De regreso a la escuela: ¡Qué nervios!

This week's De regreso a la escuela book may need no introduction if you have already seen the original English version:  First Day Jitters.  While I prefer to find as many authentic Spanish books as possible, I don't think it hurts to include some translations, especially ones that have been highly embraced in English.

This is a perfect read-aloud for the first hour of the first day of school.  You know that time when the children have arrived with their mountains of supplies, the last parent has finally left, and it is just you and your twenty-two lovelies?  It is that time when you might find yourself thinking, "Who needs a seating chart?  This class is a bunch of ANGELITOS!"  Isn't it funny how quiet they can be that first hour as their little bodies adjust to being awake at an earlier hour?

While I'm sure they are indeed going to be an angelic class, that first hour of school is always in need of a little ice breakage.  What better way to break the ice than with a funny read aloud on the carpet?  

SPOILER ALERT: ¡Qué nervios! is the story of Sarah who does not want to wake up and get ready for the first day of school at a new school.  After many humorous protests, she is eventually dressed and arrives at school.  As she is introduced to her new class by the principal, the reader is surprised to learn that Sarah is not a student but the teacher! 

Now, you will have to forgive this book the VERY unrealistic idea that a teacher could just show up on the first day of school!  I'm not sure where this school is supposed to be but Sarah was obviously not spending her summer studying Pinterest and decorating her classroom!

Still, it's a cute book and, after reading through it the first time and discovering the surprising twist, your students will want to revisit the earlier pages to find clues that might have helped them infer that Sarah was really a grown-up and not a kid.  Definitely a great way to break the ice on the first day with second or third graders!

Have you read this book with your students before?  Did they enjoy it?  You can find more Spanish back-to-school read aloud suggestions on my Pinterest page!