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5 Picture Books to Soothe the First-Day Jitters

5 Picture Books to Soothe the First-Day Jitters 0

 

Going to school for the first time—or even returning—can be intimating for students. They get the jitters and don’t know what to do with them. Back-to-school books like First Day Jitters face those butterflies head-on in a humorous way, acting as a heartwarming reminder that teachers get the jitters, too.

This beloved picture-book supports social-emotional learning by helping children recognize their feelings and understand how those around them—like their family, friends, and teachers—can help ease their worries. This relatable read is the perfect conversation starter for any child facing the jitters.

Once they've had a successful first day at school, download the Certificate of Courage to celebrate their bravery. And, they can have fun filling out the First Day Memories page!

 

Pair these These four picture books  with First Day Jitters to help your child confidently go to school, not just on first day, but any time of the school year.

Lola Goes to School

Lola Goes to School is a comforting and cheerful picture book that explores the school day and it's new routine for first-time students. In this sweet story, Lola prepares for the day, plays, learns, and says goodbye on her first day at school. The perfect book for children who wonder what will happen on the big day!

 

A New School Year: Stories in Six Voices

The jitters aren't just for students who are experiencing school for the first time, but for older students too. A New School Year: Stories in Six Voices introduces a diverse group of six children ranging from kindergarten through fifth grade. Each child prepares for the new school year with not just nerves, but excitement too as they hustle in the morning, meet new teachers and new classmates during the day, and head home at the end of the day.

Each child shares a different perspective as they share their worries, hopes, and success on the first day of the school year.

 

I'm New Here

I'm New Here book cover

I'm New Here is a great way to prepare your child for meeting new classmates. Following three immigrant students from Guatemala, Korea, and Somalia, the story explores the challenges of learning a new language and adjusting to a new school while holding on to one's cultural roots. With the support of kind classmates and teachers, each child finds their voice and place in the classroom. A wonderful picture book for immigrant students, new students, and even children preparing to welcome someone new to their classroom.

A warm and reassuring resource to help children understand what it means to welcome others, build cross-cultural friendships, and create a community where everyone feels seen, safe, and valued.

 

Rostam's Picture-Day Pusteen

New kids sharing their culture will appreciate Rostam's Picture-Day Pusteen, a picture book about identity and courage while being in a new environment. Rostam moved to the U.S. from Iran and he's nervous about wearing his traditional pusteen for school pictures. This gentle, relatable story explores the social-emotional challenges of fitting in while staying true to yourself.

Encouraging young children to celebrate what makes them unique and to embrace the differences in others, too. A thoughtful reminder that sharing your story can help others feel brave enough to share theirs.

 

All of these heartfelt stories foster empathy, confidence, and inclusion, making them perfect companions for the new school year as your child learns to navigate friendships, learn to express themselves, and celebrate what makes everyone unique.

Other Charlesbridge favorites include:

Someone New, a companion story to I'm New Here
Clothesline Clues to the First Day of School
Chicken Soup for the Soul BABIES: No School for Me! (Change Is Hard)
Did You Burp? How to Ask Questions (or Not!)
Counting Kindness: Ten Ways to Welcome Refugee Children

For more back-to-school books, check out our collection.

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  • Jaliza Burwell
Empathy Through Story: A Q&A with Miriam Chernick on The Zuzu Secret

Empathy Through Story: A Q&A with Miriam Chernick on The Zuzu Secret 0

To close out Disability Pride Month, we're honored to share this heartfelt Q&A with author Miriam Chernik, whose new middle grade novel The Zuzu Secret is inspired by her real-life experiences growing up with a brother who has Prader-Willi Syndrome. In this conversation, Miriam reflects on the power of storytelling, the importance of representation, and what she hopes readers will take away.

 

The Zuzu Secret features a main character with Prader-Willi syndrome. Why was it important to you to write a story that includes this specific disability?
 
