The end of the school year can be exciting and fun with summer right around the corner, but it can also be emotional as kids prepare to leave classrooms in which they have grown comfortable. Read the list below to find 13 books to read to your students (or even to give to teachers as gifts!) at the end of the school year to make this transition easier.
1. Summer
Edited by Dr. Suess, this fun book will get kids excited about summer by illustrating all the fun things they'll be able to do, from fireworks to fairs! With simple words and illustrations giving context clues, this book (and others in the series) are great for beginning readers.
2. When It's The Last Day of School
James, who is known to be quite the distraction during times like silent reading, vows to be on his best behavior on the last day of school so he can get that final gold star! This story will touch the teacher's heart in all of us!
3. Last Day Blues
Read First Day Jitters at the beginning of the year, and then finish the year with this sweet story! Mrs. Hartwell's class works all week to make her last day of the school year special. Little do they know, she and the other teachers have been planning something for them, too!
4. The End
Book covers can tell you a lot about a story, and from this book's cover, it's safe to surmise it will be a fairy tale. But what you don't know is it starts at THE END and is a reverse story starting when the knight meets the princess and works backward!
5. I Wish You More
This is one of the parents' favorite books to purchase for their kids on their last days of school. It is full of wishes that children of all ages can appreciate, like "I wish you more treasures than pockets." Many parents buy this sweet book to have their children's teachers write little messages to their children at the end of each school year!
6. I Knew You Could
This is the ideal book to read on the last day! The classic story of the Little Blue Engine is back, this time celebrating because he knew you could. While this book is well-suited for young children, it is also a great book to read to high school seniors as they head out to either the workforce or college!
7. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
3rd grade teachers should read this chapter book to their classes during the last weeks of school. Students will all relate to "Fudge", Peter's adorable little brother who causes mayhem wherever he goes. After this book, children will be hooked and will want to read the other books in the series!
8. Lemonade Sun and Other Summer Poems
Get students excited for all the fun they'll have over the summer in this wonderful book of poems, like "Backyard Bubbles" and "Jump Rope Talk", about all the joys of summer.
9. I See Summer by Charles Ghigna
Best for preschool-aged children, this delightful rhyming book has plenty of summer things--cucumbers, sailboats, seagulls--on each page for children to learn about! Numbers are hidden on each page to help children learn to count!
10. A Fine, Fine School
What if school was on Saturdays? Sundays? All year long? This humorous book will have children laughing, and both students and teachers will appreciate summer break after reading about this Principal that never gives his students or teachers time off!
11. Mrs. Spitzer's Garden
This neat story is about a teacher who knows that both children and gardens need love and encouragement to grow. While this book is a cute story to read to students, it's an even better book to give as a gift to your favorite teacher!
12. Lizzie and the Last Day of School
Lizzy's favorite thing in the entire world is school, and this school year leaves her with many experiences that make her sad to leave--like winning the Nature Study Award for their neat butterfly and bee garden! But she soon learns that come next year, she'll get to be in a whole new classroom to make new memories!
13. How I Spent My Summer Vacation
Get students excited about summer with this story of Wallace Bleff, a boy who insists that over his summer break, he was taken by cowboys on his way to his Aunt Fern's house! Introduce children to Mark Teague's books with this entertaining, engaging book, and then look for his other titles, like King Kong's Cousin!
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