10 Great Chapter Books to Get Kids Excited to Go Back to School

Isadora Moon Goes to School (Isadora Moon series #1), by Harriet Muncaster
One of the most unique characters you’ll meet, Isadora is half-fairy and half-vampire. She loves both sunshine and the darkest night, but doesn’t really feel like she fits in anywhere. Her fairy mother and vampire father come up with the perfect plan. They will send her to one day of fairy school, and one night of vampire school, and then let her choose which path she’ll take. It sounds like a simple idea, but when Isadora finds she struggles to find her place at either school, things become more complicated. Will attending a human school be the right choice for Isadora?

The Year of the Book (The Anna Wang series #1), by Andrea Change and Abigail Halpin
Anna has always found solace in the pages of a book. Now that she’s started fourth grade, she wishes more than ever that she could disappear into the world of stories. It would mean not having to deal with mean girls, or the loss of her best friend, or the challenges of growing up in a Chinese-American family. But thanks to some special people in Anna’s real world, she discovers that she’s as strong as the heroines she loves, and able to conquer her own battles.

Jo and Sparky Go to School, by Jamie Michalak and Frank Remkiewicz
Sparky the turtle is far more cautious than his friend Jo, the giraffe. But when a bus full of noisy, short people pulls up at Safari World, both friends are curious. While investigating, Sparky ends up stuck on the moving bus, prompting Jo to jump on the back of the bus in order to save him. Now on a field trip of their own, the two try their best to fit in to the school, much to the reader’s amusement. From their attempts to earn a gold star from the teacher, to their awe with the flushing “magic pond,” Jo and Sparky receive quite the education.

The Dunderheads, by Paul Fleischman and David Roberts
Miss Breakbone is the type of teacher every kid hopes not to get. She’s mean, loud, strict, and runs her classroom like a prison. Nobody dares to stand up to her. That is, until the day she confiscates the figurine that Junkyard was planning to give his mother for his birthday. It’s the final straw. Using creativity (and hilarity), Junkyard and his classmates pull together to use their unique talents in a way that will not only retrieve Junkyard’s figurine, but put the tyrannical Miss Breakbone in her place.

Junie B. Jones First Grader (at Last!), by Barbara Park
Hilarious Junie B. has graduated Kindergarten and is finally starting first grade and eagerly anticipating the new adventures to come her way—a new classroom, new teacher, and new friends. Nevertheless, when she cannot read the words on the chalkboard, Junie B. discovers she may need glasses. Readers will delight in the adventures of a first grader, which can be a somewhat scary time for young students, and kids with glasses will be thrilled to find a comrade in Junie B. Eleven books comprise the entire first grade Junie B. series.

September Sneakers, by Ron Roy
Book nine of the Calendar Mysteries series, this early-reader chapter book follows four young sleuths as they solve a the mystery of the vanished classroom pet. After caring for their first-grade class hamster, Goldi, over the summer, the four are shocked to find her missing on the first day back to school. In the cage is a sneaker keychain, and soon sneakers start turning up all over the neighborhood. The kids set out to solve the mystery and get their class hamster back before it is too late. (Bonus: You can rest assured your kid will not volunteer to take home the class pet come winter break!)

Miss Daisy is Crazy, by Dan Gutman
When your teacher is as goofy as Miss Daisy, school becomes one mixed up melee of merriment. Miss Daisy confides in her second grade students at Ella Mentry School that she cannot read and she does not understand an iota of math. Soon enough the kids are the ones teaching her, and each other. This first book in the My Weird School series features short chapters, a larger font size, and interspersed illustrations that will engage even the most reluctant readers.

Bad Kitty School Daze, by Nick Bruel
If sibling screaming matches, break-out fights, and household commotion sounds familiar to you, this back to school pick is perfect for your kids. Not only will this book keep them quiet, but it will also keep them entertained. When Kitty misbehaves, she is sent to obedience school, where she must learn to like others and listen to the rules. But will things go as planned? Whatever happens, you can rest assured that young readers will be delighted!

The School Is Alive!, by Jack Chabert
Book one of the Eerie Elementary Series, this story starts with Sam Graves. On his first day of school, Sam is assigned to be the hall monitor and he is convinced the school is not only alive, but evil. Together with a couple of classmates, Sam tries to prove his theory and save the school before the big class play. With great plot development and easy to read text, this book is perfectly creepy without being too scary for your young reader. Dreams (or nightmares) of your own time as an elementary student may just come back to haunt you, especially during the follow-up titles in the series, such as The Locker Ate Lucy! and the forthcoming Recess is a Jungle!.

The One and Only Stuey Lewis: Stories From the Second Grade, by Jane Schoenberg
The prospect of surviving second grade will seem much easier once your child has had a chance to live vicariously through Stuey and his multitude of dilemmas. From a fear of soccer, to difficulty reading, to trouble with an arch-nemesis, this book covers relevant quandaries for many readers as they navigate their way through the halls of elementary school. A series of linked short stories, divided by chapters and line drawings, makes this a great book for students moving into chapter books and as they head back to school.