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Our Class is a Family (The Classroom Community Collection) Paperback – May 5, 2020

by Shannon Olsen (Author), Sandie Sonke (Illustrator)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 14,599 ratings
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Teachers do so much more than just teach academics. They build a sense of community within their classrooms, creating a home away from home where they make their students feel safe, included, and loved.

With its heartfelt message and colorfully whimsical illustrations, “Our Class is a Family” is a book that will help build and strengthen that class community. Kids learn that their classroom is a place where it’s safe to be themselves, it’s okay to make mistakes, and it’s important to be a friend to others. When hearing this story being read aloud by their teacher, students are sure to feel like they are part of a special family.

“Family isn’t always your relatives. It’s the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile, and who love you no matter what.” -Unknown

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  1. Reading age
    4 - 7 years, from customers
  2. Part of series
    The Classroom Community Collection
  3. Print length
    27 pages
  4. Language
    English
  5. Dimensions
    8.5 x 0.07 x 11 inches
  6. Publication date
    May 5, 2020
  7. ISBN-10
    0578629097
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0578629094
  9. See all details
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From the Publisher

Our Class is a Family Classroom Book Teacher Resource Making friends at school
classroom fun friendship acceptance bullying kindness special education inclusivity
learning community classroom decorations teacher teaching school supplies class books
my teacher is my friend classmates family environment story circle reading classroom kindergarten

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Shannon Olsen is a second grade teacher from Southern California, with a Masters of Arts in Teaching from University of California, Irvine. Shannon is an elementary education blogger and the founder of Life Between Summers, a business in which she creates resources for teachers to use in their classrooms. She loves traveling and spending time with her husband and two daughters. 

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Shannon Olsen (May 5, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 27 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0578629097
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0578629094
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 4 - 7 years, from customers
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.5 x 0.07 x 11 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 14,599 ratings

About the author

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Shannon Olsen

Shannon Olsen

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Shannon Olsen was born and raised in Southern California, and obtained a B.A. in English and M.A. in Teaching from University of California, Irvine. She has worked in education for 15 years, primarily as a second grade teacher. Shannon also creates resources for elementary teachers and shares teaching ideas through her online store and blog, Life Between Summers. Her non-work related passions include traveling to new places, and being a wife and a mother of two girls.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
14,599 global ratings
Best Class book for community building!
5 Stars
Best Class book for community building!
Our Class is a Family is my new favorite book. As a teacher myself, I could not have asked for a better book that represents our family at school. My students could relate to every page in this book. As we read about the different families they thought of their own families. As we read about the classroom families my student remembered how 2 of our friends had the same shirt, just like in the book. Also they remembered how in our morning meetings we talked about how mistakes help us grow and they were excited to see that in the book. They kept saying, “that’s just like us!” This book also shows how important kindness is and how we showed that the entire year. I read this book on the last day of school (at our last zoom) and it brought tears to their eyes. We talked about how those are tears of joy and how we will always have this special bond. I will use this book throughout the year. I can’t wait to start the new school year with this book too! I would recommend this book to every teacher. This also makes a great gift to any teacher. I will definitely be buying this for both of my children’s teachers.
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Top reviews from the United States

