8 Books That Take Us Back to School!

Summer’s nearing its end, and it’s that time of year again… back to school! Some of our favourite books are set in schools, where friendships are formed, passions are discovered, and all sorts of weird and wonderful things could happen! Here are 8 of our favourite kids and YA books that transport us straight to the schoolyard.

Your School is the BEST! by Maggie Hutchings

Cockroaches at school? While it sounds like a recipe for disaster, this little family of hilarious cockroaches is just trying to fit in with the kids at school ­– something we can all relate to!

Ages 2+.

Buy a copy of Your School is the BEST! here.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

There’s no doubt that we’ve all dreamt of receiving our acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and jumping on that train at Platform 9 ¾! Hogwarts is one of the most wondrous schools that we’ve ever had the pleasure of reading about. Excitingly, 2022 marks the 25^th anniversary of The Philosopher’s Stone and a wonderful silver anniversary edition is out now.

Ages 9+.

Buy a copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone here.

Matilda by Roald Dahl

Headmistress Miss Trunchbull might have been the stuff of nightmares, but Matilda had a few tricks up her sleeve to give the headmistress a taste of her own medicine and help out the kind Miss Honey. Matilda’s school was one crazy place but there’s a lot to learn about resilience, hope and unexpected friendships.

Ages 8+.

Buy a copy of Matilda here.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Wonder is beautiful novel with so many lessons to be learnt. Auggie, born with a facial abnormality, goes to school for the first time after being home-schooled by his parents all his life. It’s a moving story about the challenges of trying to fit in.

Ages 9+.

Buy a copy of Wonder here.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Everyone either knows a wimpy kid from school or can relate to being the wimpy kid – and there’s nothing wrong with that! Jeff Kinney’s Wimpy Kid has become an iconic series about navigating the depths of high school.

Ages 6+.

Buy a copy of Diary of a Wimpy Kid here.

Alice-Miranda at School by Jacqueline Harvey

The very first book in the beloved Alice-Miranda series sees her set foot in boarding school for the first time, where all sorts of mysterious things are going on! Boarding school doesn’t seem too bad, especially if you are at school with Alice-Miranda.

Ages 9+.

Buy a copy of Alice-Miranda at School here.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a moving YA novel about coming-of-age whilst navigating tricky high school relationships. If you saw the 2012 film version starring Emma Watson and Logan Lerman, it is well worth reading the book, too.

Ages 13+.

Buy a copy of The Perks of Being a Wallflower here.

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

I, for one, did not mind the idea of going from an ordinary high school experience one day to finding out you are a princess of a European principality the next! This is another teenage classic that shows that even being a princess is not a recipe for popularity at school.

Ages 14+.

Buy a copy of The Princess Diaries here.