How is this different from books about changing schools?

It covers the same ground as books about changing schools: missing the old place and finding a foothold in the new one. The difference is that your child is the main character, the story uses their new school’s name if you add it, and it comes narrated, so you can listen together.

Does the story pretend everything is fine right away?

No. Your child misses their old school in the story, and that is treated as okay. There are no instant best friends. Instead your child finds one familiar thing, like a favorite book in the classroom library or a game they already know, and the new place starts to feel a bit more like theirs.

Choose Little ones (1–3), Growing kids (4–5) or Big kids (6–8), and the words, sentence length and pace follow that age. Older children often like talking afterwards about what they miss and what they want to look for, using the questions on this page.

New school story for kids, starring your child

Create a story

Your child’s name

Preschool or school name (optional)

Any extra details to add?

Anything to avoid? (optional)

Optional — leave out monsters, getting lost, separation, loud surprises, or anything they don't want tonight.

The story is written and narrated in :

Narrator voice:

Every everyday challenge story is about 3 minutes long.

Who's listening?

The small step in this story

Your child looks for one familiar thing, such as a favorite book in the classroom library or a game they already know. Feeling at home in a new school can take weeks, and missing the old one is okay.

Talk about the story together

What did the character miss about their old school?
What familiar thing did they find at the new school?
What would you like to look for at a new school?

Your child can answer, point to a picture, or simply listen. There is no correct answer.

They are designed for everyday conversations and practice. They do not promise that one story will change a habit or make a worry disappear.

Supporting a child starting a new school

Changing schools means leaving friends, teachers and routines your child knew well, and walking into a place where everything is unfamiliar. A child starting a new school mid-year or after a move may feel excited and sad on the same day. Missing the old school is okay, and settling in can take weeks. Many parents look for books about changing schools to help with this, because a story can show a child finding one familiar thing in the new place.

Questions parents ask

How is this different from books about changing schools?: It covers the same ground as books about changing schools: missing the old place and finding a foothold in the new one. The difference is that your child is the main character, the story uses their new school’s name if you add it, and it comes narrated, so you can listen together.
Does the story pretend everything is fine right away?: No. Your child misses their old school in the story, and that is treated as okay. There are no instant best friends. Instead your child finds one familiar thing, like a favorite book in the classroom library or a game they already know, and the new place starts to feel a bit more like theirs.
What age is it for?: Choose Little ones (1–3), Growing kids (4–5) or Big kids (6–8), and the words, sentence length and pace follow that age. Older children often like talking afterwards about what they miss and what they want to look for, using the questions on this page.

A new school story for kids, starring your child

Supporting a child starting a new school

Questions parents ask