Books, videos, and websites for Third Culture Kids
Jean Fritz draws readers into the stories of her childhood in China in the chaotic 1920s. She tells stories of the bond with her nurse Nai-Nai , her mother’s grief, and her longing for a homeland in the USA that she hasn’t actually ever seen. This recounting of 2 years of her childhood may not seem enough so there is also a sequel too– China homecoming. And though this is written as junior fiction, it will appeal to adults too.
Reading level: age 8-12 years
Though not a TCK book, this is a great story for helping kids cope with friends moving away. Third grade Amber’s best friend Justin Daniels is moving. They’ve always had each other to rely on (and Justin would never say something like “Amber Brown is a crayon”). As the reality of Justin’s move sets in, both struggle with their feelings. After they have a fight and stop talking to each other, they need to resolve their conflict and share their feelings to manage the separation. Reading level: age 7-10 years
“My second life began when I was kidnapped by two complete strangers. My mother, who assisted in the kidnapping, said I was exaggerating.”
Dinnie is used to moving around the USA with her parents since her dad is always chasing after new “opportunities.” But this time she’s been taken out of the country by her aunt and uncle and she had no say in her future. Dinnie ends up in an international school in Lugano, Switzerland where everything is new and different and people speak Italian! Will she adapt to a new home and new friends with totally different beliefs and cultures or close herself off to protect herself and just survive?
Reading level: age 8-12 years
Eleven year old Nick and his family move to England for two years because of his father’s business. Nick finds everything unfamiliar and wants to return home to Ohio, but he makes an agreement with his father to give it four months. While his older brother attends an International school, Nick and his younger brother attend typical British schools. There Nick struggles with all the new things he encounters, but he also makes friends, gets involved in new activities, and gets a new pet to keep in his closet.
Reading level: age 8-13 years
Dean, and his friends, Matt, Dave and Jon, live on the same mission station. Together the four boys, who call themselves the Rugendo Rhinos, spend their afternoons and weekends exploring in the bush. When they stumble across two Kenyan boys, one dead and one very sick, they find themselves involved in a dangerous dispute. The father of the dead boy, certain his son died from a witch doctor’s curse, seeks a similar revenge. The boys, their families, and the African believers face the reality of spiritual forces, yet seek to distinguish what events are naturally v.s. supernaturally caused. The boys’ normal (but fun) activities at school balance the intensity of the spiritual warfare in the story. Still, this book might be too intense for younger kids.
The “Rugendo Rhino Tales” feature fourth-sixth grade boys, and are written for late elementary/ middle school boys. The original books are out of print (though still available on Amazon), but they were re-issued as Kindle books (with a few new additions to the series). In the Kindle series, Matt (a western MK in the original books) is replaced by Mato, a Kenyan boy, who also plays a more central role.
Lexi has always been an outsider. She lived in the Amazon and the deserts of Arizona before moving to Africa. But after their houseboy (her dear friend) was killed by soldiers, Lexi’s parents decide it is too dangerous for her to stay with them, so they send her to boarding school in the U.S. There she feels completely misunderstood as rumors spread about her strange past But she looks forward to staying at her aunt and uncle’s farm in upstate New York for the summer. She hopes to become a part of a big, happy family, but when she arrives, she quickly discovers that is not to be. Even though her two girl cousins try to include her, she does not share either their interests or their skills, and her older boy cousins spend their lives playing baseball. Only in Jeb, a year younger than Lexi, does she find a friend. A misfit himself, he is fascinated with the Indian way of life, and confides in Lexi that he has heard that a small tribe lives in the nearby mountains. He plans to run away to find the tribe and ask them to adopt him. Lexi decides to join him, and they set off down the river on a raft Jeb built. Their journey is full of mishaps but the adventure teaches both of them much about their own strengths.
Reading level: age 9-13 years