Oh The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss Just $8.48 on Amazon (Makes a Great School Tradition)
If you have school-aged children, check out this fun end-of-the-school-year tradition with the book Oh the Places You’ll Go!
Attention Dr. Seuss fans! You’re gonna love this hardcover book keepsake idea.
At the end of each school year, ask your child’s teacher to write a short note or sentiment about your child inside the cover of the popular children’s book Oh the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss. This will begin to look much like a yearbook over the years, except will it be all from teachers, coaches, educators, or any school staff that had a positive impact.
While the school year isn’t quite over yet, this is still a great time to grab your copy of the book so you can start this tradition this year!
Consider grabbing a copy or two of Oh the Places You’ll Go hardcover books for your family!
Here are some retailers where you can find this book for under $10:
- Amazon.com – $8.48 (regularly $18.99)
- Walmart.com – $8.96 (regularly $10.36)
- Target.com – $9.92
Our filled-out books are now such a special memory keepsake of childhood!
I initiated this idea for my Dr. Seuss loving kids in Kindergarten and it’s cute to see how excited the kids have been to read what their teachers write each year. We have moved around a bit and it’s fun to see the teachers from various schools included so we never forget them. This book is honestly such a special memory piece now.
Even during Covid, I taped in some emails from teachers when they weren’t able to sign at the end of the year. ❤️
It’s hard to believe my daughter is finishing up 8th grade and this is the last year we plan to include this as a tradition, although you can consider continuing. I started my job here at Hip2Save when she was in Kindergarten and now 8 years later here we are!! That’s so hard to believe, as time flies by!!
Oh the Places You’ll Go makes for a great graduation gift for all ages too!
Do you have a graduate in your life this year from preschool to high school, or even college? Including a copy of Oh the Places You’ll Go book with an encouraging message is a thoughtful gift idea.
The Dr. Seuss story itself is an inspiring message that encourages self-confidence, expecting adversity in life, and ultimately you will overcome and move mountains! I highly recommend it if it’s not a part of your library already.
Here’s what this special Dr. Seuss book means to our own team members:
“I’m now 33 years old and have all of my teachers from 1st grade – 12th who have signed and written notes to me in that book. It’s so precious to me! I didn’t have it as a grad gift, I had them sign it every year for me instead of my yearbook. It’s beautiful to look back at those who helped guide and mold me into the human I am today with such love and optimism. They believed in me before I even did! So special!” – Hip2Save team member, Soleil
“I received one from my uncle when I graduated high school. He wrote me a lovely letter with puns only he and I understood. It’s also the last book my grandmother read to me at the hospital before she passed. She barely spoke or read English but somehow she managed to read it perfectly. I’m considering framing mine.” Hip2Save team member, Krystal
“I received a copy for my high school graduation from a family member, and it was such a thoughtful gift. I was getting ready to leave for college over 1,500 miles away, alone, and I looked back through the book and re-read her note quite a few times the first few weeks I was gone. It just felt like support from home. I’ve since given it as a gift a few times, myself. Our college kiddos are still kids, and I think sharing that encouragement with them in a “children’s book” format helps bridge that gap from kid to adult in a fun way.” Hip2Save team member, Liza
“I gave one to my son when he graduated and I have one for my daughter, Morgan, when she graduates next month. I wrote a letter on the inside cover of the book for him and will do the same for her when I remember where I put the book! LOL!” Hip2Save team member, Angela
Congrats to Lily!!! Two high schoolers next year, Lina…time does fly! So glad you’ve been with “us” for so long! ❤️. Great tradition, wish I had thought of it when my kids were little 😉.
Ahhhh thanks CJ!! So sweet. Yep, these kids get older too fast 😭
Totally doing this! My daughter is in pre K
Yay I am soooo glad! 💕
Please do not.
Why?
What a wonderful idea! My daughter is finishing 8th grade too this year, and I’ve had fun through the years reading your posts and seeing the pics, knowing our daughters are the same age! I want to start this year with my preschooler this great idea. Too bad I couldn’t with the older kids, but this will be a fun, new tradition to start with the “lower 3!” Ha! Thanks again! Your creativity rocks, Lina!
Ohhhh thanks so much for hanging with me and HIP over the years! 💕🙌 I love that you are starting this! So fun!!
I been doing this for 13 years…this will be my last year for my high school senior! Started this when he was in kindergarten and have been doing it every year. With 3 kiddos, have to admit, I’m glad I have one down and three to go. It does take a lot of effort from the parents to do it faithfully every year but these are priceless memories that the teacher have written down year after year. My kids know we have these books but I haven’t allowed them to read the notes. That’s something that we are going to leave as an amazing rewards til graduation day.
