Back to school books help kids navigate strong emotions. Ms. Book’s BIG Surprise is a first day of school book that turns their fears into giggles. It comes with complementary back-to-school activities so your first day of school will be smooth and enjoyable.
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Back-to-school emotions are real for everyone. Whether you’re a student or a teacher or a parent, the mix of nervousness, anticipation, excitement, or even dread are something we all confront every year before the 1st day of school.
When I was heading into fourth grade, I had one definite idea of who my teacher would be. Said teacher was new to our school — she’d been there about two years. Everyone loved her, as is often the case with young teachers.
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To this day, I still remember and even feel the strong emotions when I found out I had been assigned to a teacher with a different name, someone I’d never heard of before that day.
Ah, the disappointment! The angst. The fear.
I decided to go to the office and explain to them there had been a serious mistake.
My plans were foiled when I arrived at school just minutes before the bell. Hanging my head and feeling the desperation of a lost child, I trudged to my new classroom.
What happened next became the basis for my book,
Ms. Book’s Big Surprise : A First Day of School Story.
I dedicated the book to that teacher. She became one of my all-time favorite teachers. Here’s an excerpt from the dedication page:
The story you’re about to read, as unbelievable as it may seem, is mostly based on true events. Of course, as many authors love to do, this author changed the names of the people in the story.
Once upon a time, there was a young girl and her teacher.
This book is dedicated to that young girl’s teacher.
Everyone who has ever survived a case of the first day of school jitters, will be able to relate to Hilda, the girl in the story, and her hilarious plans to reverse the inevitable.
Meet Hilda, the star of this first day of school book
Meet Hilda, a girl who has very specific ideas about her perfect teacher. All summer long, she dreamed of having Ms. Book as her teacher. So when she opens her school letter and sees “Mrs. Butter” instead, her world turns upside down.
Who is this stranger? What if she’s scary? What if everything goes wrong?
From declaring herself “allergic to butter” to imagining her new teacher with bat wings, Hilda’s first-day of school fears spiral out of control. Young readers will giggle at Hilda’s dramatic reactions, and recognize their own emotions in her story.
But with Mom’s gentle encouragement and a delightful surprise ending, Hilda learns that sometimes our biggest worries can become our greatest joys.
This touching first day of school story book captures every child’s back-to-school butterflies while celebrating the magic that happens when we open our hearts to new possibilities.
I invite you to preview Ms. Book’s Big Surprise on Amazon.
Perfect for a read aloud back to school book
- Eases first-day fears and anxiety
- Have conversations about facing fears and embracing change
- Help children that their feelings are valid and normal
- Beautiful watercolor art brings the story to life
- Books for back to school reading together
- Demonstrate that wonderful surprises can come from unexpected places
Bonus activities included with Ms. Book’s Big Surprise
Kids will love the three fun activities at the end of the book:
- 🔍 Word Search Puzzle – Find hidden words from the story
- 🔐 Secret Message Decoder – Crack the code from Mrs. Butter
- 🎯 Four Corners Game – Get-to-know-you activity perfect for new classrooms
You can also download three additional activity pages from the complementary activity pack in the Member Vault on this website.
Transform first-day jitters into first-day excitement
Ease the back to school nerves and replace them with laughter and giggles. This touching story reminds children that new experiences often hold the most wonderful surprises waiting to unfold.
I hope you enjoy this 1st day of school story which is mostly based on my own true experience.
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