What Makes a Good School Story?

Picture Books

Bean, Jonathan This Is My Home, This Is My School
48 pp.     Farrar     2015     ISBN 978-0-374-38020-5

Bell, Cece Chuck and Woodchuck
32 pp.     Candlewick     2016     ISBN 978-0-7636-7524-0

Bottner, Barbara Miss Brooks Loves Books! (and I don't)
Illustrated by Michael Emberley
32 pp.     Knopf     2010     ISBN 978-0-375-84682-3
Library binding ISBN 978-0-375-94682-0

Holub, Joan Little Red Writing
Illustrated by Melissa Sweet
32 pp.     Chronicle     2013     ISBN 978-0-8118-7869-2

Kay, Verla Hornbooks and Inkwells
Illustrated by S. D. Schindler
32 pp.     Putnam     2011     ISBN 978-0-399-23870-3

McNamara, Margaret The Apple Orchard Riddle
Illustrated by G. Brian Karas
40 pp.     Random/Schwartz & Wade     2013     ISBN 978-0-375-84744-8
Library binding ISBN 978-0-375-95744-4

Miller, Pat Zietlow Sophie's Squash Go to School
Illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf
32 pp.     Random/Schwartz & Wade     2016     ISBN 978-0-553-50944-1
Library binding ISBN 978-0-553-50945-8
Ebook ISBN 978-0-553-50946-5

Murray, Laura The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School
Illustrated by Mike Lowery
32 pp.     Putnam     2011     ISBN 978-0-399-25052-1

Perkins, Lynne Rae Frank and Lucky Get Schooled
32 pp.     Greenwillow     2016     ISBN 978-0-06-237345-8

Rex, Adam School's First Day of School
Illustrated by Christian Robinson
40 pp.     Roaring Brook/Porter     2016     ISBN 978-1-59643-964-1

Vernick, Audrey First Grade Dropout
Illustrated by Matthew Cordell
32 pp.     Clarion     2015     ISBN 978-0-544-12985-6

Yum, Hyewon Mom, It's My First Day of Kindergarten!
40 pp.     Farrar/Foster     2012      ISBN 978-0-374-35004-8

 

Easy Readers and Chapter Books

Cheng, Andrea The Year of the Book
Illustrated by Abigail Halpin
148 pp.     Houghton     2012     ISBN 978-0-547-68463-5

English, Karen Skateboard Party
Illustrated by Laura Freeman
117 pp.      Clarion     2014      ISBN 978-0-544-28306-0

Fleischman, Paul The Dunderheads
Illustrated by David Roberts
56 pp.     Candlewick     2009      ISBN 978-0-7636-2498-9

Henkes, Kevin The Year of Billy Miller
229 pp.      Greenwillow     2013     ISBN 978-0-06-226812-9
Library binding ISBN 978-0-06-226813-6

Jamieson, Victoria The Great Pet Escape
64 pp.     Holt     2016     ISBN 978-1-62779-105-2
Paperback ISBN 978-1-62779-106-9

Lagercrantz, Rose My Heart Is Laughing
Illustrated by Eva Eriksson
120 pp.     Gecko     2014     ISBN 978-1-877579-52-3

Look, Lenore Alvin Ho: Allergic to Babies, Burglars, and Other Bumps in the Night
Illustrated by LeUyen Pham
185 pp.     Random/Schwartz & Wade     2013     ISBN 978-0-375-87033-0
Library binding ISBN 978-0-375-97033-7

McKay, Hilary Lulu and the Duck in the Park
Illustrated by Priscilla Lamont
93 pp.     Whitman     2012     ISBN 978-0-8075-4808-0

McMullan, Kate Pearl and Wagner: Five Days Till Summer [Penguin Young Readers]
Illustrated by R. W. Alley
48 pp.     Penguin     2012     ISBN 978-0-8037-3589-7

Michalak, Jamie Joe and Sparky Go to School
Illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz
42 pp.     Candlewick     2013     ISBN 978-0-7636-6278-3

Mills, Claudia Izzy Barr, Running Star [Franklin School Friends]
Illustrated by Rob Shepperson
136 pp.     Farrar/Ferguson      2015      ISBN 978-0-374-33578-6
Ebook ISBN 978-0-374-33579-3

Pennypacker, Sara Completely Clementine
Illustrated by Marla Frazee
181 pp.     Disney/Hyperion     2015     ISBN 978-1-4231-2358-3

Spinelli, Jerry Third Grade Angels
Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell
137 pp.      Scholastic/Levine     2012      ISBN 978-0-545-38772-9

 

 

Intermediate

Barnett, Mac and John, Jory The Terrible Two
Illustrated by Kevin Cornell
220 pp.     Abrams/Amulet     2015     ISBN 978-1-4197-1491-7
Ebook ISBN 978-1-61312-763-6

Beasley, Kate Gertie's Leap to Greatness
Illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
250 pp.     Farrar     2016     ISBN 978-0-374-30261-0

Burg, Ann E. Serafina's Promise
298 pp.       Scholastic      2013     ISBN 978-0-545-53564-9

Clements, Andrew Troublemaker
Illustrated by Mark Elliott
143 pp.     Atheneum     2011     ISBN 978-1-4169-4930-5

Fleming, David The Saturday Boy
263 pp.     Viking      2013     ISBN 978-0-670-78551-3

Hahn, Mary Downing Where I Belong
226 pp.      Clarion     2014     ISBN 978-0-544-23020-0

Humphrey, Anna Ruby Goldberg's Bright Idea
Illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton
131 pp.      Simon     2013     ISBN 978-1-4424-8027-0
Ebook ISBN 978-1-4424-8031-5

Jukes, Mavis The New Kid
277 pp.     Knopf      2011      ISBN 978-0-375-85879-6
Library binding ISBN 978-0-375-95879-3

