How to Have the Best School Year Ever

How to Have the Best School Year Ever by Jess Sanders, illustrated by Andrea Onishi (Affirm Press 2025) HB RRP $ 22.99 ISBN 9781923135949

Reviewed by Sylvia Forbes.

School is where you learn, grow, and make friends,

and when you are doing all three, school can feel like the best place to be!

But when learning is tough and friendships are complicated,

school can feel like the last place you want to be.

That's when you need this book!

From the award-winning creator of the 'Life Lessons for Little Ones Series' - Jess Sanders - comes a guide for children who may be having issues or experiencing difficulties around going to school. Written in an easy, straightforward manner, with a warm, supportive voice, this book speaks directly to the reader. It gently encourages children to set goals and offers clear, simple tips for reaching them - whether they're having friendship problems, having trouble trying something new, or experiencing difficulties in managing school subjects.

The aim of How to Have the Best Year Ever is to help kids ease up on themselves, alleviate their fears, concerns and worries, and reduce negative thoughts and feelings. How to Have the Best School Year Ever. They will learn that many other children feel the same way, which will help de-isolate them and normalise their feelings. Most importantly, they will learn to embrace difficult days, be kind to themselves, choose positive self-talk and celebrate effort.

This book will also make an excellent reference point for parents who may struggle to find the right words to share with their kids and to help them resolve these issues.

Some of the (many) stand-out points for me are: 

That it acknowledges and celebrates individuality and diversity - both textually and visually. 

That it speaks to children about being their own inner best friend.

And it says: 'Being brave doesn't mean being fearless - being brave means feeling scared or worried and doing the thing anyway!' 

Andrea Onishi's joyful, child-friendly illustrations bring to vivid life all the positive, supportive and encouraging elements of the text. There is ease and optimism, and a heart-warming abundance of inclusivity, camaraderie, and support among the children, splashed across the pages. 

The overall message is that small gestures of care and kindness can quickly restore harmony and happiness. This truly reflects the resilient nature of young children. 

Reading this book may not give your child the best school year ever, but it will certainly go a long way in helping your child have a better year than he or she might have had. (And as a bonus, receive a little confidence boost along the way.) 

Kind and reassuring, How to Have the Best School Year Ever says to kids - you are not alone, it is reasonable and normal to feel the way you're feeling, here are some simple, useful tools you can use to help yourself move through those tough days - and you can revisit this book any time you need.

Recommended for ages 4-8 years.