Tag: back to school

A+ Listening for Back-to-School Season

August 29, 2024

Bells are ringing—school bells, that is—as kids across the U.S. start the new school year. In addition to fresh fits and the right supplies, kids might also need some encouragement for the excitement and challenges ahead, and audiobooks and podcasts are a great way to start.

Here are some of the top back-to-school picks selected by the Spotify team—they’re full of examples of curiosity, friendship, kindness, and inclusion to help ease those first-day jitters.

Audiobooks

Gustavo the Shy Ghost 

Written by Flavia Z. Drago

Narrated by Marisa Blake

Back-to-school season means that Halloween is just ahead. And little ghouls and goblins will love debut author Flavia Z. Drago’s sweet and gently offbeat story of loneliness, bravery, and friendship.

Gustavo is good at doing all sorts of ghostly things: walking through walls, making objects fly, and glowing in the dark. But Gustavo is shy, and some things are harder for him to do, like getting in a line to buy eye scream or making friends with other monsters. Whenever he tries getting close to them, he realizes they just can’t see him. Now that the Day of the Dead is fast approaching, what can he do to make them notice him?

Sheila Rae the Brave 

Written by Kevin Henkesn

Narrated by Laura Hamilton

Kevin Henkes is the beloved author of perennial favorites including Chrysanthemum, Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, Julius, the Baby of the World, and Owen.

In Sheila Rae the Brave, we meet Sheila, who is not afraid of anything. She steps on cracks, walks backward with her eyes closed, and teases her sister for her fears. But when Sheila Rae gets lost one day, she discovers maybe, just maybe, she isn’t quite as brave as she thought she was.

The Case of the Disgusting School Dinners 

Written by Angie Lake

Narrated by Claudia Campbell

Aren’t school dinners a bit strange? Chicken nuggets? On pizza? Covered in chocolate? Nobody wants to live on lettuce and broccoli, but children are losing teeth over this! This looks like a case for Mina Mistry, the adventure-seeking sleuth at the center of Claudia Campbell’s The Case of the Disgusting School Dinners.

Being at school is boring when you just know you’re going to grow up to be something cool like a private investigator. So until then, Mina’s going to practice for her future, and there’s plenty of detective work to be done at school.

Hattie Harmony 

Written and narrated by Robbie Arnett and Elizabeth Olsen

In this sequel to the New York Times bestseller Hattie Harmony: Worry Detective, the eponymous protagonist shares new tools for managing anxiety, just in time for opening night of the school play.

There are lines to be memorized, costumes to sew, and sets to paint. Will Hattie be able to settle the pre-show jitters before curtain call? Co-authored by actress Elizabeth Olsen and musician and writer Robbie Arnett, this relatable tale introduces the youngest readers to the importance of self-care.

The Good Egg and the Talent Show 

Written by Jory John

Narrated by Dan Bittner

The Good Egg is so excited for the talent show, but there’s just one problem: He doesn’t have an act. When the talent show starts, he accepts that he’ll be just a regular audience member. But when his friends need help onstage, the Good Egg steps up to assist and discovers that being yourself and being kind deserve a standing ovation.

The Good Egg and the Talent Show is a Level 1 I Can Read book, which means it’s perfect for kids who are sounding out words and sentences. Audiobooks are also a great companion to physical books for kids discovering the joys of reading on their own.

Podcasts

Short History Of…

History is full of the extraordinary, and each week, Short History Of… transports listeners back in time to witness history’s most incredible moments and remarkable people.

Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby!

Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby! is a special back-to-school series that explores the most entertaining and enraging stories from mythology every Tuesday and Friday this September. Told in a casual, contemporary, and sarcastic tone, each episode will leave listeners realizing that Greek and Roman gods did some pretty weird (and awful) things.

Dan Snow’s History Hit

Listen along as historian Dan Snow investigates the how and why of history’s defining moments. From the tomb of Tutankhamun to the battlefields of Waterloo, Dan shares the greatest stories from the past to help us understand the present.

The Ten News

The Ten News is a bite-sized podcast for families who are curious about the world around them. Each episode explores topics kids care about most, including events, sports, science, gaming, pop culture, entertainment, and more.

Phil Edwards

From business to tech, french fries to Civil War balloons, podcaster Phil Edwards dives deep into everyday topics and finds the stories that will pique the interest of adults and kids alike. 

 For even more content, check out our Back to School Hub on Spotify. 

9 Ways to Use Spotify to Ace Your Way Back to School

September 6, 2019

With the northern hemisphere’s summer holidays disappearing like a sunset over the beach, it’s time to face the facts: school is back in session. But just because summer lovin’ is over doesn’t mean the streaming has to be: Spotify makes for a great study partner. This school year, double down on your history lecture via podcast, easily share your favorite tunes with classmates, or get serious about studying with the perfect playlist.

Take a look at our nine recommendations for some back-to-school streaming.

  1. Podcasts for all occasions

Continue learning outside the classroom with podcasts, and impress your teacher with your newfound knowledge of Greek mythology, or explore brand-new topics and wow the class. Click on “Podcasts” in the Spotify app and explore a wide range of them, including many Spotify Originals.

  1. Parlez-vous français?

Are words failing you? If you enjoyed summer so much you forgot your French (or Spanish, or German, or English), we understand. Gain back those foreign-language skills, or prove that Latin isn’t dead, by listening to the language courses of your choosing via podcast during study hour.

  1. Listen offline

Don’t worry if the gym was built with cinder blocks and Wi-Fi there is decades away. With a Spotify Premium account, you can download your playlists before you hit the mats, then you can listen offline. 

  1. Share your favorite lists and songs with friends

Shakespeare said, “Neither a borrower nor a lender be,” but he didn’t know Spotify was going to be a thing. With Spotify Codes, you can easily add friends’ playlists and songs and share your own. Learn how it works here.

  1. Create a shared playlist with your friends

With a shared playlist, everyone with a Spotify account can contribute their favorite songs. This is not only fun in the moment, but it serves as a fantastic bit of nostalgia for years later, when you’re reminiscing on the songs you and your friends chose together. Learn how to make a shared playlist here.

  1. Back to a normal bedtime

Summer vacay can mean many late evenings—and a reality check when getting back into a responsible-person sleep schedule. With Spotify’s playlists of serene music to relax you before bed, you’ll be sawing logs in no time. You can find all playlists in the sleeping hub here.

  1. Playlists for in-the-zone studying

Do you require a backdrop of ’90s hip-hop to drown out the world around you? Or maybe lyrics distract you and you study better with white noise or classical music. Spotify has playlists that suit your fancy and allow neither classmates nor siblings to come between you and your studies. Check out our focus hub with various styles of playlists here.

  1. Silent pauses, be gone!

If you’re studying and need constant music—meaning you loathe those endless empty seconds where one song ends and the next one begins—it is within your power to change that. Click “Settings,” scroll down and press “Play,” and you can set the pause of your track transitions.

  1. Continue listening to similar songs when your jams end

When your playlist or album ends, you can let Spotify generate music similar to what you just listened to by allowing Autoplay. Just look under “Settings,” then go to “Playback” and choose “Autoplay.”

This school season, you can enjoy the benefits of Spotify Premium—unlimited skips, on-demand plays, and downloadable playlists—at a student-friendly cost. Check out Spotify Premium for Students to Learn More.