Books for the First Days of School
Seven books for the first days of school, grouped by moment rather than by age: the night before, the first few weeks, and changing schools. Ages 3 to 12.
Free weekly book list · Ages 0–10+
Make story time the best part of the day
Every Tuesday we send you a beautifully curated list of children’s books worth reading together, absolutely free. Borrow them from the library or buy them for your collection. We do the hunting, you do the reading.
- Many families already reading along.
- One email a week.
How it works
Three steps
- 1
Join the list
Drop in your email and nothing else. Ten seconds, no card, and a fresh list lands every Tuesday morning.
- 2
Get the books
Five to seven titles chosen around a theme, each with an honest line on why it earns its place. Borrow them free or buy the keepers.
- 3
Read together
Every list comes with read-aloud tips, the questions worth asking, and one activity you can pull off with what is already in the house.
Reading for all ages
Books curated for every stage
A book that lands beautifully for a five-year-old can fall completely flat for a toddler. Every list spans the whole range, so there's something for each kid in the house.
Ages 0–2
Littlest Listeners
Rhythm, repetition and pictures worth pointing at. Books for laps, before anyone is sitting still.
Ages 3–5
Story Time Explorers
Big feelings, big giggles. Picture books that hold a wiggly attention span all the way to the end.
Ages 6–10+
Brave New Readers
Early chapter books through longer middle grade, for kids reading on their own and the ones who finish a book in a weekend.
Join the Club for Free
Your child’s next favorite book is one email away
Join the club today and this week’s list arrives straight away, then a fresh one every Tuesday morning.
- A curated list of books picked for the right time of year
- A short summary of why each book made our list
- Read-aloud tips and conversation starters for your kids
You're in.
Check your inbox for a welcome note. This week's list is on its way, and a fresh one lands every Tuesday morning.
We send one email a week and never share your address.Unsubscribe any time.
This week's book list
Seven books, out this Tuesday
From the blog
Reading with kids, in practice
The first weeks of school are a reading dip, and that is normal
Why a child who read happily all summer wants nothing to do with a book in September, what is actually behind it, and the handful of things that help.
Bedtime stories when bedtime is already a fight
When the bedtime book has become one more thing to negotiate, eight things that help. None of them involve being firmer about it.
Keep reading aloud after they can read by themselves
Most families stop reading aloud within a year of a child learning to read. It is close to the worst moment to stop, and here is what to read instead.