5 Picture Books for Kids Worried About Switching Schools

Twindergarten, by Nikki Ehrlich, illustrated by Zoey Abbott Wagner
Zoe and Dax are best friends and twins. They love hanging out with each other, but it’s the night before they start kindergarten and they are worried. You see, they will be in different classrooms this year. How will the two handle kindergarten without each other? Is kindergarten going to be fun if they are not together? Author Nikki Ehrlich navigates the twins’ pressing concerns with empathy and helps them (and readers) find the positives in this change. With colored pencil art that brings Zoe and Dax’s emotions to life, this lovely and inspiring story will help young readers navigate the big emotions that may come with  changing schools or starting a new school.

Geraldine, by Elizabeth Lilly
Poor Geraldine. Her parents have just informed her that they are moving. Worse still, she is going to be switching schools. How will she survive moving from Giraffe City to a human school? Geraldine’s switch to a new school makes her an outsider, and the formerly outgoing extrovert feels lost and alone. Just when Geraldine starts to think she  is never going to fit in, she meets Cassie, a human who happens to pretty different herself. With help from her new human friend, Geraldine realizes things might not be so bad after all. In addition to  a storyline that promotes being yourself even when that makes you different, Elizabeth Lily’s watercolor and ink drawings wonderfully portray Geraldine’s journey as she learns that switching schools doesn’t have to be the end of the world.

Lena’s Shoes Are Nervous: A First-Day-of-School Dilemma, by Keith Calabrese, illustrated by Juana Medina
Award-winning illustrator Juana Medina brings a mix of vibrant colors and digital drawings to the story of a little girl who is preparing to face the first day of kindergarten. Little Lena isn’t nervous, or so she explains to her dad. No, it’s not her, it’s her shoes that are nervous about starting school. Her shoes are worried that school will be big and loud. It is up to Lena to encourage her shoes and remind them of all the times they were scared and triumphed, like when they were afraid of a big dog.  Engaging and a little silly, the story of a brave little girl who helps her shoes conquer their fear of school will resonate with little readers.

First Day Jitters, by Julie Danneberg, illustrated by Judy Love
Sarah doesn’t want to go to a new school. She liked her old school just fine. But Mr. Hartwell reminds Sarah that at her new school she will makes lots of new friends. Reluctantly, Sarah goes to school, where she is greeted warmly by the principal and taken to her new class…where young readers will learn that Sarah is actually Mrs. Sarah Jane Hartwell…the teacher! Who is just as nervous as her students about starting at her new school. With a surprise ending and warm, friendly illustrations, Julie Danneberg’s First Day Jitters is sure to delight and (soothe) young readers worried about switching schools.

I Am Too Absolutely Small for School, by Lauren Child
Real-life pictures interspersed with quirky drawings of our protagonists Lola and Charlie in I Am Too Absolutely Small for School add visual excitement to an entertaining and (reassuring) tale. Little Lola doesn’t know if she wants to start school. Lola already knows how to count to ten; does she really need to learn anything else? But her big brother Charlie is there to help make Lola understand that school is fun, that she will learn lots of new things, and best of all that Lola’s invisible friend can totally go to school with her. Double points for a sweet story that stresses the importance of siblings and helps little readers learn to navigate their feelings about starting school.