Check out the best children’s books about teachers perfect for Teacher Appreciation Week or any time with both fiction and nonfiction stories!
Looking for the best children’s books about teachers? These fun books about teachers for elementary students are engaging for primary and upper elementary kids. Fiction and nonfiction books with lesson plans and activities linked. Picture books about teachers, librarians and educators to read aloud for your kindergarten, first, second, third, fourth or fifth grade students. Your students will delight in these classic and brand new books, especially great for Teacher Appreciation Week!
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Planting Stories by Anika Aldamuy Denise
When she came to America in 1921, Pura carried the cuentos folklóricos of her Puerto Rican homeland. Finding a new home at the New York Public Library as a bilingual assistant, she turned her popular retellings into libros and spread story seeds across the land. Today, these seeds have grown into a lush landscape as generations of children and storytellers continue to share her tales and celebrate Pura’s legacy.
This portrait of the influential librarian, author, and puppeteer reminds us of the power of storytelling and the extraordinary woman who opened doors and championed bilingual literature.
Get the lesson plan and activities for Planting Stories HERE
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Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard
The kids in Room 207 were misbehaving again. Spitballs stuck to the ceiling. Paper planes whizzing through the air. They were the worst-behaved class in the whole school. The students don’t proffer a shred of respect for their good-natured teacher Miss Nelson, but when the witchy substitute Miss Viola Swamp appears on the scene, they start to regret their own wicked ways. James Marshall’s scritchy, cartoonish full-color ink and wash illustrations are hilarious. A back-to-school perennial!
Get the lesson plan and activities for Miss Nelson is Missing HERE
Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty
Some kids sculpt sand castles. Others make mud pies. Some construct great block towers. But none are better at building than Iggy Peck, who once erected a life-size replica of the Great Sphinx on his front lawn! It’s too bad that few people appreciate Iggy’s talent—certainly not his second-grade teacher, Miss Lila Greer. It looks as if Iggy will have to trade in his T square for a box of crayons . . . until a fateful field trip proves just how useful a mast builder can be.
Get the lesson plan and activities for Iggy Peck, Architect HERE
Energy Island by Allan Drummond
Hold onto your hats! It’s windy on the Danish island of Samsø. Meet the environmentally friendly people who now proudly call their home Energy Island. At a time when most countries are producing ever-increasing amounts of CO2, the rather ordinary citizens of Samsø have accomplished something extraordinary―in just ten years they have reduced their carbon emissions by 140% and become almost completely energy independent. A narrative tale and a science book in one, this inspiring true story proves that with a little hard work and a big idea, anyone can make a huge step toward energy conservation.
Get the lesson plan and activities for Energy Island HERE
Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
Lilly loves everything about school, especially her cool teacher, Mr. Slinger. But when Lilly brings her purple plastic purse and its treasures to school and can’t wait until sharing time, Mr. Slinger confiscates her prized possessions. Lilly’s fury leads to revenge and then to remorse and she sets out to make amends.
Get the lesson plan and activities for Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse HERE
Lilly’s Big Day by Kevin Henkes
Lilly’s favorite teacher, Mr. Slinger, is getting married, and Lilly is going to be his flower girl! Well, Lilly, thinks she is going to be his flower girl. It turns out that Mr. Slinger’s niece Ginger is the official flower girl. But Lilly rises to the occasion as only Lilly can, turning heartbreak into wedding cake (a delicious three-tiered frosted Swiss cheese, no less), and disappointment into friendship! A #1 New York Times bestseller by Caldecott Medalist Kevin Henkes.
Get the lesson plan and activities for Lilly’s Big Day HERE
Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen
Miss Merriweather, the head librarian, is very particular about rules in the library. No running allowed. And you must be quiet. But when a lion comes to the library one day, no one is sure what to do. There aren’t any rules about lions in the library. And, as it turns out, this lion seems very well suited to library visiting. His big feet are quiet on the library floor. He makes a comfy backrest for the children at story hour. And he never roars in the library, at least not anymore. But when something terrible happens, the lion quickly comes to the rescue in the only way he knows how.
Get the lesson plan and activities for Library Lion HERE
The Raft by Jim LaMarche
Nicky is convinced that his summer with his grandmother in the Wisconsin woods is going to be the worst summer ever. She cooks food that he doesn’t like, there’s an art studio where her living room should be, and he’s expected to do chores—including fishing, the most boring chore ever.
But one afternoon, while Nicky is trying to catch their dinner, a raft drifts down the river towards him. The raft has a calming magic about it, affecting both Nicky and the wildlife of the river and woods. Through the raft and the adventures it brings him on, Nicky finds new common ground with his grandmother, a fellow river rat, who encourages him to explore his newfound talent for art. A book that shows that our family members and nature can be our teachers just as much as those in the classroom.
Get the lesson plan and activities for The Raft HERE
Mr. Peabody’s Apples by Madonna
A boy learns a lesson about the destructive power of gossip. The beloved town teacher Mr. Peabody is spotted one day appearing to have stolen an apple. Word quickly spreads in the small town until all believe it. The truth comes out and the boy learns a lesson about gossip.
Get the lesson plan and activities for Mr. Peabody’s Apples HERE
Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco
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.
An A From Miss Keller by Patricia Polacco
How did Patricia Polacco become a writer?
Trisha is nervous about being chosen for Miss Keller’s writing class. “Killer Keller” demands that her students dazzle her with their writing, and rumor has it that she has never given an A. The rumors turn out to be all too true—there’s just no pleasing Miss Keller. Then an unexpected loss leaves Trisha heartbroken. Thoughts of teachers and grades forgotten, she pours out her soul in a personal narrative. And when Miss Keller reads it, she tells Trisha, “You’ve given your words wings.”
Best Children’s Books About Teachers
What are some of your favorite children’s books about teachers? Are there any must read children’s books about teachers that I left out? Let me know in the comments, and I’ll add it!
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