resources
- Explore texts, deepen understanding, share opinions
- For Year 1 to Year 6
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The Children of Castle Rock by Natasha Farrant(£6.
99, Faber)
From the classic cover to the timeless way this tale is told, The Children of Castle Rock is an adventure story with a difference. Alice Mistlethwaite is shipped off to boarding school and soon realises it's not quite as she'd imagined. Troublesome and funny friends, a mysterious Major in charge of the school and the disappearance of her father all feature in a thoroughly modern Famous-Five-style adventure. Recommended!
The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler by Gene Kemp(£6.99, Faber)
Tyke by name, Tyke by nature. Wherever Tyke goes, trouble soon follows – especially when he's near his best friend, Danny Price, and it's their last term at Cricklepit Combined School. Prepare yourself for an end-of-book revelation that many will not see coming... A story that will make readers think differently and challenges stereotypes and fixed thinking.
Ottoline Goes to School by Chris Riddell(£5.
99, Macmillan)
Quintessentially quirky, Chris Riddell is a writing and illustrating powerhouse. As Ottoline ventures off to Alice B. Smith School for the Differently Gifted, she worries about her lack of a special gift... The perfect early chapter book series for independent readers who are growing in confidence.
Welcome to Alien School by Caryl Hart & Ed Eaves(£6.99, Simon & Schuster)
An out-of-this-world picture book adventure, set in a land of aliens that most children would love to meet on a school day! Packed with vivid illustrations, this is a great bedtime read that will be asked for over and over again.
Head Kid by David Baddiel(£6.99, Macmillan)
Think about the strictest headteacher you've ever had. Now think about the naughtiest child in your class at school. What would happen if they swapped bodies? Absolute carnage, that's what! Laugh your head off with this wish-fulfilling, hugely funny story from comic genius David Baddiel.
(£6.99, ZunTold)
Blaggards: a school like no other, which actually teaches you how to be a criminal! Join Milly (a strategic and logical mastermind) and Charlie (a clever hacker) on a hilarious adventure to unmask evil villians, some of whom are from their very own school. Original and full of twists and turns and gangsterly going-ons.
There's a Snake in My School! by David Walliams(£6.99, HarperCollins)
It's Bring-Your-Pet-To-School Day and Miranda loves to be different from everyone else – so different that she brings her pet snake to school! PET SNAKE? Yes, you heard correctly! A brilliant book for younger readers over the age of four to enjoy. Guaranteed to make many a child chuckle!
The School Mouse by Dick King-Smith(£5.99, Puffin)
Flora is no ordinary mouse: born on the first day of term in the new school year, she's a rodent super-brain and has taught herself to read! Living in a classroom, Flora is determined to learn things that no mouse has ever learned before.
Her family aren't sure about her academic pursuits... until she saves their lives! A wonderful story from acclaimed animal storyteller Dick King-Smith, with the message that reading is powerful.
(£6.99, Bloomsbury)
'Naughty.' 'Severe behaviour problems.' 'No-one likes him.' Just a few of the things people say about about Bradley Chalkers – apart from Carla, the school counsellor, who sees a different side to him. A multi-layered story for upper KS2 readers about self-belief, support and seeing the best in each other from the author of the award winning Holes.
Mr Majeika by Humphrey Carpenter(£4.99, Puffin)
A fantastic series of books, short enough to each be read in one sitting. New teacher Mr Majeka flies in through the classroom window and lands on the floor with a bump – and life will never be the same again for the pupils in Class Three! Great fun for adults too – why not read it aloud to your child and enjoy it?
I Am Absolutely Too Small for School by Lauren Child(£6.
99, Orchard)
Most people remember their first day at school, if not from their own memories then most probably from their parents'. Did you feel scared? Nervous? Excited? Or too small to start school? Well, that's how Lola feels. Help to allay any starting-school worries with one of the first, beautifully illustrated Charlie and Lola stories.
The Naughtiest Girl in the School by Enid Blyton(£6.99, Hodder Children's Books)
Written between 1940 and 1952, Enid Blyton's Naughtiest Girl books are classics that still make children laugh (and wish they went to boarding school too!). When spoilt, selfish Elizabeth Allen arrives for her first year at Whyteleafe boarding school she vows to be the naughtiest pupil the school has ever seen! She finds out that being bad isn't as simple (or as fun) as it seems...
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7 interesting books about school and students that children will like | books A selection of exciting, funny and instructive books about school and schoolchildren will allow children to take a fresh look at the learning process and escape from everyday boredom.
