Bookshelf: Back-to-school books

It has become increasingly clear that almost nothing sets children on a course toward school and life success more than instilling them with a lifelong love of reading. With this in mind, we thought it would be fitting to dedicate this issue's Bookshelf Department to some of the large number of books that address the back-to-school season. You will find a sampling of everything: from the basics of the ABCs and bright yellow school buses, to the first days of kindergarten. The selections extend well into the more complex aspects of going to school, including the fears, friendships, and following of rules.

1 Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

By Bill Martin & John Archambault, Simon & Schuster, 1989 (40 pages, hardcover); 4 TO 8 YEARS

2 Eric Carle's ABC (The World of Eric Carle)

By Eric Carle, Grosset & Dunlap, 2007 (16 pages, board book edition); BABY-PRESCHOOL

3 A to Z

By Sandra Boynton, Little Simon, 1984 (14 pages, board book) BABY-PRESCHOOL