A little boy is woken up by his parents in the middle of the night and told they have to leave their home and friends and belongings behind. At least he gets to bring his rabbit. On the journey, there’s lots of hurrying and then waiting and the boy’s tummy hurts because he’s trying to keep in his whining. An old lady tells him the story of another boy who had to leave his home suddenly and go to a new home. He grew up to be a great teacher (Jesus).
This sweet short story could be helpful for children who have had to move suddenly or had a difficult time moving. The illustration is sweet and the boy’s squirminess is so relatable!
Reading level: 4 to 7 years
Misunderstood is a decent introductory book for those looking to better understand TCKs, written for TCKs themselves, parents, and those who care for TCKs (like counselors or those who work for the parents’ organizations). It goes into detail about the different types of TCKs (like military brats, missionary kids, etc.) and the pros and cons of different schooling options while outside your passport country.
The book is based on interviews that the author has conducted on a large sample of TCKs and included many quotes and stories to accompany each section. While this lends credibility to her book, it can also be misleading.
Being a TCK caregiver, I know many TCKs who would disagree with the generalizations that she makes. It seems she interviewed TCKs who identify strongly with their overseas experiences and have struggled in adapting to their passport cultures. She said every TCK she interviewed claimed reentry was “a particularly difficult experience” (pg. 211). I know several TCKs who would disagree and say the experience was not very difficult for them. Many TCKs adapt well to their passport culture and do not strongly identify with being a TCK, though these are probably the TCKs least likely to volunteer to be interviewed about TCK experiences.
So while the book as a whole is a good summary of TCK experiences in general, one has to keep in mind that her interview sample was likely skewed and many TCKs would say her generalizations about TCK beliefs and experiences do not fit them.
A memoir of a missionary kid processing her experience of growing up abroad, and especially of going to boarding school as a young child, “Letters Never Sent” takes the reader through a process of healing and seeking closeness with God. Written in the form of letters to her parents (the original title is more apt: “Letters I Never Wrote”), this is her story from early childhood through adulthood as the discovery that pain and purpose can co-exist begins to bring comfort & healing.
While unmasking some of the darker sides of missions and especially the family separations that often go along with it, Van Reken still honors the good in her experiences and how much she loves her and parents and loves God. She doesn’t look at her experiences in black and white but still gives helpful advice to those who are on a similar journey towards recovery and to parents of TCKs who don’t want to repeat her parents’ mistakes.
This older picture book tells the story of a boy whose best friend moves away. They exchanged a cowboy toy for a spaceman toy and then William drove off with his family. Feeling down, Jimmy wanders over to Mary Ellen’s house, another friend his age. He’s surprised to find that they have a lot of fun together and Mary Ellen had been left out before when Jimmy only played with William.
Reading level: age 6 to 9 years
(This book is out of print and may be hard to find.)
Two young girls did everything together, from playing soccer and watching movies to fighting over checkers and getting the chicken pox. When one of them moves away, the other is left behind with only her memories, wishing she still had someone to go to school with or even to say sorry to. There’s still hope at the end, though, that they’ll each make new friends and be happy again.
Reading level: age 5-8 years
Hudson the dog was really excited to get to Paris because his owner told him that dogs get to go everywhere around the city with their owners. He got to go to the bakery and the hairdresser’s and a cafe. But when he arrived at the dog park, he discovered that he couldn’t understand the other dogs! So Hudson enrolled in French classes and started to learn new words to make friends with other expat dogs and Parisian dogs and even got a French girlfriend.
This cute story introduces kids to some basics of moving, like finding the bright side and learning the language and making new friends. Could be fun for little kids who have moved or are preparing to move (or want to visit Paris!).
Reading level: age 5-8 years
