Whether you’re a first-year teacher or you’ve been teaching for 20 years, meeting a room full of new faces is enough to make anyone a little nervous.

Grow student confidence with books under $5. 

That’s why creating a community, getting to know your class, and helping students form friendships are some of the most important ways to get the back-to-school season off on the right foot.

Check out 99 books under $9 that build character.

With the help of Scholastic’s experienced team of librarians, we’re sharing some favorite stories of friendship and connection. From stocking your classroom library to welcoming students with a fresh, new book on their desk — these stories are full of inspiration and wisdom about what to look for in a friend and how to be one. These books will help build classroom community and establish positive teacher-student and student-student relationships for the year.

Meet some of the characters that you and your kids will all want to befriend this fall below. You can find all books and activities at The Teacher Store.