The bear family plans to move to the Philippines to tell people about Jesus. Brothers Stanley and Harold feel differently about the move – Harold is excited, while Stanley is sad about leaving his home, friends and grandparents. Talking it over with him mom helps though and the brothers go through the important rituals of saying goodbyes. A good discussion starter for young children. This book is very difficult to find online but is available from the author. Find Roger Dyer, MK Merimna on LinkedIn to request it.
Reading level: age 6-9 years
When rebels try to take over the government in Ethiopia, where Charlie lives with his missionary parents, his family plans to evacuate the country. While his mother and baby sister leave for Kenya with another missionary family, Charlie and his father are separated when rebels arrest his father for having a short-wave radio. Completely dependent on the family of his best friend,
Wandaro, and Ethiopian Christians to help him and his father escape, Charlie prays, clinging to the promise, “He shall call upon me, and I will answer him.” This easy chapter book is listed as being for ages 6-8 years old, but the story may be frightening for some younger children.
Reading level: age 6-8 years
Peanut Butter Friends in a Chop Suey World is a fictional story about Amy Kramer’s first months in Taiwan. The sixth-grader has moved there with her family so her parents can begin missionary work, and she is eager to make some real Chinese friends. When the neighbor girls just giggle when she tries to greet them in her halting Mandarin, she turns instead to her “peanut butter” friends at the Taichung American School – American or international kids who are more like her. When she tries to be kind to the class outcast, though, she finds herself shunned even at school and has to make some hard choices and remind herself of what she came to Taiwan for in the first place.
Reading level: age 9 to 12 years
This practical older book covers the re-entry process starting on the field. It talks about how to prepare and leave well, as well as how to adjust back in North America. It also offers lots of ideas on smoothing the transition for adults and children. The focus of this book seems to be more on the adult missionary and written for the parents of MKs.
This book focuses on how to make moving overseas with children a positive experience for everybody. The primary focus of the book is on understanding how living overseas affects your children. It addresses pre-field preparation, transition, establishing yourselves overseas, educational decisions, and re-entry issues. The book is written from a Christian perspective.
This compilation of articles on various MK issues is a great resource. It covers developmental issues that MKs face a various ages, educational issues (including preparation for college), parenting, and MK care. This is book gives one of the best overviews of MK issues, and saves you looking for all the articles yourself.
