Hacket Arthur Lin
In This Classroom
Text copyright © 2026 Andrew Hacket
Illustrations copyright © 2026 Arthur Lin
Published in 2026 by Red Comet Press, LLC, Brooklyn, NY
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2025935217
ISBN (HB): 978-1-63655-181-4
ISBN (EBOOK): 978-1-63655-182-1
First Edition
Manufactured in China
Red Comet Press is distributed by ABRAMS, New York
RedCometPress.com
Dear Students,
This book is for YOU. I hope it excites you about the possibilities of a new school year with its opportunities for new friendships and new learning. I also hope it helps you feel okay about all the parts of school that can feel hard at times. Because school CAN be hard. Know that you have a teacher and classmates who will support you. Keep trying your best, and you will make progress. And when you look back at the end of the year, you will be amazed by how much you have accomplished.
I believe in you!
There is room for everyone.
New friends and old friends.
Not-so-good friends and didn’t-used-to-be friends.
A fresh start for everyone!
We will be imperfect.
Full of mistakes and mishaps, mess-ups and misunderstandings.
This is how we’ll learn.
We will fail. And try again.
And not give up. Fail.
And help each other succeed.
We will overcome doubts.
Pushing ourselves . . . beyond what we think is possible.
Transforming “I can’t” into “I did! ”
We will disagree.
Because our opinions are beautifully different.
Unique like our bodies, our names, our beliefs.
Each one valid, worthy, needed.
We will embrace our feelings.
Whether big or small. Frequent or fleeting.
There is space for every emotion.
We will break down. Because school and friendship and home can be hard.
But we will build one another back up.
In this classroom . . .
We will create.
Memories and masterpieces. Friendship and fun.
More than we ever could have expected.
We will dream.
Of all the things we will be. Of all the things we will do.
Until the dream is not a dream.
But a reality.
We will celebrate. The little wins and the big wins. Our hard work and determination.
All that we have accomplished.
We will leave different than when we entered.
Taller. Brighter. Kinder. Mightier.
And we’re better having been together!
And there will never be another classroom like
A NOTE FOR TEACHERS
As teachers we are uniquely privileged. Each and every year we have the opportunity to set the tone for what a classroom community will look like. We have the power to nurture acceptance, grow perseverance, and build bonds and memories that will stay with students throughout their lives.
My hope is for In This Classroom to be a roadmap for a year of community building and learning that acknowledges and embraces the ups and downs of a classroom while celebrating the growth and relationships that are built.
And thank you for everything you do.
A WORD ABOUT “WE”
The word WE is used in this book with the intention of including every member of the classroom. Whether discussing mistakes and doubts, disagreements and dreams, or any other part of the text, this includes YOU the teacher as well.
As much as we affect the lives of our students, they equally influence ours, and each school year offers us the opportunity to grow and change as much as they do. When you read this book, please remember your integral part of and inclusion in the word WE.
The work you are doing is valuable. And the impact you have on children is priceless. Keep doing the hard work!
BEGINNING OF THE YEAR
Kick off the school year and set the tone by reading In This Classroom with your students. Reread each stanza and identify the attributes of a classroom community being discussed in each one.
Collaborate to create your own In This Classroom promise for the year. Outline the behaviors and actions that will make your classroom a safe and positive place for all students to take risks, achieve, and feel a sense of belonging.
MONTHLY
Revisit your class promise each month. Check in as a class with what aspects are going well. Together, set a goal for the month of one area to strengthen. Make a list of actions of how this can be achieved.
Consider taking pictures that track the growth and accomplishments of your classroom, both socially and academically. These can be posted physically or digitally to make a class timeline.
END OF THE YEAR
Reread In This Classroom focusing on the last spreads of the book. Using your class timeline or revisiting pictures or student portfolios, reflect on how your class community has grown and changed over the course of the year. Celebrate the unique and amazing bonds you have created as a classroom and the incredible work and academic growth each member of the class community has achieved.
Reflecting on their experiences, ask students to write letters to the incoming students giving them a glimpse of what to expect and look forward to.
ANDREW HACKET is a writer, second-grade teacher, and father of three. His picture books include Hope and the Sea and Curlilocks and the Three Hares. Recognizing that being a kid is hard, Andrew writes stories that help children see themselves and overcome their insecurities, or escape through the power of imagination. He and his family live in Central Massachusetts. andrewhacket.com
ARTHUR LIN, a Dallas native, received a master’s degree in illustration from the Academy of Art in San Francisco. His work has been published by various children’s media companies, and he has illustrated stationery, magazines, greeting cards, and several picture books, including the Scariest Silliest Stories series and This Book is Perfect!, both written by Ron Keres. arthurdraws.com