WOW so impressed!!! That will be amazing Jackie! Thank you for sharing 💕
Oh wow they haven’t read them?!! I think I will do this but let my kid read the comments (not to ding your idea I’m so impressed at the will power). I still remember a specific note my 6th grade teacher wrote in my yearbook that helped my self confidence through school struggles that came later in high school!
Please stop this nonsense! Teachers have enough jobs! Getting 10 of these at the end of June to sign is terribly annoying after the hours spent writing report card comments.
Totally agree. Also a teacher. For anyone who thinks it’s a “small ask” for teachers doesn’t realize everything you ask is multiplied by 20 kids.
I do this with my three girls. My oldest is finishing 5th grade and they love to look back and read what the previous teachers have said. I’m not certain I’ll try and keep it up when they get into middle school though.
Nice! Ya it’s whatever works with your kids. 🙂
Once my kids hit middle school I just give the book to the teachers they liked the most (rather than every teacher they had at any point during the year lol). I think that’s worked well. 🙂
I started in K for my oldest son and stopped in 8th. I plan to use it as his guest book for his graduation from high school party next year.
Ohh my I love that idea for HS grad!! Thanks for sharing Kat!!!
This can be very hard past elementary. At the middle and HS we see many kids. I see 110. A foreign language teacher in our district can see several hundred. The one year we had a dozen to fill out. Please keep this in mind.
I been doing this for 13 years and every time I asked a teacher during elementary they were so happy to do it. One year I left it with her home room teacher and told her to sign it and write a little note. When I went to pick it up I had all the other teachers notes also because when they saw the book they all wanted to be a part of it. For middle school and high school I always ask them to pick their favorite teacher. In those two schools they don’t see this often and several times I had to explain to them what the book was all about. They were so happy to do it that they said they will also start this tradition with their own kids.
I agree! This is so much work when everyone wants their book signed!
I try and give mine to the teachers about a month before school is finished. I figure this makes it a little easier if they are spread out a little.
Yes, same – great tip!
As a teacher I have to say this is becoming a big burden and I am spending hours of my time at the end of the school year doing these books. It’s becoming very overwhelming because I don’t want to say no, but it is burning me out.
I’m so sorry to hear that! I always email the teacher before sending the book (about a month before the end of school) and ask if they could sign it soon, or if they might like me to send it at the beginning of next school year. I’ve had a couple teachers takes advantage of the alternative timeline, so I hope it’s not a burden.
We do this with I Wish You More by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, because it’s a beautiful book with lots of space for signatures, and I figured no one else is likely to buy a copy for my kids! My son is 10 now, and I’m so excited for him to read them after his high school graduation!
Oh nice- will have to check that one out!
I am an Elementary Secretary and I can tell you in the last 5 years this has in fact gotten out of control. No longer is it 1 or 2 books to write in. Can you imagine getting 30 books to write in? 20? 10? Can you imagine the impact on a school office with 25 teachers receiving 15 to 20 books per teacher each year? Teachers are already overworked beyond belief and I cringe every time these Dr. Seuss books start coming into the office each spring. More and more each year. Emailing ahead is not really a help, it’s just one more email to read and respond to, and no one is going to tell a parent no. Ya’ll are getting insider information into how this adds “just one more thing” to what your teachers already have to do. And when they do it…they put time, thought, and much love into it. Time, thought, and love at the expense of something else, likely a personal expense. This Teacher Appreciation Week, I ask you to consider if this gift,that will probably get looked at once, is worth the added stress for our already stretched to the max educators so that you and all the other mommas can give their graduates a, possibly more sentimental to the giver, gift?
I agree Cristin. No one looks at at the big picture. Teacher are over extended already. This just becomes one more task to complete in an already over scheduled day.
Thank you for saying this! It is starting to get overwhelming. I brought this up today in the teachers lounge during lunch and everyone agreed that this is becoming a big burden.
I teach school and I no longer use anything Dr. Seuss related because many people have found his background to be racist. I want all of my students to feel valued and loved. Even though his stories have creative illustrations and text, it might be time to leave Dr. Seuss in the past.
OR, you could use your position as an educator to educate students on why it’s not. It’s shameful to cancel the greatest children’s author of all time over false accusations.
I agree with Amy!
LOL
Hi Amy, thank you for sharing your thoughts. I respectfully disagree with you. The accusations are not false, google it and you will see the obvious concerns. Additionally, first graders would not benefit from a lesson about racist depictions from Dr. Seuss.
I absolutely LOVE this book! I’ve given it several times as a graduation gift! ❤️
People LOVE to complain! Geez! Get over yourself.
