How to Have the Best School Year Ever (Jess Sanders, illus Andrea Onishi, Affirm)

For many young children, starting the school year can be a daunting experience filled with many unknowns. Jess Sanders’s How to Have the Best School Year Ever is the perfect tool to help ease those worries and prepare young ones for a great, even the best, year ahead. The book speaks directly to readers in a clear, gentle tone, encouraging children aged 4 to 8 to set goals. It then offers accessible, realistic tips for reaching them – whether learning a new sport, improving on a subject or making new friends – showing that no goal is too small. As with Sanders’s previous books, including The Five Rules of Friendship and Love Your Body, her latest book teaches children how to be resilient when feeling discouraged, acknowledging the hard work and obstacles that can come with pursuing goals. Sanders gives readers practical advice to feel confident and step out of their comfort zone. Along with Andrea Onishi’s vibrant illustrations that jump off the page, How to Have the Best School Year Ever provides children with the building blocks to goal-setting. It also gives caregivers and teachers a starting point to discuss school-related anxieties, making it an excellent home and classroom resource.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Anthea Yang is a writer and editor living on unceded Wurundjeri land. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

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