The start of a new school year can be exciting and scary. These new books for young students should help ease their fears.

"The All-Year Yearbook" from Collectopia/Random House; $12.99.

"The Ultimate Record of Your School Year — All Friends, All Yours, All That!" reads the subtitle of this zippy spiral-bound journal. The colorful small interactive book has pages prompting students to fill in blanks about "the funky club," "excuses, excuses," "ten years from now," "drama club" and more. Fun word games and fill-in-the-blanks makes Collectopia's school journal a shoo-in for back-to-school gift ideas, especially for girls ages 8 and up (though boys may enjoy it, too).

Where does the "Collectopia" part come in? The book/kit also contains a sturdy box with four small fluffy pompom pals called "c'lectomaniacs," and encourages kids to collect the cute little critters. Sheets of stickers are also included for decorating the yearbook.

"The Worst Best Friend" by Alexis O'Neill; illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith; Scholastic; 32 pages; $16.99.

Friendship joys and problems are always part of the start of the school season. This exuberant picture book stars a pair of best buddies' whose friendship is tested when a new kid arrives at school. With an urgent need to win and conquer, new student Vincent soon wears out his welcome as the wedge between Mike and Conrad, but not without plenty of hurt feelings.

Eventually, the best pals conquer and reclaim their friendship when they handle their woes with maturity. Lots of sports and elementary-school boyish behavior fill the pages of "The Worst Best Friend," and it's a smart choice for a back-to-school read-aloud in the classroom or at home.

"Dexter the Tough" by Margaret Peterson Haddix; Aladdin Paperbacks/Simon & Schuster; 142 pages; $4.99.

Haddix's thoughtful chapter books for 7-to-10-year-olds capture the unique personalities that make up elementary school classrooms. In this, angry Dexter is already mad at the principal, the janitor, and all the kids who laugh at him on the first day of school. To make matters worse, Dexter is the new kid; he deals with his anxieties by trying to be tough. But when his true feelings come out in writing exercises, Dexter learns why he's so angry — his father has cancer, his mother's preoccupied, and he misses his old friends.

Kids battling their own demons may find a sympathetic character in Dexter. They'll also find this clearly-penned chapter book, with several illustrations, an insightful peek into the personalities of would-be bullies and "tough" kids.

"The Class Pet from the Black Lagoon" and "The Gym Teacher from the Black Lagoon," by Mike Thaler; pictures by Jared Lee; Scholastic, Inc; 32 pages and $3.99 each.

The ultra-popular classic "The Teacher from the Black Lagoon" series returns in updated and affordable picture-book paperback form from Cartwheel Books, an imprint of Scholastic. Incredibly kid-friendly — with Lee's wacky, humorous illustrations and Thaler's hilarious text (most kids do "throw-ups" in gym class instead of pull-ups and push-ups) — this new set spins a lighthearted feel on back-to-school season.

Six titles in all, the Black Lagoon books make fun reading for the early elementary crowd.

"Emily's First 100 Days of School ... and More Great School Stories" from the Scholastic Video Collection; $14.99.

Rosemary Wells' famous bunnies star in this fabulously animated DVD in the award-winning Scholastic Video series. In "Emily's First 100 Days of School," Wells' picture book comes to life as child-like Emily and her classmates learn new ideas and grow closer one day at a time.

"Reading to Your Bunny," another animated story from Wells, stars young Freddy Bunny who only wants to play video games and watch TV. Luckily, Freddy learns how satisfying reading can be. This segments includes an original song performed by Mary Chapin Carpenter.

Other well-loved children's books brought to life include Steven Kellogg's and David Schwartz's "If You Made a Million," plus an interview with Rosemary Wells and a special read-along function.

To find out more about Lee Littlewood and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.