Naughty seven-year-old Hedwig is going to school soon, which means it's time for all sorts of interesting things and new acquaintances. For a girl, this is especially important, because she lives in a real wilderness, where there is not a single peer among the neighbors. Now she will be able to communicate with the guys - and for her it's like a breath of fresh air!
At first glance, Hedwig is a true minx. She is a little wild, and therefore every now and then makes her parents blush. But at the same time, she always feels the love of the household and the support of her relatives - isn't this important at such a difficult age, when any careless word can harm?
This book is a great option for family reading. It will allow you to get acquainted with the inner world of a 7-8 year old child, to understand his problems, experiences, feelings and thoughts.
This is a story about the inner world of a modern teenager and the problems of growing up.
The action of the story takes place in the city of Varlamov, and the characters are eighth-graders of one of the schools in the city.
Vera Odintsova's class is almost a real flock, where you beat or beat you. Boys and girls are two neighboring clans with their leaders. Faith does not want to live by such laws. She dreams of becoming a writer, plays in the school theater, composes music, helps her beloved teacher. And it is these hobbies that help her change everything around.
An instructive book about a spoiled, obnoxious girl by Elizabeth Allen. The parents decide to send her to a boarding school, hoping that there their daughter will take the path of correction. No matter how! Elizabeth decides by all means to make sure that she is expelled. She begins to foul, be rude, do not follow the rules of the school. However, she did not take into account the fact that the school was not quite ordinary...
It is in this school that Elizabeth finds friends and reveals the best features of her character.
If a child has already read all of Dragunsky and Krapivin, then Olga Grosheva's book will definitely appeal to him.
The book is written in the format of short stories on behalf of an eight-year-old schoolboy Slavka, with whom different adventures happen every now and then: at school, at home and on the street. There is no fantasy, symbolism and hidden meanings here. Just the ordinary life of a modern student. For example, how Slavka's hooligan friends are transferred to a humanitarian class, and he himself remains to study in mathematics, where he soon has new comrades - excellent students.
Universal book for children and their parents - funny, unobtrusive, but leaving a positive impression. The narrative is built in the form of stories illustrating the most fun and incredible situations from school life.
Here you can find stories about children of all ages: from first graders to sixth graders. And the best part is that all the stories are real! The publication contains stories of children (of course, with the indication of authorship), which children from all over the country once sent to the editors of the Kostyor magazine.
“I'm not weird, I'm normal. All the others are weird. In fact, you are considered normal only because there are more of you! As if if there are more people, then they are right. By the way, most people thought the Earth was flat.” This book is a story of two boys who are not like everyone else. One of them is Lyova Inozemtsev, an unusual child, he is fond of mathematics and music. And... has color hearing. At school, he is considered strange and no one wants to be friends with him.
But life is still amazing, and as a result, Lyova's friend becomes the one who mocked him the most.
“This is a touching and fascinating story about us, inquisitive children of all ages: small, grown up and old. This is a story about our thoughts and feelings, sorrows and joys, relationships with the world and people around us, and, of course, about first love.
"Scarecrow", Vladimir Zheleznikov (12+)
School is not only funny stories and friendship until the end of time, but also problems that sometimes have to be faced for the first time.
Lena Bessoltseva, new in the class, was nicknamed the "scarecrow" because of her eccentric grandfather, who leads a secluded life. Trying to win favor, Lena tries to smile at all the barbs of the class leaders, but such strange behavior only angers and annoys the offenders.
One day Lena comes face to face with the betrayal of a classmate whom she considered to be truly close. She becomes a real outcast: she is harassed and boycotted.
The book deals with difficult topics: teenage cruelty, betrayal, dissent. The story of one little man with a pure soul and a big heart will not leave indifferent any schoolchild.
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25 books about wonderful school years for children and their parents - News of the Chelyabinsk region
Very soon the first bell will ring and millions of schoolchildren will sit down at their desks again. But while they have three more weeks of vacation, and you have quiet evenings without making crafts at half past one at night for the autumn holiday, we suggest you plunge into school everyday life with the help of books.
Discover the best works about school and schoolchildren and remember your school years and, of course, read with your children.
1. JK Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
@marie_ensemble
Age limit: 6+
The book that conquered the world, the standard of literature for readers of all ages, synonymous with success. The book that made J.K. Rowling the most widely read writer of our time. A book that has become a cult for several generations. "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" - the story of a boy living under the stairs on Privet Street, at the magical school of Hogwarts begins.
