In the world of children’s literature, there’s a special shelf reserved for books that shine a spotlight on the unsung heroes of our everyday lives—teachers. Let’s celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week by diving into some really touching and inspiring books that feature teachers!
You can click on any of the titles below to learn more about each story or find all of these picture books that celebrate teachers on my Amazon page.
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BOOKS THAT FEATURE TEACHERS
Teachers do more than educate; they inspire dreams and nurture hearts. Celebrate these amazing individuals with children’s books that feature teachers.
Mrs. Spitzer’s Garden
Mrs. Spitzer is a wise teacher who knows many things. She knows about gardens and she knows about children. More importantly, she knows how similar they are, and how both will flourish if tended lovingly.
Lila Greer, Teacher of the Year
Lila Greer is full of worries. Even the smallest things—from cabbages to cardboard—fill her with dread and what-ifs. So when her family makes a big change—moving to a new town—the worry and what-ifs only grow. What if things go wrong? What if no one likes her?
At first, Lila feels right to be worried. In her new home, everything is strange. The new kids, the new smells. Lila feels alone and invisible. But there’s one person who sees her: Lila’s teacher, Ms. Kern. Through some creativity, blackboard erasers, and—most of all—kindness, Ms. Kern finds a way to make Lila feel welcome and open to new experiences. A lesson that will resonate with Lila long after second grade.
Thank You, Mr. Falker
Patricia Polacco is now one of America’s most loved children’s book creators, but once upon a time, she was a little girl named Trisha starting school. Trisha could paint and draw beautifully, but when she looked at words on a page, all she could see was jumble. It took a very special teacher to recognize little Trisha’s dyslexia: Mr. Falker, who encouraged her to overcome her reading disability. Patricia Polacco will never forget him, and neither will we.
Rescuing Mrs. Birdley
Miranda is an animal expert. Or at least, she watches a lot of Nature Joe. Nature Joe is incredible. He rescues animals, returning them to their natural habitat.
Mrs. Birdley is a teacher. The natural habitat of a teacher is a classroom.
So when Mrs. Birdley escapes school and ends up wild, loose, and confused at the local grocery store, Miranda knows just what to do: she must use her brain, her guts, and her extensive knowledge of Nature Joe to rescue Mrs. Birdley—at any cost!
My Teacher’s Secret Life
Everyone knows that teachers belong in school. But one day, Mrs. Quirk is spotted in the supermarket. And, as if that isn’t bad enough, she is later seen trying on skates at the mall. Does she have a secret life? And just who is that girl that looks just like her — only smaller?
Miss Malarkey Doesn’t Live in Room 10
I know my teacher, Miss Malarkey, lives in our classroom, Room 10. She’s there all the time. In fact, all the teachers live at school. They eat dinner in the cafeteria and sleep in the teachers’ lounge. I’m sure of it!
So why is Miss Malarkey moving into my apartment house?…
What could be more surprising than finding out your teacher has a life outside school?
The Best Teacher in Second Grade
Luna has the best teacher in second grade. Mr. Hopper loves the midnight sky almost as much as Luna does, but the rest of the class isn’t on the same page. They won’t listen to her ideas for the Family Night program—until something goes unexpectedly wrong! With a nudge from Mr. Hopper, Luna shares her plan, which just might save the show.
I Want to Be a Teacher
I never knew that there are so many different ways to be a teacher. When my family gets a new puppy, I learn that there are teachers who train dogs, teachers who teach swimming, teachers who teach music—and more!
With this story blending narrative with nonfiction elements, readers meet the wide variety of teachers who do so much to support our communities.
Miss Nelson is Missing!
Miss Nelson’s class always acts up—especially when their teacher is absent from school! But after a week with their strict substitute, Viola Swamp, the kids can’t wait for Miss Nelson to come back.
Substitute Creacher
The troublemaking students of Ms. Jenkins’ class arrive at school one day to discover a substitute creacher has come to put a stop to their monkey business! He regales them with mind-boggling stories about his former students who didn’t follow the rules: Keith the glue-eater, Zach the daydreamer, and Hank the prankster, to name a few. But even this multi-tentacled, yellow-spotted, one-eyed monster’s cautionary tales about the consequences of mischief-making can’t seem to change the students’ wicked ways until he reveals the spookiest and most surprising story of all: his own.
You can find activities to pair with this book here.
The Teacher from the Black Lagoon
Join Hubie once again as he faces his comically horrific fears during his first day of school and his first trip to the school library. Featuring a fire-breathing teacher and a library where all the books are bolted to the shelves, these stories are sure to amuse and quell fears of new experiences at the same time!
You can find all of my book companions for the Black Lagoon chapter book series here.
My Teacher is a Monster (No, I am Not!)
A young boy named Bobby has the worst teacher. She’s loud, she yells, and if you throw paper airplanes, she won’t allow you to enjoy recess. She is a monster! Luckily, Bobby can go to his favorite spot in the park on weekends to play. Until one day… he finds his teacher there! Over the course of one day, Bobby learns that monsters are not always what they seem.