I grew up with an older brother, Daniel, who was born with PWS, and I’ve been helping care for him ever since. During the COVID lockdown, Daniel came to live with me and my family for over fifteen months, so he and I spent many hours walking, talking, and reminiscing. Caring for a sibling in the role of parent was new and really hard, so I started to journal some of our conversations as a kind of coping mechanism. I wrote about what I was experiencing in real time and later, with Daniel’s unique speech pattern stuck in my head, my journaling became the basis of this story told in alternating voices.
 
What do you hope young readers—especially those with disabilities or who have siblings with disabilities—take away from this story?
 
For young readers who are unfamiliar with this disease or who have not grown up in this type of family, The Zuzu Secret is what we call a “window story,” as if the reader is looking through a window into a different world. For kids or siblings of kids with PWS or another disabling disease, this will be more of a “mirror story,” where they see a part of themselves as they read. In either case, I hope everyone who picks up this book will enjoy it for the story and characters but also come away with more empathy for their fellow humans. 

Do you have any favorite books—past or present—that portray disability with care and authenticity?
 
The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White is about a boy, Sam, who helps Louis, a swan who was born unable to honk, learn to “speak” by using a trumpet. As a child, I loved this book for two reasons. First, it’s about animals—and I love animals! Second, it’s a story about disability, about Louis struggling because he cannot communicate with his flock. I sympathized with this swan’s difficult predicament and understood Sam’s wanting to help him. 
 
More recently, I read The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune, a masterfully written story about abilities, disabilities, and the “othering” that is so prevalent in our society. I read this book straight through, distraught over the treatment of some of the characters. And yet, in the end, Klune left me feeling hopeful.
 
What do you wish more people understood about Prader-Willi syndrome and similar rare conditions?
 
When my brother Daniel was growing up in the 1960’s and 70’s, disabled people were sent away to institutions or shuttered at home. (Our family’s situation was exceptional in that way. My brother lived at home and participated in everything the family did until he was an adult). Thanks to the ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act), which was signed into law in 1990, people with disabilities have many more rights. Today there are more services that enable people with physical and/or intellectual disabilities to be out in the world. Still, for some, seeing people with disabilities in public places—such as at the grocery store—is off-putting. They turn away. They tell children, “don’t stare.” But kids are curious. They learn by looking. So, as long as it’s not with contempt, I believe it’s okay to look at a disabled person—and acknowledge them. How? With a nod, a smile, a wave, or even a “hello,” just like you might acknowledge someone else. Every human deserves to be recognized.  
 
What has the response been like from families or readers who share similar lived experiences?
The response so far has been overwhelmingly positive and heartfelt. After reading The Zuzu Secret, people in PWS families have been eager to share their own unique stories. Many have said they bought the book for friends and family to better understand this difficult disease. One mom told me, “When someone asks me what it’s like to live in a family with someone with this type of disability, I don’t have to answer anymore. I just hand them the book and say, ‘read this’.”

 

The Zuzu Secret is a story of honesty, empathy, and the bonds that shape us. We’re grateful to Miriam for sharing her experiences and shedding light on the realities—and the love—within families touched by disability. As Disability Pride Month comes to a close, may stories like this continue to open hearts and minds all year long.

More Resources for The Zuzu Secret:
Reader Group Guide
The Zuzu Secret Webpage

 

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5 Easy Social Emotional Activities for Children

5 Easy Social Emotional Activities for Children 0

Nurturing social-emotional learning (SEL) doesn’t have to be complicated. With the right stories and hands-on activities, children can build essential life skills in fun, meaningful ways. Here are engaging book-inspired activities that support each of the five core SEL competencies.

 

Self-Management

Children have big emotions and often times don’t know how to deal with them. It’s important to teach them the skills they need to manage their stress, control their impulses, and even motivating themselves. This skill allows them to stop, think, and then act to make a good decision.

Here is a creative activity for kids to help with their self-management skills:

Craft your very own Grumble Boat!