2. Alexei Ivanov, "The geographer drank his globe away."
Age restrictions: 18+
This novel is not at all about the fact that the cheerful guy Vitka cannot find support in his life. And not about the fact that a young geography teacher Sluzhkin falls in love with his own student.
This is a novel about the resilience of a person in a situation where moral values are not in demand by society. A novel about how much courage and humility a person needs in order to preserve a "living soul", not to fall into anger or pride, but to live according to conscience and love.
3. Pavel Sanaev, "Bury me behind the plinth."
Age restrictions: 18+
A story in which the theme of growing up seems to be turned upside down and acquires the features of surreal humor! A book in which the very idea of a happy childhood is parodied in a Homeric funny and subtly evil way. Sensitive and intelligent Sanaev understood everything correctly. That is why the value of his story increases and its place in the history of Russian literature is guaranteed.
4. Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird.
Age limit: 16+
For this book, translated into almost all languages of the world, the writer was awarded the Pulitzer Prize.
The book was recognized as the best American novel of the twentieth century by the "Library Journal", and then brought the author the highest civilian award in the United States - the Medal of Freedom. Its total circulation in the States alone amounted to more than thirty million copies! The story of a small sleepy town in the south of America, told by a little girl. The story of her brother Jim, friend of Dill, and her father, Atticus Finch, an honest, principled lawyer, one of the last and best representatives of the old "southern aristocracy". The story of the trial of a black man accused of violence against a white girl. But above all, the story of a turning point, when xenophobia, racism, intolerance and hypocrisy, inherent in the American South, are gradually fading into the past. The "wind of change" has just blown over America. What will he bring?..
5. Jerome Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye.
Age limit: 16+
Salinger's only novel, The Catcher in the Rye, became a turning point in the history of world literature.
The title of the book and the name of the protagonist Holden Caulfield have become codes for many generations of young rebels - from beatniks and hippies to representatives of today's radical youth movements.
The novel is presented in a brilliant translation by Rita Wright-Kovaleva, which has become a classic of translation art.
6. Veniamin Kaverin, Two Captains.
Age restrictions: 12+
Veniamin Kaverin's novel "Two Captains" is one of the cult works of Soviet adventure literature. This extraordinary story of love, honor and courage has not left indifferent generations of readers. Sanya Grigoriev devoted his whole life to finding traces of the missing expedition of Captain Ivan Tatarinov and to restore the good name of this brave traveler and explorer. In search of the truth, he had to make difficult, and sometimes extremely difficult decisions. A youthful dream led Sanya to the ranks of polar explorers. Having gone through many severe trials and losses, Captain Grigoriev retains his spiritual sensitivity and human dignity, and his purposeful character helps to keep the oath given in childhood: "Fight and seek, find and not give up.
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7. Stephen Chbosky, It's good to be quiet.
Age limit: 18+
Charlie is entering high school. Fearing what awaits him there after a recent nervous breakdown, he begins to write letters to someone whom he has never seen in his life, but who, he is sure, should understand him well. Charlie doesn't like going to dances because he usually likes songs that you can't dance to. Each new book he read on the advice of Bill, a literature teacher, immediately becomes Charlie's favorite: To Kill a Mockingbird, Peter Pan, The Great Gatsby, Catcher in the Rye, On the Road, Naked breakfast "... Bill advises Charlie "to be not a sponge, but a filter", and he honestly tries. Charlie is also trying not to remember the tightly forgotten childhood traumas and to sort out his feelings for high school student Sam, the sister of his friend Patrick, nicknamed No way ...
8. Paola Peretti, "The distance between me and the cherry tree."
Age limit: 12+
Mafalda is nine years old, wears thick yellow glasses, knows Italo Calvino's The Tree Baron by heart and loves her cat.
She has a rare retinal disease and will soon be at risk of total blindness. school yard. She adores this tree, which has become her only refuge, and greets him from afar as her best friend. But the trouble is, every day between the point where Mafalda begins to distinguish the contours of the tree, and the cherry itself, there are less and less steps left, which means that the darkness is already very close.
9. Guzel Yakhina, My Children.
Age restrictions: 16+
My Children is a new novel by Guzel Yakhina, the brightest debutante in the history of modern Russian literature, winner of the Big Book and Yasnaya Polyana awards for the bestseller Zuleikha Opens Her Eyes. Volga region, 1920-1930s. Jacob Bach is a Russian German teacher in the Gnadental colony. He turned away from the world a long time ago, raises his only daughter Anche on a secluded farm and writes fairy tales that miraculously and tragically come true.
