(Today in Oz, we have something for your munchkins to read.)
New backpack? Check. A new size in uniforms? Check. While your child might be leaving their summer reading until the last minute (it still FEELS like summer), here’s a list to help your kids, and yourself, get in the back-to-school spirit.

Here’s the rundown:

Pre-school to Kindergarten:
Oliver and his Alligator by Paul Schmid

Oliver has a case of the first-day-of-school jitters, and stops by the swamp to pick up an alligator who helps swallow all of his worries. Great for conquering shyness. Schmid’s ne
west book, Oliver and his Egg, features an Oliver in school whose imagination runs wild when he finds a dragon egg.

Planet Kindergarten by Sue Ganz-Schmitt

GREAT book for boys (and even girls) entering Kindergarten. The budding astronaut found in these pages will have soon-to-be kindergarteners excited about starting school. My favorite line in the book? “Then…I remember what they say at NASA: FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION.” Illustrations by Shane Prigmore are also colorful and exciting.

First Grade:
Pinkalicious and the New Teacher by Victoria Kann

Our favorite pink-loving heroine is back just in time for school! I’ll admit, my favorite part of this book is the fold out poster that says “Reading is Pinkatastic!” I have to agree with Pinkalicious, as she discovers the joys of a new classroom. Bookmarks with that slogan are also included.

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

Duncan’s crayons have a bone to pick with him. Yellow thinks he should be the color of the sun…but then again, so does orange. All he wants to do is color! If you do not own this book, or you have not read this book, the biggest favor you can do for yourself and your child is to purchase this hilarious read for anyone who loves to color with crayons. I’ve placed it on this back-to-school list because who doesn’t love to color??

Rufus Goes to School by Kim T. Griswell, Illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev.

With a name like Rufus Leroy Williams III, Rufus is not your average pig. While his friends are busy playing basketball, he wants to learn how to read. The catch? The principal doesn’t allow pigs to enroll in his school. Kids will love Rufus, and will most likely be one to read again and again.

My Teacher is a Monster! (No, I am Not.) by Peter Brown

You loved Creepy Carrots and Mr. Tiger Goes Wild. This book wins the prize for BEST BACK-TO-SCHOOL BOOK of 2014! Bobby loves to fly paper airplanes, especially in class. Ms. Kirby is Bobby’s “big problem” at school because she makes him sit out at recess for throwing paper airplanes in class. But then…Bobby runs into Ms. Kirby at the park outside of school. What happens next will make you smile. You can get a signed copy here at the store!

The Midnight Library by Kazuno Kohara

The little librarian works all night with her three assistant owls to make sure things run smoothly in the Midnight Library. However, squirrels start to play music, and a wolf begins to cry. The library stays open until the sun rises, and the illustrations and story are charming.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce

While we are on the topic of libraries…this incredible book is about loving stories and books, and the journey they can take you on. Great for any age, and a must have for a personal library.

Mo LoBeau isn’t interested in rumors; she and her best friend Dale are interested in facts. I guess that’s why these two plus an unlikely new friend are itching to get to the truth about the alleged ghost in the old inn. Normally a ghost would be the inn’s problem, not Mo’s, but weirdly enough, Miss Lana has accidentally purchased said inn! Now Mo and Dale have to figure out who the ghost in the fine print is, and how to get her out in time for the town’s centennial party.

Sheila Turnage has done it again. When I first met Mo LeBeau in Three Times Lucky I was on a happy book high for at least a week after I finished, and it thrills me to say that The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing is possibly one of the best companion novels out there. So that’s good news, right? Wait folks, it gets better: The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing is our February pick for Oz First Editions club! That means signed copies for you, signed copies for me, and signed copies for every other person whose hands I can put this book into.

We are all pretty excited about this year’s Oz First Editions Club. We have been looking ahead and scouring the catalogs for the perfect book for every month. About four months ago I started throwing around the idea that we could pick store favorite Maira Kalman, but I thought it was a pretty big long shot, until my fantabulous Penguin rep Doni Kay made it happen!

Kelly and Hannah have been longtime outspoken fans of Maira Kalman’s work in such books as Food Rules by Michael Pollan and And the Pursuit of Happiness. I fell in love with her art in Daniel Handler’s Printz honor winner, Why We Broke Up. But I think the biggest thing we all worried about was — would THIS book be up to snuff.

With all this rolling around in my head, I dove into Kalman’s newest picture book, Thomas Jefferson: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Everything. This nonfiction picture book is longer than your average children’s book. Kalman’s paintings give us a look into Jefferson’s life, starting with his childhood. Monticello makes several appearances, as do many famous people from Jefferson’s life.

Kalman’s writing, however, is what makes this book unique from other nonfiction picture books. While Kalman gives all the historical details of Jefferson’s life, she also humanizes him and those who lived alongside him. She writes that peas were his favorite vegetable, that he could not live without books, and that while he had flaws, he always strived to be the best he could be.

I am not always a fan of this type of book, but if every nonfiction picture book were written like this, I think I would feel differently. Kalman has pulled off what many have struggled to do: she has made history interesting to all readers, regardless of age.

Thomas Jefferson: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Everything is available as a signed first edition here at Lemuria, and is a great way to get started in the Oz First Editions Club (just email emily@lemuriabooks.com for all the deets on how to sign up). Stay tuned for our future picks; we’ve got a great year ahead!

Some more reading for you!

Maira Kalman’s website

The New York Times: a conversation about new biographies for children

Kirkus Review: they gave TJ a star!