Maria Isabel’s family moves, and she starts attending a new school two months after the school year began. Maria Isabel loves her name because she was named after her beloved grandparents, so when the teacher insists on calling her Mary (because there are already two Marias in the class), she has trouble adjusting. Although she quickly makes friends, she cannot figure out how to explain to her teacher that she does not like being called Mary. Finally, a writing assignment at the end of two very long months give her a chance to change things for the better.
Reading level: age 7-10 years
Timothy looks forward to starting school, only to find that he never seems to measure up to his classmate, Claude. Claude wears the right clothes, is popular with other kids and the teacher and always knows what to say. And he sits next to Timothy. In the end, he finds friendship in an unlikely place, another student who feels the same way Timothy does.
Reading level: age 3-6 years
Jazmin has just arrived in California from El Salvador. Her mother prepares her by visiting her school ahead of time, but she is still nervous because she does not speak any English. Her homeroom teacher mispronounces her name, and she does not understand what people are saying to her. Eventually, though, she is able to demonstrate her ability to play soccer, and she makes a friend who begins to teach her English. Written in first person by Jazmin and illustrated with photographs, this book deals with going to a new school and learning a new language all at the same time.
Reading level: age 8-11 years
In this TCK story, a brother and sister move with their parents to a US military base in South Korea. The beginning of the book describes Katie and Jacob’s adventures exploring the city and Korean culture and settling into a new routine in life. Then Katie starts to experience bullying at school and gets help from her family and teacher to make the situation right.
This would be a great book for any young TCKs who are experiencing bullying (or who parents/ guardians suspect of experiencing bullying). Though the book is long for a picture book, it would be appropriate for older kids to read alone.
Reading level: age 8-11 years
This beautifully illustrated book is inspired by the poem Brown Girl Dreaming and describes what it’s like for a child to be different from the other kids in her classroom. Whether it’s in looks, accent, what she eats or the kinds of stories she tells, it’s difficult to feel alone and apart. “The Day You Begin” encourages kids to tell their stories and look out for others who may be different as well, even if they aren’t the same kind of different as them.
Reading level: age 5-8 years
Probably the earliest book devoted to the subject of raising children overseas, this book still has insight to offer on this topic. Werkman, a child psychiatrist, drew on his extensive experience as a consultant to the US State Department and Peace Corps in writing about TCKs. He covers moving preparations, initial adjustments, the children’s educational needs, the family’s medical and psychological requirements, and the return to the USA. While some of the particulars have changed over the years many things the author describes continue to be encountered and his suggestions are largely still relevant.
