The principal’s office is one of childhood’s great offstage rooms. Everyone knows where it is; almost nobody wants to be sent there. In these books, the person behind the desk might be a patient problem-solver, an enthusiastic rule-maker, a monster assembled entirely from a nervous child’s imagination, or a hypnotized superhero in a cape and underpants. The best stories make the authority figure human without taking all the delicious suspense out of the walk down the hall.
Drawing from Bookroo’s collection of books about school principals, our editors chose stories in which the principal genuinely shapes the plot — not books that happen to include one trip to the office. Start with our 12 favorites, then browse picture books for classroom read-alouds and illustrated early readers or move on to chapter books about school rules, pranks, responsibility, and what happens when the person in charge is not quite in control.
A beloved principal notices that the school bully knows birds, and uses that small opening to challenge his prejudice.
A principal loves learning so much that he adds school on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and all through summer.
A summons to the principal’s office grows into a full monster movie before the boy even reaches the door.
When dependable Principal Tate is late, an entire school discovers how many small jobs she quietly does each morning.
Rufus brings a backpack, a lunchbox, and his best manners to school, but the principal still insists that pigs may not enroll.
Students ask their principal to fix an overcrowded lunchroom, and every solution she tries makes it smaller.
Two fourth-grade pranksters hypnotize their principal and accidentally turn him into a superhero.
Two champion pranksters join forces with their usual principal when an even stricter former principal arrives to outlaw fun.
Principal Klutz kisses a pig, paints his head orange, and proposes a rooftop bungee jump if the students meet his reading goals.
Four sixth graders arrive at middle school with incompatible plans, and all roads lead to the principal’s office.
A magician accidentally turns Principal Bundy into a frog, leaving the students of PS 88 to get their school leader back.
Tired of being told what to do, a new student wishes himself into the principal’s chair and inherits every decision.
Funny and reassuring read-alouds about office visits, schoolwide problems, big rules, and the grown-up responsible for keeping everything moving — ages 3–9.
A missing teacher, a mysterious sandwich, and chaos in kindergarten. Who is Mr. S?
A young girl gets to be principal for the day, but things don't go as planned.
A strict principal bans creativity, testing students' patience. Can balance be restored?
A lizard's mischief in kindergarten leads to chaos and unexpected friendship.
A principal's chaotic Christmas Eve gets a magical twist. Will he make it home?
A principal's wish spirals into chaos. Can he reverse it?
A principal becomes a spider. Can he escape this web of trouble?
Principal hears mysterious voices. Is it a ghost or something else?
Why is Principal Bundy acting so bizarrely at PS 88?
Illustrated first chapters, school comedies, and longer stories in which principals face pranksters, peculiar wishes, and the hard work of being in charge — ages 5–12.
A group of kids must stop a monster from taking over their school.
Two pranksters face their nemesis in a final showdown at school.
A student navigates a chaotic week at school while the principal is away at a conference, leading to a series of misadventures and unexpected lessons.
A group of students navigate a chaotic school environment when their teachers go on strike and are replaced by eccentric substitutes.
Two fourth-grade pranksters accidentally hypnotize their mean principal and turn him into a superhero.
Two fourth-grade pranksters travel through time and space, causing chaos and mayhem wherever they go.
Two fourth-grade pranksters accidentally switch the brains of their mean principal and a nerdy classmate using a machine called the Combine-O-Tron 2000.
Two fourth-grade pranksters accidentally create a superhero when they hypnotize their mean principal, who then battles a variety of villains, including a mad scientist and a giant robot.
Alien lunch ladies threaten the school. Can Captain Underpants save the day?
A student tries to navigate a chaotic school year with a new principal who is determined to impose strict discipline and order.
Two fourth-grade pranksters accidentally hypnotize their mean teacher, turning her into a supervillain.
Clyde's excitement turns him into a monkey. Can he stay calm with the principal next door?
