Published by Nancy Paulsen Books

Summary:  It’s great to be unique, but what if being different makes you feel like you don’t belong?  Jacqueline Woodson explores these feelings through four children: a boy who has just moved from Venezuela and gets laughed at for the way he talks; a girl who spent her summer watching her little sister and listens to classmates talk about their vacation travels; a girl who is self-conscious about having kimchi for lunch; and a boy who doesn’t feel like a good enough athlete to join in games at recess.  By the end of the book the girl with the little sister and the boy from Venezuela have connected and are beginning a friendship. “This is the day you begin/to find the places inside/your laughter and your lunches,/your books, your travel and your stories,/where every new friend has something/a little like you–and something else/so fabulously not quite like you/at all.” 32 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  Award-winning writer Jacqueline Woodson captures uncertainties perfectly with her lyrical text; the illustrations portray the different emotions on the faces of the kids in a diverse classroom as they find their way through their first days of school.

Cons:  This is more of a meditation than a story, and the structure may be a little confusing to younger kids.

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Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Elliot wakes up one morning to a terrible smell and sets out to investigate the cause.  He checks his pets, family members, the trash, and Grandma’s famous Gefartzenschnaffer, but nothing seems to be causing such a stink.  Finally, Elliot’s mother insists that he remove his favorite skeleton costume and take a bath. Lo and behold, when his mom carries the costume to the laundry (with various family members commenting on the odor) and Elliot lathers up, the smell miraculously vanishes.  He concludes his bath by putting on his amazing new sea monster pajamas, which he loves so much that he vows to never take them off again. 48 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A cute and funny story that includes just the right touches of bathroom humor.

Cons:  Kids will undoubtedly figure out the source of the smell before Elliot does.

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Published by Groundwood Books

Summary:  Mustafa and his family have recently moved from a country that was full of smoke and fire and loud noises.  His new home is near a park, and he goes there every day. He sees many people and surprising sights like leaves turning color, kids in Halloween costumes,  and a girl walking her cat on a leash. Sometimes he draws pictures of his old home with a stick in the dirt. He often feels invisible, with all the people rushing past him, but one day the girl with the cat invites him to come with her.  She shows him a goldfish pond, and they feed the fish together, then go for a swing. When she tells him her name and learns his, Mustafa starts to feel like he is no longer invisible. 40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A beautiful, sweet story about the immigrant experience through the eyes of a young child trying to process all the difficult things that have happened to him.  This would be another good back-to-school book, especially if there are new kids in the class who may be looking for a new friend.

Cons:  Don’t skip over the title page and the one after that–it shows Mustafa and his family traveling to their new home.

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Published by Doubleday

Summary:  Lions are supposed to be fierce and chomp other animals, but Leonard is different.  He likes to daydream and write poetry, and when he meets a duck named Marianne, he makes friends with her instead of eating her.  They’re happy creating poems and discussing the nature of the universe until the other lions show up and start telling Leonard that he’s not behaving like a real lion.  Marianne disagrees, and the two of them come up with a poem that perfectly expresses how they feel. The conclusion: “Some say words can’t change the world. Leonard says, if they make you think, maybe they can.  Is there just one way to be a lion?  I don’t think so…Do you?”  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Ferdinand the Bull for the 21st century.  This brief, sweet story celebrates friendship and being yourself in terms that preschoolers will understand.

Cons:  It seems unlikely that Leonard will survive long without at least some chomping.

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Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Lena is ready for her first day of kindergarten, but her shoes aren’t. They’re afraid of going to school, and her socks feel the same way.  Her dress is very outgoing, but it doesn’t get along very well with the shoes. It comes down to the headband to try to convince those shoes to go to school.  The headband reminds them of other scary situations that turned out okay…even a lot of fun. “Often the best things happen when we’re nervous.” Finally, the shoes decide to be brave, and off they go.  When they get to school and see the other kids, the shoes slow Lena down a little, but ultimately, they step onto the playground, where they are surrounded by other sneakers, boots, and shoes. 40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A fun and imaginative on the first-day-of-school-jitters theme.  Personally, I always like to line up my shoes at night so they will be comfortable and have a friend nearby, so I can understand where Lena is coming from.  The illustrations, by the author of Juana and Lucas, are adorable.

Cons:  I wish I had seen this book a while ago.  It’s a little late to get a copy for the first day of school, but if you can swing it, it would be a fun read for preschoolers and kindergarteners.

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