This activity comes from the back matter of Grumble Boats by Susannah McFarlane, illustrated by Tamsin Ainslie

What You Need:

  • Piece of paper
  • Coloring utensils
  1. Grumble away on your piece of paper! Choose the colors you feel and draw out your grumbles.
  2. Fold paper in half (vertical) and then unfold – you created guide-lines
  3. Fold in half horizontal this time
  4. Fold the corners in so you create a pointed triangle at the top
  5. At the bottom of the paper are edges, fold the edges up on both sides
  6. Pull sides out and flatten
  7. Fold front and back layers up from the bottom
  8. Pull sides apart and flatten
  9. Pull top flaps outward
  10. Squish the bottom and pull sides up

Congratulations! You have your very own grumble boat. Now send your grumble boat down the stream.

You can find the downloadable directions on how to fold the grumble boat here.

Read alouds are a great way to build social-emotional skills, including self-control. While reading, pause and discuss the self-management moments within the story. Here are some great Charlesbridge books with strong self-management themes.

Far, Far Away (Picture Book)
Beansprout (Picture Book)
Found You! (Picture Book)
Grumble Boats (Picture Book)


Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is the foundation for emotional intelligence. Children with strong self-awareness are able to recognize and label their own emotions and understand how their emotions effect their behavior. When children are able to name what they feel and why, they’re empowered to act constructively.

Here is an artistic activity for kids to help with their self-awareness skills:

Color Your Emotions

This activity comes from the activity guide for the All About Noticing series by Elizabeth Rusch, illustrated by Elizabeth Goss, specifically the All About Color activity on page 14

What You Need:

  • Paper
  • Pencil or Pen
  • Paint (watercolor or acrylic)
  • Paint brushes
  • Containers of water
  • Mixing palette such as plastic tub tops, washable plate, tin foil
  • Optional: Emotion wheel or other emotional identification tools
  1. Fold your piece of paper in half and then in half again, making four sections
  2. Write an emotion on the top of each section (use the emotion wheel or other emotional identification tool for help if needed)
  3. Mix your paints to create one or more colors that seem to capture each emotion
  4. Paint them in the corresponding section

Questions to ask your child to help them reflect on their choices:

  1. Why did you choose these four emotions?
  2. What prompted you to connect these emotions with the colors you blended?
  3. Did you make a cultural connection (like “seeing red” when angry) or a real-life item (like the color of a toy or a blanket that comforts them when they feel sad)
  4. Was your color inspiration more abstract?

Color can be used to color your whole life, so allowing children to explore what color means to them allows them to strengthen their self-identity. 

You can find the downloadable activity guide here with plenty of activities to do with children.

Here are some Charlesbridge titles with strong self-awareness themes.

Welcome Home, Esmerelda (Picture Book)
All About Color (Picture Book)
You Are a Burst of Color (Picture Book)
Worst-Case Collin (Middle Grade Novel-in-Verse)


Social Awareness

Social awareness skills help kids become kind, respectful, and inclusive. They learn to value others and be thoughtful during conflicts.

Here is a considerate activity for kids to help with their social-awareness skills:

Create a Welcome Box

This activity comes from the activity guide for Counting Kindness by Hollis Kurman, illustrated by Barroux

Children can either create an actual welcome box or imagine what they’d put in one for someone new to either the neighborhood, classroom, or even to the country.

Ask them these questions:

  • What will you put in the box?
  • Which tings might these children need or enjoy having?
  • Think about what you would need/want if you had just arrived in a new place where nothing is familiar. How would you decorate the box to make it cheerful and welcoming?
  • Can you also make a welcome card?

Every kindness counts, especially for people in a new place who may be feeling alone. Sharing a welcome box is a great way to bridge a new connection.

You can find the downloadable activity guide here with plenty of activities to do with children.

Here are some Charlesbridge titles with strong social awareness themes.

Dropbear (Picture Book)
The Ripple Effect (Middle Grade Novel)
Counting Kindness (Picture Book)
Circle Round (Picture Book)


Relationship Skills

Strong relationship skills can help children feel empowered to form strong, supportive connections with others. They lay the foundation for healthy personal and professional relationships throughout life.

