The Hidden Origins of School Textbooks: France's Other Back-to-School Bestsellers

A video report by France 24, published on August 29, 2026, investigates the origins of school textbooks, which are described as the other bestsellers of the back-to-school season. The report highlights that every year, textbooks fill students' backpacks, yet their production and history remain largely unknown. The video notes that over the past century, textbooks have undergone drastic changes, as illustrated by the cover image from Adobe Stock and Valentin Cacheux. The report is part of a series on cultural and educational topics, including other stories such as the Rock en Seine festival, the naming of bateaux-mouches, the death of Dolly Parton, and the statues of Liberty in Paris. The video is embedded via YouTube and requires cookies to be enabled, and may be blocked by browser extensions. The report is categorized under 'Rentrée scolaire' and 'Éducation nationale'.