Mlynowski, Sarah, Myracle, Lauren and Jenkins, Emily Upside-Down Magic
200 pp.     Scholastic     2015       ISBN 978-0-545-80045-7
Ebook ISBN 978-0-545-80047-1

Pennypacker, Sara Waylon!: One Awesome Thing
Illustrated by Marla Frazee
197 pp.     Disney/Hyperion     2016     ISBN 978-1-4847-0152-2

Shovan, Laura The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary
247 pp.     Random/Lamb     2016     ISBN 978-0-553-52137-5
Library binding ISBN 978-0-553-52138-2
Ebook ISBN 978-0-553-52139-9

Weeks, Sarah and Varadarajan, Gita Save Me a Seat
232 pp.     Scholastic     2016     ISBN 978-0-545-84660-8
Ebook ISBN 978-0-545-84662-2

Yep, Laurence and Ryder, Joanne A Dragon's Guide to Making Your Human Smarter
Illustrated by Mary GrandPré
294 pp.     Crown     2016     ISBN 978-0-385-39232-7
Library binding ISBN 978-0-385-39233-4
Ebook ISBN 978-0-385-39234-1

Middle School

Alexander, Kwame Booked
314 pp.     Houghton     2016     ISBN 978-0-544-57098-6

Baker, Kim Pickle: The (Formerly) Anonymous Prank Club of Fountain Point Middle School
Illustrated by Tim Probert
236 pp.     Roaring Brook     2012     ISBN 978-1-59643-765-4

Berry, Julie The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place
354 pp.     Roaring Brook     2014     ISBN 978-1-59643-956-6
Ebook ISBN 978-1-59643-957-3

Grimes, Nikki Planet Middle School
155 pp.     Bloomsbury     2011     ISBN 978-1-59990-284-5

Johnson, Varian To Catch a Cheat
248 pp.     Scholastic/Levine     2016     ISBN 978-0-545-72239-1
Ebook ISBN 978-0-545-72241-4

Miller, Ashley Edward and Stentz, Zack Colin Fischer
235 pp.     Penguin/Razorbill     2012     ISBN 978-1-59514-578-9

Myers, Walter Dean The Cruisers
126 pp.     Scholastic     2010     ISBN 978-0-439-91626-4
Ebook 978-0-545-34755-6

Paulsen, Gary Flat Broke: The Theory, Practice and Destructive Properties of Greed
119 pp.     Random/Lamb     2011     ISBN 978-0-385-74002-9
Library binding ISBN 978-0-385-90818-4

Stead, Rebecca Goodbye Stranger
289 pp.      Random/Lamb     2015     ISBN 978-0-385-74317-4
Library binding ISBN 978-0-375-99098-4
Ebook ISBN 978-0-307-98085-4

Telgemeier, Raina Drama
238 pp.     Scholastic/Graphix     2012     ISBN 978-0-545-32698-8
Paperback ISBN 978-0-545-32699-5

Yang, Gene Luen and Holmes, Mike Secret Coders
92 pp.     Roaring Brook/First Second     2015     ISBN 978-1-62672-276-7
Paperback ISBN 978-1-62672-075-6

Yoo, David The Detention Club
300 pp.     HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray     2011      ISBN 978-0-06-178378-4

High School

Alsenas, Linas Beyond Clueless
249 pp.     Abrams/Amulet      2015     ISBN 978-1-4197-1496-2

Carriger, Gail Etiquette & Espionage [Finishing School]
307 pp.      Little      2013     ISBN 978-0-316-19008-4

Cavallaro, Brittany A Study in Charlotte
324 pp.     HarperCollins/Tegen     2016     ISBN 978-0-06-239890-1

Hattemer, Kate The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy
327 pp.     Knopf     2014     ISBN 978-0-385-75378-4
Library binding ISBN 978-0-385-75379-1
Ebook ISBN 978-0-385-75380-7

Jocelyn, Marthe What We Hide
279 pp.     Random/Lamb     2014     ISBN 978-0-385-73847-7
Library binding ISBN 978-0-385-90732-3
Ebook ISBN 978-0-375-89465-7

Juby, Susan The Truth Commission
314 pp.     Viking     2015     ISBN 978-0-451-46877-2

Knowles, Jo Read Between the Lines
330 pp.     Candlewick     2015     ISBN 978-0-7636-6387-2
Ebook ISBN 978-0-7636-7421-2

Knudsen, Michelle Evil Librarian
346 pp.     Candlewick     2014     ISBN 978-0-7636-6038-3
Ebook ISBN 978-0-7636-7087-0

Konigsberg, Bill Openly Straight
328 pp.     Scholastic/Levine     2013     ISBN 978-0-545-50989-3

Medina, Meg Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass
263 pp.     Candlewick     2013     ISBN 978-0-7636-5859-5

Reynolds, Jason and Kiely, Brendan All American Boys
316 pp.     Atheneum     2015     ISBN 978-1-4814-6333-1
Ebook ISBN 978-1-4814-6335-5

Schreiber, Joe Con Academy
236 pp.     Houghton     2015     ISBN 978-0-544-32020-8

Wolitzer, Meg Belzhar
264 pp.     Dutton     2014     ISBN 978-0-525-42305-8

Wooding, Chris Silver
315 pp.     Scholastic     2014.     ISBN 978-0-545-60392-8
Ebook ISBN 978-0-545-62191-5

Yee, Lisa The Kidney Hypothetical: Or How to Ruin Your Life in Seven Days
266 pp.     Scholastic/Levine     2015     ISBN 978-0-545-23094-0
Ebook ISBN 978-0-545-63399-4

These titles were mentioned in the August 2016 issue of What Makes a Good...?: "What Makes a Good School Story?"