Graduation marks a significant milestone, a culmination of hard work, dedication, and growth. As graduates embark on new journeys, it’s a time to celebrate their achievements and look forward to the exciting opportunities ahead. And the classic book “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” by Dr. Seuss makes for a great graduation gift, even more so, when you add this wonderful, heartwarming twist to it.

In this post, I show you how I created a graduation gift for my own kids inspired by this beloved book. Granted, it takes time (all of their school years) and some amount of commitment (every May, you take the book out from its hiding place in your closet and to your child’s school front office), but I guarantee that it is worth it. Having given this book to both of my kids at their high school graduation and watching their faces light up and tear up and everything in between, I know it.

Whether you’re a parent, friend, or mentor, this guide will help you craft a gift that inspires and encourages the graduate as they step into their future.

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A How to Guide: ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go’ Graduation Gift

Have your child’s teachers write a message to your child (for their graduation years from now) each year somewhere (anywhere) in the book. A little secrecy is needed, yes, but you can do it….and then, a few years later, you have a gift for your child! They have a graduation keepsake edition of Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

You can also include other coaches and important people in your child’s life for this. For instance, I had my kids’ music teacher as well as the adult leaders in their scout troop add their notes as well.

A Step by Step (Simply Because!) for Your Graduation Gift

When your child starts preschool

Get a copy of the book, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

About a month before school ends

I send an email to all her teachers a week before I plan to drop off the book at school about a month before school ends, or actually six weeks before the end of the school year. Remember, it gets busy for teachers towards the last few weeks with finals and such, so a little earlier than the very end is good.

Email Template for reference.

Feel free to adapt this to your own requirements.

Subject line: Request for a message for [child name] (Please Note: This will be a surprise for her/him/them for her/his/their high-school graduation!)

Dear teachers, 

First of all, a sincere thank you to each one of you for doing all you do! 

Here is my first (and quick) request for you. Could you please confirm a receipt of this email and let me know if it is OK to have the book in your mailboxes over the next couple of weeks?  I just want to ensure it reached all of you 🙂 

And below is my actual request

I am planning on giving a book to [child name] for [her/his/their] High School graduation – the book is ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’ by Dr.Seuss – with messages from all [her/his/their] teachers (preschool onwards). Please note that I am hoping to keep it a surprise for [her/him/them] until then!

I will be leaving the book at the office on [date]. Hopefully that gives enough time for each one of you to sign it and then collect it back when you are all done. I will request to place it in xyz mailbox first, and if each of you could put it in the mailbox of the teacher next on the note on the envelope the book is in, that will be wonderful! 

To give an idea: here is what it will look like – 

Thank you so much in advance,

[Your name]

([child’s name]’s mom)

The Book Itself

I put the book in a mailing envelope and added a printed copy of the above email/letter in a smaller envelope taped to the bigger one. I also taped a sheet of paper each year with the list of the teachers so each teacher could then pass it on to the next teacher on the list. In my kids’ schools, they simply put it in the mail box of the teacher as I had already requested for and gotten permission to do this both from the school staff and teachers.

More Tips

As I mentioned earlier, in addition to teachers, you can also include other role models, coaches, mentors, and family members. While I now regret not having included family and close family friends, I did include music and art teachers, and adult troop leaders.

You can include your own note to your child, of course! Here are some quotes for inspiration

Personalize it some more with stickers, washi tape, or other ways.

Put a clear plastic case on the book to protect it for years.

Complete and Complement Your Graduation Gift

Of course, you can (and most probably will) add other items to give to your child on this momentous occasion to complete their graduation gift, or to complement the bookish graduation gift.

And you can add another book to the gift or simply use a different book instead of the Seuss book above. Maybe one that holds a special place in your heart or makes more sense to you.

Here are other alternate book titles you can gift to your graduate along with or instead of ‘Oh the Places You’ll Go’. And almost all of these can be used to create that graduation gift as well (I would have definitely picked any of these)..

Alternate Books

1. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. I talk about this here and know it’ll make a beautiful gift.
2. Carpe Every Diem. I am getting this profound little book for myself!
3. Everything I Need To Know I Learned From a Little Golden Book is golden!! And brilliant! Chock full of advice and humor, this is sure to make a great high-school/college graduation gift.
4. For Every one by Jason Reynolds is inspiring!
5. Have You Ever Wondered What You Will Be? by Junia Wonders and Chiara Nasi asks readers this all-important question. It then arrives at a myriad answers in a inspirational yet whimsical fashion that is sure to appeal to everyone.
6. I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew by Dr. Seuss (again!) is comparatively lesser known. It is kind of a hidden gem, with wisdom that rings true along with the Seuss brand of wackiness.
7. I Wish for You by David Wax and Brett Blumenthal is sweet and beautiful. Filled with wishes of flight and freedom and more from parents to their children.
8. I Wish You More by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld, is, as I mentioned here, a sweetheart of a book!
9. If by Rudyard Kipling and Giovanni Manna combines Kipling’s wise words and Manna’s stunning artwork to make it a treasure.
10. Maybe by Kobi Yamada and Gabriella Barouch is full of possibilities.
11. The North Star by Peter Reynolds, like the north star itself, provides wisdom and inspiration to readers to pursue their dreams and to help choose their path.
12. Whatever You Are Be a Good One is inspiring and filled with wisdom for the ages. A great gift for anyone.
13. The Wonderful Things You Will Be is a wonderful book indeed. It is ideal gift for new parents and grads too!

This goes towards Thursday Thirteen where we join in to share any random list of thirteen things each week.

Other Titles I Will Love to Gift to My Kids at This Stage in Our Lives

Adulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 535 Easy(ish) Steps by Kelly Williams Brown. This one is more for college grads than for high school grads. It means that I now have a gift ready for my kids when they get to that stage!

Do Your Laundry or You’ll Die Alone: Advice Your Mom Would Give if She Thought You Were Listening. Reading this made me feel like I was listening to myself! And moms do listen to each other, and often to ourselves when we are speaking to our teenagers!!

And Now, the End of This Post

Dear reader, have you read any of these books? I would love to hear your thoughts on them. And as always, your recommendations for similar reads. Which of these books appeals to you the most? Which one would you get for yourself or gift to others?