It's Back to School We Go!: First Day Stories from Around the World

by Ellen Jackson

Children from around the world explain the different things they do during their first day of school, in a colorful tale with fact boxes, easy-to-read text, and bright illustrations.

Genres: Picture Books, School, Nonfiction, Childrens, Cultural, Back To School, Geography

32 pages, Library Binding

First published August 3, 2003

Reviews

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is AWESOME!!

I heard about this book from a teacher blogger. It is about first days of school around the world. Included in this book are descriptions of school days in Kenya, Kazakhstan, Canada, Australia, Japan, China, Peru, Germany, India, Russia, and the United States. On each page, there is a little story of a child from that country, and then a list of facts about school, children, or activities.

I am TOTALLY going to use this as my first unit of the year! I think we will cover one country a day. I'll read the pages and then we will do an extension activity! Like origami on Japan day.

The book is super informative, I think the kids will have a good time finding the commonalities and differences between each of the countries and our own country. We can make a chart and learn!

[Rebecca Ashley Teague · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really neat book that describes the first day of school for children all over the world. In this book, we get a glimpse into the lives of children from China, Japan, Russia, Australia, and many more places across the globe. This book allows students to see other children and cultures around the world and how their school life is different and also the same. I would use this book during the first week of school to teach students that children all over the world go through some of the same things on the first day of school as them, as well as different things. This would make a great compare and contrast lesson. This story can also be used for a social studies lesson. For example, it would be neat to look up on a globe each place that is mentioned in the book.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun look at what a first day of school might be like in India, Peru,China, Japan, Australia and other countries. I appreciate that the authors point out that each child is a composite of several children and that the child represented does not necessarily represent all the educational experiences of children in that country. However, it's nice for children to see both similarities and differences between their experience and that of other children around the world.

[Blue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book for children to learn about what school is like for children around the world. Some of the places mentioned are: Kenya, China, and the USA. The book is large and there are wonderful illustrations depicting some of the events the children describe. I'd say this is better for a child at least 5-6 as the children's stories are each one page with a second page for bullet points summarizing school in that location. My little one (3 years old) got bored about halfway through, so younger ones might enjoy looking at the pictures more and having you summarize what's going on. She preferred This Is the Way We Go to School: A Book about Children Around the World because it had less text so I made it through that one faster, but I much preferred this one because I enjoyed the in depth information whereas the other one is just about how the children travel to school.

[Yusra Faridi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s Back to School We Go!: This book describes the first day of school for different children all around the world. It starts off with a short passage about a young girl from Kenya, and within a few pages the reader has traveled all around the world, from Japan to Peru to Germany and to the United States. Knowing a little bit about many of the cultures mentioned in this book, I have to say that the author took time to do research on each country and what school is like over there. The book seems very authentic to me and the information is valid and related to the countries being mentioned. This is such a good opener on the first day of school and can be read to all elementary age students. Not only will the students get to learn a little about how schools function around the world, but they will also feel welcomed in their school and this will create an instant sense of community within the classroom. I would not hesitate to read this book to my students in the future.

[Tywanna Robb · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's Back to School We Go!:First Day Stories from Around the World By: Ellen Jackson was a wonderful text. It displayed children from all over the world: Kenya, Russia, India, America, Canada, Japan, China, Peru and many other counties on their first day of school. As a teacher, this text will certainly be a beneficial one to use in the classroom. It gives the children a little insight about the children and cultures all around the world. I enjoyed the fact that the children all over the world had many similarities. Children who are from the United States can in some cases relate to a child in Peru etc. It also depicts the differences among the different cultures. Some children start school in April, While in a america they children start school in August or September. Overall, this text is excellent to promote cultural awareness.

[SamZ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful look at the first day of school for eleven different children from different countries and cultures. I love the author's note as well as the bibliography and web resources. This would be a great way to introduce other cultures or a really fun activity for the first day of school! I only wish that there was a pronunciation guide for the many different language words that are included!

[Sheniqua · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great for parents and teachers for learning about how students across the world prepare for the next school year. I would use this book for a multicultural text and also to discuss the seven continents.

[Amanda Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book could be used K-5 to teach students different things that students do around the world to starting art the first day of school. It can also be used as a geography lesson with naming the different places that is in the book.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diversity in childrens school experiences and how much they have in common

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book about the first day of school for children around the world.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author Ellen Jackson and illustrator Jan Davey Ellis, who have collaborated on a number of other picture books, here explore what the first day of school is like for children from eleven countries around the world. Each two-page spread features a child from six to nine years old, and describes how they prepare for school, and what customs and celebrations are observed on that day in their country. A series of facts about children in that country then follows. The countries included are: Kazakhstan, Canada, Australia, Japan, China, Peru, Germany, India, Russia, and the United States...

I enjoy books like It's Back to School We Go!: First Day Stories From Around the World, which offer a comparison of childhood experiences and lives around the world, as I think such titles are an engaging way to explore the cultural side of geography, and to teach both about our similarities and differences, as members of the larger human family. The example that immediately springs to my mind is Children Just Like Me , which was published in 1995 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of UNICEF, but other examples would be titles like My Librarian Is a Camel: How Books Are Brought to Children Around the World and My School in the Rain Forest: How Children Attend School Around the World , both by Margaret Ruurs. This title from Jackson and Ellis is nice because it addresses a specific experience—the first day of school—that is an important one to many young people, and highlights how it plays out in a diverse range of children's lives. The information it presents in interesting, and the illustrations appealing. Recommended to picture book audiences who are curious about the world around them, and how children in different parts of the world experience their first day of school.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keywords: school, global, non-fiction

Summary: These stories are provided by real students from around the world. They allow you into their world and what school is like for them. This book provides a vast array of countries and a snippet of how their cultures provide education.

Prompt: This is an ideal book because it is easy to follow and has a large number of illustrations.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readers meet children in eleven different countries as they go to school on the first day. Each page spread includes a story from a child and informative text about school/life in their country. Well researched text. The illustrations offer readers a glimpse of each country.
Terrific for mid-elementary level.

[Madison Kozeny · Rating 4 out of 5]

My students enjoyed getting a glimpse at school experiences around the world. They were surprised by the similarities and differences to their own experiences. I would also recommend this text when teaching primary and secondary sources.

[Darren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book about school traditions. It's 20 years old, so it's a bit dated, but still really fascinating.

[Miranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3rd grade friendly. This book shows that children all of the world go to school but not everyone does it the same way

[Armando]

i love this book