Here is a drawing activity for kids to help with their relationship skills:

Kids in Your Family

This activity comes from the activity guide for Forever Cousins by Laura Goodluck, illustrated by Jonathan Nelson

  • Draw the kids in your life: siblings, cousins, step or half-siblings, foster siblings, honorary cousins, neighbors, or family friends.
  • On the back of the paper, write their names and explain how you know them or are related to them.

This activity is a gentle and powerful way to help kids explore who is important to them, how they relate to others, and how to talk about relationships.

You can find the downloadable activity guide here with plenty of activities to do with children.

Here are some Charlesbridge titles with strong relationship themes.

Forever Cousins (Picture Book)
Sticky Hermana (Picture Book)
In the Autumn Forest (Picture Book)
A Thousand White Butterflies (Picture Book)


Responsible Decision-Making

Responsible decision-making skills allow children to make thoughtful, ethical, and safe choices by promoting critical thinking and ethical awareness. It strengthens their ability to solve problems and reflect on consequences.

Here is a written activity for kids to help with their responsible decision-making skills:

Make a Difference

This activity comes from the activity guide for April & Mae and the Animal Shelter by Megan Dowd Lambert, illustrated by Briana Dengoue

Propose to your child this question: If you had a million dollars to give to one local nonprofit organization, which nonprofit would you choose and why? How can you use your skills and talents to help as a volunteer?

You can use this question to do the following:

  • Learn about nonprofit organizations.
  • Explore your local nonprofits
  • Consider what your nonprofits do – what is their impact on the community
  • Structure of the nonprofit – what do they do with monetized donations?
  • Learn how to volunteer to support this organization

This simple activity empowers children to see themselves as active, capable changemakers in their communities.

You can find the downloadable activity guide here with plenty of activities to do with children.

Here are some Charlesbridge titles with strong responsible decision-making themes.

Yumbo Gumbo (Picture Book)
Clack, Clack! Smack! (Picture Book)
April & Mae and the Animal Shelter (Early Reader Chapter Book)
Mascot (Middle Grade Novel-in-Verse)


These activities support reading and creativity, and help children grow into emotionally intelligent and responsible individuals. Pair the activities with the recommended Charlesbridge books to bring SEL lessons to life through storytelling.

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Reading with Pride: Celebrating LGBTQIA+ Voices in Charlesbridge Books

Reading with Pride: Celebrating LGBTQIA+ Voices in Charlesbridge Books 0

Pride Month is a time to celebrate love, identity, and the vibrant spectrum of the LGBTQIA+ community. At Charlesbridge, we believe every reader deserves to see themselves reflected in the books they read. This June, we're proud to spotlight a collection of books that feature LGBTQIA+ characters, themes, and creators. Join us as we celebrate Pride through the power of storytelling—because every story deserves to be told with pride.

If you'd like to take a look at our full catalog of LGBTQIA+ books, you can check it out on our website.


Young Adult Reads

 


The Other Pandemic: An AIDS Memoir
Lynn Curlee
9781623543501 • Hardcover • 06/06/2023 • $19.99
Charlesbridge Teen

A searing photo-illustrated historical memoir from the LGBTQIA+ frontlines of the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s.

Before COVID-19 made "pandemic" a household word in 2020, there was the AIDS pandemic of the 1980s and 1990s. Author Lynn Curlee explores the parallels and the difference as he recounts living in New York and Los Angeles when the disease silently took hold of the gay community. As the disease became a full-blown public health crisis, Curlee watched in horror at the devastating progression of HIV/AIDS, the staggering losses endured, and divisive politics and discrimination that cost many people their lives.  

With honesty and heart, Curlee tells the stories of the many friends and loved ones that he lost to the disease, including his own life partner. LGBTQ+ rights and access to health care continues to be threatened today. The Other Pandemic is a stark and strong reminder of how history speaks to the present, and this window to the past is a valuable tool for understanding our current cultural landscape.