👍I agree! Maybe it’s because I was born in the 80s and I am from the generation that basically had to take care of themselves and be strong and independent but I feel like people are way over sensitive and over analyze things…IMO. Hopefully I am showing my kids that with a normal balance things make more sense.
I agree! We are all busy but people can choose to cut back and enjoy the little things in life! It’s all about balance. 😊
Amen
I am a teacher as well and I don’t feel like this is a burden. Writing a simple sentence about your student in a book that they may cherish for a lifetime is worth it to me. No different than writing thank you cards to each individual student during holidays, teacher appreciation week, etc. I agree teachers have a very crazy agenda and are overworked and underpaid, but that is not the students fault.
Thanks Janelle for sharing your thoughts!
Thank you!
We NEED more teachers like you ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
Thank you! I want to teach once my kids are all in school and just hearing from a teacher like you inspires me to keep working on it. You sound like one special teacher!!
I decide to order one for my son who is a year away from graduation in high school and it will be perfect for his new teachers to sign it one month before his graduation! Also I am checking out more graduation gift ideas and print out several to make ahead of time or order early! Thanks for sharing this!
Oh that’s so nice! Thanks for coming back to let us know <3
This is a terrible tradition! Teachers HATE being passed these books after we have spent hours writing report card comments. Stop doing this!
For everyone saying teachers hate this… NOT THIS ONE!! I love this so much!! I love the opportunity to write something meaningful that the student will get to open and read years down the road that remind them of their year in second grade. I do appreciate though those who give me at least 2-3 days notice. I like to have time to think about what I want to write. An hour or two heads up before we are out for summer doesn’t cut it!
So happy to hear that you love taking part in this tradition! I’m sure the students love to read what you’ve wrote (or will enjoy it once they receive it)! 💗
Ok you are an AMAZING teacher! As a parent I would like you to know that all 3 of my kiddos have this book and all their teachers are so happy to sign it just like you ♥️. BUT This year my oldest graduated and I gave him the book. The look he had when he was reading all the little notes from all his teachers from kindergarten all the way to high school. Just a few sentences mean the world to these kids so thank you for also being one of those amazing teachers. He said he will cherish this for ever and when hard times come he will look at it again.
Thank you! You make a difference in their lives by caring!!
There is a really cute “ad on” you can buy on Etsy if you’re a Christian and want to add Bible verses to the book. I have done this as graduation gifts for my children. She offers this for a few other books too. I hope it’s okay to link to her, just a happy customer and wanted to share. https://tinyurl.com/4dwp6r4z
I started this for my little ones but after so many posts and seeing so many teachers complain of what a burden it is for them I decided to stop. I wouldn’t want the forced feelings behind it anyway. The teachers that really made a difference will stay in their memories and I will make an effort to reach out to teachers that my kids seems to really like and care for as they get older.
As a teacher, I love it when parents contact me asking for sweet graduation notes or to sign this book. Yes, I have a ton of stuff to do but this is one of the few very meaningful and long lasting tasks 🙂 Keep them coming!
We don’t have kids, but I bought this for a co-worker a few years ago when she was working on her master’s degree. She absolutely loved it and told me that when she moved into her new home away from home, that she hand carried it to her new home not want to get a scratch on it. She has now completed two masters and still tells me this is the best present she ever received. Just the words put a fire under her tush to achieve more.
I have been doing this tradition since my oldest (who is going into his senior year) was in preschool! I have never heard anyone complain about it. I always have a teacher tell me they are going to start it with their kids now that they know about it! I can not wait until my son reads it next year at his graduation party. P.S. I also get the coaches, CCD teachers, etc. to sign it too because they are also important to our kids’ lives.
That’s amazing Susan! What an incredible keepsake. My experience has been similar to yours with it being a positive thing. Grateful to have them 💕
Lina, it’s frustrating that you only respond to the people who like your idea. There have been some very respectful, alternative opinions. I’ve always loved you and your posts, please make sure your followers with varying viewpoints feel heard.
My kids are in middle school. I’ve always known about this book, and I plan to get them for graduation, and write a special note in it from me. Just another option for those who like the idea but don’t want to inconvenience a teacher.
Wow, I am amazed at all the opinions on this post. Two years ago, I decided to use the book at my daughter’s high school graduation (based on a suggestion/review from this site) and ask the guests to write their “favorite places to go” and/or any guidance they wished for my daughter. They loved it, she loved it and I loved it! I am doing it again for my son this year.
Such a thoughtful idea for your daughter’s graduation, Terri! I’m sure she’ll treasure those messages in the book forever! ❤️ Hoping your son enjoys his book too! Love the idea of also including ideas of favorite places to go! 🤗