Parenting hacks: 5 ways to beat back-to-school blues with books

Tip 1. Read stories about starting school

Books about first days at school aren’t just for children starting in nursery or reception. Older children moving up a year group, changing classes or starting secondary school can all benefit too.

Seeing storybook characters experiencing similar challenges but coming out the other side happy, reassures children that going to school is normal, manageable and often (hopefully) fun.

Bonus tip: look for books that reflect your child’s specific situation, whether they’re starting nursery, primary, high school or changing classes. For preschoolers, try Lenny Goes to School by Ken Wilson-Max or Lulu’s First Day by Anna McQuinn and Rosalind Beardshaw. For children moving to a new primary school or class, try Invisible Dogs by Ruby Wright or The Tour by Katie Clapham and Nadia Shireen, and for Year 6’s transitioning to secondary school, try Jummy at the River by Sabine Adeyinka or Kofi and the Rap Battle Summer by Jeffrey Boakye. See our ‘Picture books for starting school or nursery’ and ‘Books about starting school’ booklists for more recommended titles.

Tip 2. Use books to talk about big feelings

School transitions are huge milestones for all children, and nerves are to be expected and are completely normal. But, some children really struggle with change and expressing their back-to-school worries. They may show real physical signs of anxiety, such as butterflies, tummy aches, headaches, bed-wetting, staying in bed or even school refusal. As well as talking to teachers, and, if needed, your GP for support, stories can help open up gentle conversations about their worries without putting your child under too much pressure.

Reading stories together that feature relatable characters that also feel nervous, sad, scared or overwhelmed, allows your child to explore their strong feelings in a safe way, giving them the vocabulary and space they need to express similar feelings.

Bonus tip: The Hug Button by Naomi Jones gently explores separation anxiety at the school gates, while our ‘Mental Health Awareness’ picture book list for ages 3 to 7 offers more wide-ranging stories to help children name their feelings and understand their worries. After reading, try simple, more open questions like ‘Have you ever felt like X?’ rather than ‘Are you worried about school?’, which feels less direct and often gets a more honest, fuller answer. You may also find our ‘Picture books to help soothe worries‘ list helpful in exploring your child’s big feelings and emotions.

Tip 3. Create a back-to-school reading routine

Re-establishing good home routines before the autumn term starts can ease the shock of the new school year, and setting reading routines is a gentle place to start.

During the final week of the summer holidays, bring back a regular, bedtime story slot ready for when early starts return (around 7pm is a good time, depending on your child’s age). Before you start reading, encourage a calm and comforting atmosphere by turning off the main room light and using softer bedside lamps or fairylights instead. All this helps signal that a new rhythm is beginning, without the pressure of actually going to school immediately.

Bonus tip: let your child choose the books for reading during this special bedtime wind-down. Giving them control over something related to the transition can help them feel more confident and less anxious.

Tip 4. Find books that reflect your child’s own experiences

Representation matters when it comes to book choices. For example, a minoritised-ethnic child, a child with a physical disability or a child coming from a ‘non-traditional’ family set-up who is starting school will feel far more reassured if they see themselves reflected in an inclusive story during this time.

Diverse books that reflect a child’s identity and background shows them they’re not alone, they belong, and can help other children in their class understand and welcome them into class, too. This is especially important for children from minoritised backgrounds who are starting at a new school where the majority of pupils are from white backgrounds.

Bonus tip: search the IBC website for books reflecting your child’s background and home life. There are lots of books featuring disabled or neurodivergent characters, characters with minoritised-ethnic identities, characters that are refugees, and characters with single parents, for example. Many of these stories are set in schools or around experiences of going to a new school.

Tip 5. Make school libraries or book corner exciting!

If your child associates school with anxiety but loves reading, help them build positive connections to the school library or class book corner before terms starts by imagining what the area might be like.

Talk excitedly about the lovely books they will find there, or if possible, visit the school library together during an family open day or induction session. This will help them get familiar with the school space very gradually, focusing on an area of interest (ie the library) where you know they will feel more at home.

Bonus tip: ask your child’s new teacher whether there’s a class reading list for the year ahead. Getting a headstart by reading a favourite book on the list might give your child something to talk about with their new classmates and teacher on day one.

Back-to-school nerves are completely normal, and with the right books and a little preparation, you can help your child feel calmer, more confident and even excited for the term ahead.

And finally…

When you are searching for the right books to ease the back-to-school transition, make sure your child has access to a wide range of inclusive titles that reflect their experiences and identity.

You can check out our expertly reviewed inclusive books for babies right through to children aged 9 by clicking ’Search books’ and ’Search booklists’.

All titles are good quality reads, richly diverse in format, topics and representation, and we have several back to school lists on offer.

Fabia Turner is Head of Content at IBC and the Founder of the Jericho Prize for Children’s Writing. She is also a former primary teacher and educational book editor with a love of children's literature.