10. Masha Traub, "The Diary of a First Grader's Mom.
" Age limit: 16+
Are you still worried about counting to ten and calligraphy in cursive? Then guess the riddle: “With a voiced consonant we live in it, with a deaf one we read it.” The correct answer is: "house - volume." Or else: "Write the names of fish with a soft sign at the end of four, five, six and seven letters." To mothers — fishermen and biologists who will surely cope with this task, I offer an additional one. “Two words are given: “work” and “idleness”. Quote the proverb. You cannot use the Internet. And books too. Answer: "A small deed is better than a big idleness." This is for children in the second grade. They say that by the third grade, all parents feel like clinical idiots.
11. Tara Westover, Student. Give in order to gain."
Age limit: 16+
Tara has a strange family. The father is preparing for the end of the world - canning peaches in case of mass famine and buying weapons that can destroy an entire village.
The mother treats burns and crushed bones with lavender tincture, and the brothers and sisters do not go to school and work in a landfill. Tara knows how to handle a rifle and operate a construction crane, but has difficulty reading and writing. But one day her life changes. Secretly from her parents, Tara is preparing to enter college ...
12. Bel Kaufman, "Up the stairs leading down."
Age limit: 16+
The novel, which grew out of a three-page story, has become one of the main American works of fiction dedicated to the school. This is a story in which drama, absurdity and love are intertwined. Bel Kaufman wrote her book half a century ago with her own experience in school in mind, but the issues raised here are relevant to modern Russia as well. Education of difficult teenagers, bureaucracy in schools and the integration of migrants - every current teacher, student or his parent, perhaps, has an opinion on these sensitive issues.
13.
Ulf Nilsson and Eva Erickson, Alone on Stage. Age limit: 0+
My younger brother thinks that I sing the best. But I don't want to sing in front of an audience for anything in the world. Spotlights shine directly into the eyes. I'm terribly shy. I cling tightly to the teacher ... Go on stage? One? A real nightmare!
Ulf Nilsson and Eva Erikson - the legendary Swedish tandem of laureates of the Astrid Lindgren International Prize - with understanding and humor dealt with another fear familiar to everyone since childhood - stage fright.
14. Raquel J. Palacio, Miracle.
Age limit: 12+
There is a fifth grader named August Pullman. On the one hand, he is the same as other boys of his age - he likes to go to his friends' birthday parties, play computer games, he is a fan of Star Wars, plays with his dog, quarrels and puts up with his older sister. On the other hand, he is not at all like other boys of his age.
Firstly, August never went to a regular school - from the first grade, his mother studied at home with him. Secondly, August underwent 27 surgeries.
Due to a very rare but occasionally occurring genetic error, Augustus has no face. Don't be scared. He has eyes and nose, mouth and ears. But all this is mixed on his face in such a way that you can’t immediately make out. And from infancy, Augustus got used to the fact that children (and some adults, too), having cast a glance at his face, quickly turned away, or even fled as fast as they could. This is the kind of boy who should go to school. For the first time. To ordinary children. The story of the life of Augustus (his family, old and new friends) during one school year was told in her first novel by an American R.J. Palacio. This is not a book about a disabled boy. Boy-no-face. Invisible boy. Boy-shocking-others. This is a book about how courage, sense of humor, kindness and friendship can create a real miracle. That's why it's called "The Miracle".
15. Ulf Stark, Freaks and Bores.
Age restrictions: 12+
The books of the Swedish writer Ulf Stark are known and loved in Russia and all over the world. Everything in his books is like in life: they grow up together with the child, they open to him the complex modern world of blissful and stupid, eccentrics and bores...
morons who inhabited her house ": with forever forgetting everything (including the birthday of her daughter and the dog Kilroy when moving) and giving up trying to "become a normal" mother, her ridiculous husband. In addition, at the new school, Simone is mistaken for a boy because of her unusual name - and she is forced to do everything so as not to be in an absurd position, starting a “boyish career” ...
16. Agnès Desarts, "I don't like you."
Age limit: 16+
Julie Fuchs is a student at the Edouard Manet Lycée in Paris, she reads a lot and thinks about life like a true philosopher.
