Change can be hard. Transitions require time and energy and there’s not always a straight line from start to finish.
Stories can help kids (and their grownups) make the shift go more smoothly—from preschool to kindergarten, from summer vacation to school schedules, or even just from one season to another. It’s reassuring to read about characters who tackle challenges successfully. And it’s also good to be reminded that occasional missteps don’t necessarily mean disaster.
So take a peek at the titles below and spend some time talking about how to put your best foot forward—and how to make the best of things when they don’t turn out quite how you’d have liked.
You can sign up for a free library card here. If you are new to our eResources, check out these tutorial videos on how to get started.
If you’re looking for more book suggestions, we’re happy to recommend them to you! Use this Book Recommendation form to send us some information about what you like to read and we’ll curate a list just for you.
If you have any additional questions, you can contact a librarian through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. You can also call us at 412-622-3114 or email us at info@carnegielibrary.org
This booklist was created in support of BUZZWORD PGH to encourage imagination, investigation, creation, and reflection. Available to families throughout Allegheny County, BUZZWORD PGH engages young children and their families as they discover the words that are all around them.
Ramón is worried about his first day at a new school, but it helps to remind El Cucuy, the monster who lives in his cactus pot, of how brave and strong they both are.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Hoopla.
Simple rhyming text and photographs explore the science behind the transformation that trees undergo every autumn
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Hoopla.
Reassuring rhyming text introduces preschoolers to their first day of school where a welcoming teacher, a cheery classroom, and new friends await.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Hoopla.
English just feels wrong to Isabel. She prefers her native Spanish. Her first day at her new school is uncomfortable, until she employs her crayons and discovers there’s more than one way to communicate with new friends.
You can also check out this title as eBook on Hoopla.
Growing up on a pineapple farm in Mexico, a young girl discovers the magic in everyday transformations that take place around her.
On a small family farm, an old truck falls into disrepair and lies nearly forgotten, except by the family’s daughter.
A perfect square that is perfectly happy is torn into pieces, punched with holes, crumpled, and otherwise changed but finds in each transformation that it can be something new, and just as happy.
Ben is upset when a substitute teacher changes his school routine, until a visit from his regular teacher and her new baby reveals that change can be good.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Hoopla.
Katie Honors is a really brave kid. She can go to bed with just one small night light. She can hold her tears in when it’s time to say goodbye to her mom at school. But sometimes Katie isn’t ready to say goodbye and doesn’t feel brave at all.
Walter and Xavier were best friends until they slowly drifted apart, then Walter meets Ollie which could be the start of a new friendship.
By heeding their wise grandmother’s advice, a brother and sister discover the ability to lift themselves up and imagine a better world.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Libby.