"Curlee has written an important book, for, as he acknowledges, “AIDS still simmers in the United States,” and so, more good books about it are necessary—particularly those such as this that put a human face on it. It belongs in every library."—Booklist, starred review

"A poignant memoir that readers will not be able to put down. Keep tissues handy. Highly recommended."—School Library Journal, starred review

"In his memoir, Curlee uses personal photographs, powerful quotes, and his own memories to build a gripping, unforgettable account of the early years of the AIDS crisis."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review


Henry Hamlet's Heart
Rhiannon Wilde
9781623543693 • Hardcover • 10/18/2022 • $18.99
Charlesbridge Teen

This smart and charming queer YA rom-com about falling for your best friend will win the hearts of fans of Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli.

Henry Hamlet doesn’t know what he wants after school ends. It’s his last semester of high school, and all he’s sure of is his uncanny ability to make situations awkward. Luckily, he can always hide behind his enigmatic best friend, Len. They’ve been friends since forever, but Len is mysterious and Henry is clumsy, and Len is a heartthrob and Henry is a neurotic mess. Somehow it’s always worked.

That is, until Henry falls in love. Hard. How do you date your best friend?

"Wilde proves to be especially good at dialogue, with a gift for witty banter that rings true and helps define character. Set in Australia, this superb first novel proves the universality of love."—Booklist, starred review



 

 


Picture Books

 

Our Wish For You Cover


Our Wish For You: A Story About Open Adoption
Dano Moreno; Illustrated by Ryan O'Rourke
9781623543556 • Hardcover • 09/12/2023 • $17.99
Charlesbridge

This moving picture book about open adoption shares all parents’ wish for a child’s life to be full of love and family.

One birth mother is pregnant with a baby and wants to find parents to adopt the child. Eventually she finds two dads who will be just the right parents, because they, too, share her same wishes of love and happiness for the baby. Author Dano Moreno drew from his and his husband's experience with adopting their son to write a gentle, universal story about all the hopes, dreams, and wishes parents have for their children to live happy lives. 

Sweet and tender, Our Wish For You is the perfect gift for growing families, baby showers, or adoption day celebrations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Dad is the Best Cover


My Dad is the Best
Fran Pintadera; Illustrated by Joan Turu
9781623544911 • Hardcover • 04/22/2025 • $17.99
Charlesbridge

A fierce competition ensues between two boys arguing over whose dad is strongest in this absurdly silly-yet-sweet picture book, with a surprise twist ending.

Two boys try to one-up each other about their strong dads. One says his dad can pick up a truck filled with elephants, which makes the other boy claim his dad can do the same, but with pregnant elephants!

Eventually the boys realize something even more special about their dads.

The perfect book for any kid who intensely loves their parent.

 

 

Far Far Away Cover


Far, Far Away
Molly Beth Griffin; Illustrated by Bao Luu
9781623543631 • Hardcover • 04/29/2025 • $17.99
Charlesbridge

A picture book celebrating the beauty of nature, new experiences, and gaining perspective. Sometimes you have to go far, far away to appreciate the world around you.

Mom and Mama are taking Rowan on his first camping trip far, far away from the city where they live. Rowan is excited to see all kinds of wildlife, possibly even a bear or a moose!

But they are canoe camping, which means they carry all their supplies on their back and paddle from place to place. Before long, Rowan is tired and hungry, itchy from mosquito bites, and downright grumpy. In fact, he wants to go home.

When night falls, Mom and Mama listen to his complaints, but when they show him the sky—full of stars like he's never seen before—Rowan realizes that though camping is hard work, it is worth it in the end.


Interested in seeing more of our LGBTQIA+ titles? Check it out on our website.

As we celebrate Pride Month, we’re proud to uplift stories that reflect the beautiful spectrum of identities in the LGBTQIA+ community. Whether you're a young reader discovering who you are or a parent, educator, or ally looking to share inclusive stories, we hope these titles offer both inspiration and affirmation. Happy Pride!

 

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  • Jaliza Burwell