Get in the Back to School Spirit: Inspiring Reads for Learners of All Ages
Getting into the back to school spirit doesn’t have to mean stocking up on pencils and notebooks. Kids, teachers, parents, and students can get into the spirit of learning through books that are fun, informative, and inspiring. Maybe you’re looking for a book that will help your soccer-loving 8-year-old better understand math. Maybe you’re a teacher in need of some great new kids books for your classroom. Or maybe you’re looking for book that will better help you understand the college admissions process. The books on this list, including picture books, funny essay collections, works of social science, and more, are for anyone who’s life has been affected by formal education—and that’s all of us.
So whether you’re a high school student, elementary school teacher, the parent of a school-aged kid, or just someone who cares about the kids in your life learning in the best ways that they can, these books are full of practical advice, wisdom, lots of information, and a little bit of humor.
When third grade teacher Kyle Schwartz asked her students to complete the sentence “I wish my teacher knew_______,” she had no idea that it would transform the way she thought about teaching. In I Wish My Teacher Knew, she shares what she learned from asking her students such a simple, yet profound question. Insightful and funny, this is a practical and inspiring guide for teachers and families striving to do better by their children.
Little Leaders profiles 40 Black women who have changed history with their words, actions, ideas, inventions, art, and more. Charming illustrations appear alongside short, informative, and engaging stories about well-known and lesser-known Black women, including abolitionists like Sojourner Truth, scientists and mathematicians like Katherine Johnson and Alice ball, and writers and artists like Maya Angelou. Readers of all ages will find plenty to love in this small but powerful book.
The ideals of pay-it-forward come to life in A Small Kindness, a beautifully illustrated picture book about the power of small acts of kindness moving through a school community. With wonderful illustrations of a diverse cast of students and teachers, this irresistible book drives home an important message about kindness while telling a story kids will easily relate to.
New York Times journalist Frank Bruni breaks down everything that is wrong with the college admissions process in Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be. Today’s college applications are bombarded with messages that the colleges they end up at will define the rest of their lives. Those ideas, paired with a culture of competition, elitism, class stratification, parental pressure, and an emphasis on test scores and appearances, creates a brutal, stressful admissions environment. Using a combination of data, research, and personal anecdotes, Bruni offers parents and students another option: that it’s not where you go, but what you do with your time there that will have a measurable impact on your future.
Nuestra América is a beautiful collection of portraits and profiles of 30 Latine people throughout American history. The profiles includes stories about each figure’s childhood and history, cultural identity, and the challenges and triumphs they’ve experienced over the course of their lives and careers. From modern cultural icons like Lin-Manuel Miranda to giants of social movements such as labor rights activist César Chávez and trans activist Sylvia Rivera, this book explores the brilliant contributions of Latin people in art, politics, literature, science, and more.
High school principal and YouTube sensation Gerry Brooks brings both his educational experience, expertise and his irresistible humor to Go See the Principal, a practical collection of advice for teachers, parents, and school administrators. He tackles important topics, such as social media use in classrooms, with thoughtfulness, but he also includes plenty of humorous stories that illuminate the day-to-day challenges and absurdities of life in an elementary school.
The prevailing attitude about higher education has largely been that liberal arts degrees are useless, and that students with science degrees are much better equipped to enter the workforce than those who pursue humanities. In You Can Do Anything, George Anders argues that sometimes, the opposite is true. The traits students learn in a liberal arts education—curiosity, critical thinking, creativity, and human empathy—are actually translatable to a wide range of fields and careers. Careers in philosophy may be few and far between, but a degree in philosophy might just lead to unexpected opportunities.
All sports rely on science and technology, from the physics of a football in flight to the ways a baseball player’s stats are calculated. In The Secret Science of Sports, Jennifer Swanson uses sports to approach complicated STEM subjects and concepts like engineering, biology, algebra, chemistry, and neuroscience. A perfect read for sports-loving kids who aren’t so keen on math, it takes seemingly boring and difficult ideas and brings them to life via soccer, swimming, tennis, and more.