Back-to-School 2011

from Elise Primavera's Louise the Big Cheese

Summer's out, school's in. The days of sleeping late and sort of reading are over.

It's time to set alarms and use those brains. Yay!

OK, so maybe the kids aren't that rah-rah -- not yet.

If your kids are like ours, they're a little sleepy and a little anxious.

So this year, I've selected books to pep them up. The idea is to give them books that will excite them about school and build up their confidence in learning.

I've created 12 themes that speak to kids. Among them: "I Get It!" (books that simplify the complex stuff), "Log It" (books to help with reading logs) and "Go Boys Go!" (books to get boys reading more).

Each of the themes (which are also the titles of the posts) appear below as live links, but you can also scroll down the main page to read posts or jump around.

Most of the books are new this year; a few aren't out just yet, but I've put their release dates in bold near the title so you know when to look for them.

Finally, relax and enjoy. And a toast: here's to all of our kids moving upward and onward with a skip and smile.

1. Don't Worry, Be Happy. Three books to help kids relax and enjoy school.

2. Want to Sit Together? Three books to turn classmates into friends.

3. I Can Read! Three books for kids who are raring to read or reluctant to get started.

4. I Know This Kid. Four school stories kids can relate to.

5. History 101. Four books that take the dull out of history.

6. Write This! Two books and a game to inspire kids to create stories.

7. I Get It Now!  Four books that simplify the hard stuff.

8. I Like How You Think. Three books that encourage creative thinking.

9. Log It. Ten books to help fill reading logs.

10. Go Boys Go! Three books to get reluctant boys to read.

11. Don't Forget Girls! Two novels about strong girls doing the best they can.

12. Truth Be Told. Four books that make real life fun to read about.