Her teachers adore her, because she is the best in the class in mathematics, in Latin and in literature. At home, her younger sister Judith, an inventor and mother's favorite, does not let her get bored, and at school she is a friend of Joan, who did not excel in academic disciplines, but knows everything about how a real woman should look like. Suddenly, Julie finds out that Paulus, the coolest guy in school, is in love with her. Julie can't believe it. She has absolutely no experience in love affairs. Yes, and lack of self-confidence. Love is everywhere, but Julie does not understand what laws operate in the world of feelings. Why does Paulus rewrite Apollinaire's poems for her? Why is he calling her on the phone? What is he striving for? Maybe it's not love, but a prank?
17. Tod Strasser, The Wave.
Age limit: 12+
This story is based on real events that took place in the 1970s in an ordinary California school. To convey to students the basic principles of the functioning of the Nazi system, history teacher Ben Ross creates the Wave movement.
Its ideology is based on a formula borrowed from the way of Nazi Germany. In just a few days, the school turns into a real micro-totalitarian community, whose members are ready to follow their leader with terrifying obedience. The situation is completely out of control, and Ben Ross no longer understands how to end this madness ...
18. Marius von Mayenburg, "Martyr".
Age restrictions: 18+
The play by the German playwright and director Marius von Mayenburg is dedicated to the problem of misunderstanding between mother and son, teacher and student. In the most familiar circumstances and at the same time the most psychologically marked environment - a school class - unfolds a dispute about true faith and unbelief, about true destiny and false ideals
19. Lev Davydychev, "The Life and Sufferings of Ivan Semenov, Second Grader".
Age restrictions: 6+
The life of Ivan Semyonov, a second-grader and second-year student, full of hardships and dangers, was written on the basis of the author's personal observations and stories that he heard from participants in the events described, as well as a certain amount of fantasy.
20. Vladimir Zheleznikov, Scarecrow.
Age restrictions: 6+
The famous story "Scarecrow" by the famous children's writer Vladimir Karpovich Zheleznikov was published at 1981 year. She immediately caused a flurry of responses and disputes. A film of the same name, shot a few years later, became a serious event in the life of the country. Sixth-grader Lena Bessoltseva is an awkward eccentric, the class makes fun of her and gives her the nickname "Scarecrow". But the difficult situation that Lena finds herself in and how she gets out of it help others understand the beauty of the soul, the rare nobility and high degree of self-sacrifice of this unremarkable girl.
21. Victor Dragunsky, "Deniska's stories".
Age restrictions: 6+
Viktor Dragunsky's funny stories, written more than half a century ago, have not lost their relevance. The characters are understandable and close, which means that their adventures will also captivate young readers.
22. Rob Buie, "All because of Mr. Terrapt."
Age limit: 12+
"We're out of luck, there are teachers," Peter thinks as he heads off to fifth grade. He does not yet know that this year he will meet with Mr. Terrapt - a very special teacher. Very soon, the school becomes a place where it is interesting to go and where you learn not only mathematics and biology, but also responsiveness, friendship, and responsibility. Only once, in the middle of winter, an unsuccessfully thrown snowball turned into a real tragedy ... Seven students of the same class: the bully Peter, the clever Jessica, the intriguing Alexia, the excellent student Luke, the good-natured Daniel, the quiet Anna and the silent Geoffrey - tell us this story, and their voices, initially discordant, gradually merge into a beautiful chorus. Beautiful, because love, gratitude and hope are heard in it.
23. Evgenia Pasternak, Andrey Zhvalevsky, “I want to go to school”
Age restrictions: 6+
This is a fantasy, a fairy tale and an unheard-of story.
In this book, you will not meet aliens, Baba Yaga, or, at worst, talking animals. But get to know the amazing school, where students run in the morning with one thought: “Hurry up!” It makes the wildest dreams come true - from flying in a hot air balloon to traveling to Elbrus. There are no usual “objects” and “parallels” in it, but there are a lot of projects and a brotherhood of like-minded people. In a word, a miracle, not a school. However, like any miracle, it is very fragile. And one beautiful day, the students have to stand up to protect their dreams.
24. Galina Shcherbakova, "You never dreamed of."
Age restrictions: 18+
Galina Shcherbakova gained all-Russian fame with the story “You never dreamed of” – a recognized bestseller of the eighties, followed by many wonderful books about love, because, according to the author, only love gives meaning to this life. And also about friendship and betrayal, about the complex interweaving of fate, about people who do not give up and continue to seek their happiness, despite all the obstacles and trials.
