10+ Books for Back to School that Build Positive Traits

Bully and Goggles:

When it comes to friendship, I have a long list of book choices. I love Patricia Polacco and the themes she shares in her books, and from her titles, Bully is the one I use often with upper grades. It deals with cliques which are a real problem in upper elementary. For primary students, Goggles by Ezra Jack Keats has a similar theme in that two boys are bullied by older kids. I think it’s an important read because it allows discussion of what’s okay and what’s not. Every child needs to read and know Peter and hear the stories from Ezra Jack Keats (but the rest are all very sweet natured). They are just classics.

Frog and Toad Series:

Another great choice for the primary grades is Frog and Toad are Friends. Agree? Again, all kids should know Frog and Toad. The themes are easy to connect with, and the books are perfect for first and second grade. Children at this age are anxious to read chapter books, and Frog and Toad are typically kids’ first introduction to chapter books. This bundle includes all four titles and resources by chapter.

Each Kindness:

Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson. It is tough because it doesn’t have a happy ending, but it will get your children thinking which is what we need them to do if they are truly going to internalize the importance of being a true friend to every child in the classroom.

Whistle for Willie

If you decide to feature Ezra Jack Keats, I will point out Whistle for Willie is in this list. Peter is trying to learn how to whistle. The story shows how he sticks with it til he’s able to whistle for his dog, Willie.

Salt in His Shoes

Salt in His Shoes is the story of Michael Jordan, and it is sure to pull in any basketball lovin’ girl or boy. This book is truly a favorite for many teachers because it demonstrates how Michael Jordan worked and worked to be the amazing basketball player he was. This unit works well for Back to School, but also if you want to teach biographies.

Amazing Grace:

Amazing Grace is a great choice for building perseverance. Grace wants to be Peter Pan in her class production, but many tell her she can’t. She works and works to perfect the moves and learn the lines. She doesn’t give up when she hears nay sayers doubt her skills.

A Chair for My Mother

The final book under this topic is A Chair for My Mother. In this classic, the family experiences a house fire and loses all of their belongings. Little by little, the family works to save loose change to buy a beautiful chair for the mother to rest and relax after working so hard. Perseverance is important in a variety of contexts, and this is a great example of saving money for large purchases.

Mrs. Spitzer’s Garden

This set is best for second grader and up, but may work well for a lesson later in the year for strong first graders. It includes both pdf and digital options to make it easy for use on your Smartboard or in print.

The Cool Bean:

The Cool Bean by Jory John is a new book that I highly recommend. It’s about the importance of helping others and how that is a cool thing. This resource is a comprehension check boom card deck. It’s great for use after reading.