The Junkyard Wonders
Young Trisha is devastated when she finds out that her class at her new school is known as the junkyard. It is a special class, and she had moved from where she used to live so she wouldn’t be in a special class anymore! But then she meets her teacher, the amazing Mrs. Peterson, and her classmates, an oddly brilliant group of misfit kids, whom the other kids in school call the junkyard kids. Much to her own surprise, it is here in the junkyard that Trisha discovers the true meaning of genius, and that this group of misfits are, in fact, Junkyard Wonders, each and every one of them.
The Best Teacher Ever
Little Critter has the best teacher around. Miss Kitty even makes math class fun! Join Little Critter as he searches for the perfect gift to show Miss Kitty just how special she is to him!
TEACHER APPRECIATION BOOKS
In celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week, what better way to honor the educators who have made a lasting impact on our lives than by sharing books that resonate with the themes of learning, inspiration, and gratitude? Here are some of my favorites that would make the perfect gift for a special teacher in your life.
A Teacher Like You
Teachers have the power to change the life of a child with every new school day. Whether they’re discovering math or reading, practicing a new instrument or a new sport, or learning about our wonderful, diverse world, students can count on the kindness, innovation, and patience of a teacher. This is a wonderful celebration of all the ways teachers help their student’s bloom.
Dear Teacher,
Filled with gratitude, Dear Teacher, thanks all the people that empower and inspire little ones to be themselves and overcome all of life’s obstacles.
A Letter to My Teacher
Dear Teacher, Whenever I had something to tell you, I tugged on your shirt and whispered in your ear. This time I’m writing a letter.
So begins this heartfelt picture book about a girl who prefers running and jumping to listening and learning—and the teacher who gently inspires her. From stomping through creeks on a field trip to pretending to choke when called upon to read aloud, this book’s young heroine would be a challenge to any teacher. But this teacher isn’t just any teacher. By listening carefully and knowing just the right thing to say, she quickly learns that the girl’s unruly behavior is due to her struggles with reading. And at the very end, we learn what this former student is now: a teacher herself.
Because I Had a Teacher
Where would we be without them, those special people who inspire us, support us, and encourage us? Whether they’re an educator, a coach, or a mentor, this book is for them. To celebrate the worlds they open up for us and to thank them for the difference they make.
Thank You, Teacher from the Very Hungry Caterpillar
Using bright and colorful Eric Carle imagery, plus The Very Hungry Caterpillar, this story provides all the reasons why the teachers in our lives are so special and why we’re so thankful for them.
365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne’s Precepts
In Wonder, readers were introduced to memorable English teacher Mr. Browne and his love of precepts. This companion book features conversations between Mr. Browne and Auggie, Julian, Summer, Jack Will, and others, giving readers a special peek at their lives after Wonder ends. Mr. Browne’s essays and correspondence are rounded out by a precept for each day of the year—drawn from popular songs to children’s books to inscriptions on Egyptian tombstones to fortune cookies. His selections celebrate the goodness of human beings, the strength of people’s hearts, and the power of people’s wills.
A Teacher is the Greatest Gift
What do your favorite teachers mean to you? A compass that points the way, an umbrella in a windy storm, an encyclopedia of knowledge—a teacher can be all these things and more.
This sweet picture book beautifully illustrates all the different things our teachers have taught us, the care they have given us, and how they’ve inspired us. A teacher is the greatest gift of all, and this book is a lovely way to express your thanks.
Thank You (a Book for Teachers)
As artist and writer Sandy Gingras so aptly points out in the introduction to her book Thank You, a life lived well is perhaps the highest form of thanks a person can give to teachers as a way of repaying them for their attention and effort. A simple thank-you is also nice.
Thank You is Gingras’s own delightful way of conveying this sentiment. This charming keepsake book features her soft, sweet watercolor artwork and thoughtful original text celebrating teachers and all they do for us.
Always striking the right tone of gratitude without being overly sentimental, Thank You is a wonderful way to show appreciation to teachers for their enduring gifts to us both great and small.
Teachers Rock!
Teachers are amazing! They teach you new things, make you laugh, and help you meet new friends. Teachers always encourage you to do your best. They make the classroom a great place to be!
From admiring the way teachers foster creativity in the classroom to how they ensure all children’s needs are met, Todd Parr offers an ode to everything teachers contribute to the world. Bursting with positivity about school and the people who make it special, this book is sure to become a classroom and at-home favorite.
A Letter from Your Teacher
Through a letter written from the teacher’s point of view, students are given the message that their new teacher is someone they will get to form a special bond with. Their teacher is not only there to help them academically, but also to cheer them on, and to provide a caring, safe environment for them to learn and grow.
Be sure to grab a free writing craft to pair with this book here.
School Year Jitters
As every first-year teacher knows, a classroom full of second graders can be alarmingly unpredictable.The letters the children write to Mrs. Hartwell are sympathetic (“I figured you might be a little scared, just like me”); informative (“…most kids don’t eat cauliflower”); encouraging (“Yesterday was THE BEST!”); and apologetic (“I’m sorry about throwing up all over your shoes”). Even a local firefighter writes to Sarah Jane.
Fun, funny, and heart-warming, Danneberg’s The Jitters series is sure to delight both teachers and children as they follow Mrs. Hartwell and her class through the year.
Do you have a favorite book about teachers that didn’t make the list? Let me know so I can check it out!
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Happy Reading!
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