Back to School Reads with The Washington Mystics

This summer, DC Public Library is teaming up with the Washington Mystics to recommend great reads that you can check out with your library card! Each month we will be posting Read Feed entries that spotlight titles around a theme. August’s theme is Back to School! We have selected some great pictures books for children that will get them excited and ready about heading back to the classroom. Happy Reading!

My Name is Yoon, Written by Helen Recorvits, Illustrated by Gabi Swiakowska
Disliking her name as written in English, Korean-born Yoon, or "shining wisdom," refers to herself as "cat," "bird," and "cupcake," as a way to feel more comfortable in her new school and new country.

School’s First Day of School, Written by Adam Rex, Illustrated by Christian Robinson
It's the first day of school at Frederick Douglass Elementary and everyone's just a little bit nervous, especially the school itself. What will the children do once they come? Will they like the school? Will they be nice to him? The school has a rough start, but as the day goes on, he soon recovers when he sees that he's not the only one going through first-day jitters.

The Day You Begin, Written by Jacqueline Woodson, Illustrated by Rafael López
Other students laugh when Rigoberto, an immigrant from Venezuela, introduces himself but later, he meets Angelina and discovers that he is not the only one who feels like an outsider.

The Exceptionally Extraordinarily Ordinary First Day of School, Written and Illustrated by Albert Lorenz
On his first day at a new school, John answers the librarian's questions about what his former school was like, concocting a wild story of attending classes in a castle, where the lunch menu includes worms and storybook characters come to life.

The Proudest Blue, Written by Ibtihaj Muhammad with S.K. Ali, Illustrated by Hatem Aly
A powerful, vibrantly illustrated story about the first day of school—and two sisters on one's first day of hijab—by Olympic medalist and social justice activist Ibtihaj Muhammad. 

Bonus Read!
Older children will love Mystic's Player Elena Delle Donne's Hoops Series! In particular, we recommend the back-to-school story, Elle of the Ball. Elle grew to six feet over the summer. As a basketball player that means a lot of new opportunities but as a 12-year old girl entering middle school, it also leads to a lot of anxiety - especially when the school's dance unit is coming up! Check out this title and the others in the series today with your Library card

DC Public Library has a variety of resources that will help students of all ages have a successful school year! Check out our Back to School page to learn how to access live tutoring, research tools, test prep materials and so much more.