aprat13
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for back-to-school!
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2024
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We read this book the first week of school. It is great for building community! I buy this book for every new teacher / student teacher I work with.
4 people found this helpful
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Bere
5.0 out of 5 stars Great for the first day
Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2023
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The message in this book is so good, it tells the students that we are all a classroom family. I still refer to this when the students are not being kind to each other! I recommend getting this book and reading on the first week of school.
3 people found this helpful
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Happy customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2023
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Super great read aloud for elementary teachers for first days back to school.
2 people found this helpful
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Kyla Turley
5.0 out of 5 stars Small Group
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2024
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A great book for beginning and middle of the school year as a reminder.
3 people found this helpful
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Bridget
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for any teacher any grade
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2024
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This book shows a community in the classroom. My preschoolers ask me to read this all the time
2 people found this helpful
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Stacey Lagrone
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Addition to your Classroom Library
Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2024
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This book is such a great read for the beginning of the year. It touches on all of the things we want to establish at the beginning of the year--respect, differences, kindness. There are so many fun activities to do out there that go along with it, too. My class loved it, and it is now a permanent read aloud for my classroom year-to-year.
2 people found this helpful
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Jacqui
4.0 out of 5 stars Great for discussion on inclusivity but could use more diverse representation
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2020
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The book “Our Class is a Family” by Shannon Olsen and illustrated by Sandie Sonke tries to demonstrate the importance of building classroom community and being inclusive of all students no matter their race or abilities. While I think this is a beautiful book that has a lot of positives and opportunities for discussion it leaves some things out. I think the story is really about modern-day American students from privileged neighborhoods. I think this because students seem to be wearing nice modern-day clothing, are put together, and have access to a school with many resources. It also mentions housing as being part of a family but fails to mention some students don’t come from or have nice homes. The book is also only available in English leaving out students who aren’t too familiar with the language. However, I think that itself could be a good learning activity for ESL or bilingual students and forming the story in their native languages. I think the illustration of the students are also representative of American features. They all have almond shaped eyes and button noses except for the teacher. It seems they just changed the skin colors and hair types for the student drawings. I think they also leave out students of different cultures. Like I mentioned earlier all the students are wearing modern-day American clothing, there’s no representation for students of different cultures and backgrounds that might wear different clothing such as hijabs or kippahs, despite the text implying inclusivity. I think that could be an excellent opportunity for discussion in the classroom about who and why certain people were left out. I think the story overall shows that students are valued if they are more representative of modern-day American culture. I think it also shows the idea of Americanization that is so prevalent in the U.S education system. This means being fluent in English and dressing like the rest of society. I think it also could’ve been more representative of more children with disabilities. I think when most people think of disabilities, they jump straight to someone in a wheelchair but there’s more disabilities out there that I think kids should learn and be more aware of. The child in the wheelchair is highlighted when the text mentions respecting one another but doesn’t elaborate how children can do that especially regarding students with varying abilities. I do like that at the beginning it represented both biological parents and stepparents as students with mixed families is normal. However, it didn’t show same sex parents or adoptees. One could argue the sentence “family doesn’t have to be who your related to” includes adoptees but I think that was included more to emphasis the point of the book that students in the classroom although not related are still considered family. Overall, I think this is a book that could use more representation but has a great start towards being more inclusive in the classroom. Finally, I think it could be great to have open discussion about inclusivity and diversity with our students.
22 people found this helpful
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Constanza M.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for classroom
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2024
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Good way to start the school year
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Top reviews from other countries

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Lara
4.0 out of 5 stars Comprei pelo kindle
Reviewed in Brazil on March 18, 2024
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Queria contar para meus alunos, mas a versão física é extremamente cara no Brasil, praticamente 500 reais! Então comprei a versão Kindle e projetei com meu notebook. Supriu as necessidades muito bem, mas o linguajar é um pouco complexo
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Ashley Ferguson
5.0 out of 5 stars Building Bonds Beyond Classroom Walls: Our Class is a Family
Reviewed in Canada on March 3, 2024
Verified Purchase
"Our Class is a Family" beautifully encapsulates the essence of classroom unity and camaraderie. As an educator, fostering a sense of belonging and inclusivity among students is paramount, and this book provides the perfect narrative to instill these values. Through heartwarming storytelling and vibrant illustrations, young readers are not only entertained but also enlightened about the importance of empathy, cooperation, and friendship.

The author skillfully navigates the dynamics of classroom relationships, emphasizing that a supportive and nurturing environment extends far beyond academic pursuits. From celebrating achievements to offering comfort during challenging times, the book exemplifies the power of collective strength and compassion. As a teacher, I've witnessed firsthand the positive impact of incorporating "Our Class is a Family" into classroom discussions, sparking meaningful conversations and reinforcing the notion that we are all part of a larger, caring community.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Nice simple book
Reviewed in India on February 16, 2024
Verified Purchase
Colorful and eye-catching for kids.
But the price is too high for this book can try the kindle version of this.
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@my_lovely_english_corner
5.0 out of 5 stars HISTORIA MUY BONITA
Reviewed in Spain on January 2, 2024
Verified Purchase
Un libro muy bonito con un gran mensaje, especialmente para los estudiantes que comienzan el año escolar. Hay muchas actividades que puedes hacer para continuar después de leer el libro.
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Brilliant maschine so powerful and easy to use. My daughter nail technician is delighted with the present
5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 29, 2023
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Beautiful book my kids in school loved it
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