“This is where I live. I don’t know Toronto. I know here.”
A little girl preparing to move to the city from a remote part of Canada recalls all the things she loves about her home: animals in the forest, her friends and the trailers she lives in. When she wonders “Have people in Toronto seen what I’ve seen?” her teacher helps her find a way to carry along & share her memories of everything she loves “here.” A wonderfully poignant book for any age with vibrant illustrations, it pairs well with the second book in the series From There to Here.
This story could help inspire children to process their own feelings about moving and what they love about their current home, and parents will appreciate the poetic writing style.
Reading level: age 4- 7 years.
This whimsical picture book follows the unlikely friendship between a little seed and a little fox. Both have fears and anxiety and seek comfort in each other, as the farmer looks over them and cares for them. When the farmer pulls the little seed off his cozy shelf and there are big, scary, dark and damp changes in his living situation, the seed and the fox have to trust that the farmer has a good plan for them.
Though not specifically written for TCKs or for moving, It Will be Okay can help kids learn to trusting God through changes like moving and overcoming fear and anxiety, knowing that God is always watching over them. It also emphasizes the importance of friendship.
Reading level: age 4 to 8 years.
This book is designed for use by the whole family. The authors discuss the basic steps involved in moving abroad: deciding to go, preparing to leave, arriving and settling in, working through culture shock, living in the expatriate community, and returning home. They also address major issues such as informing the children and helping them adjust, dealing with servants, keeping the family functioning effectively, and finding social outlets overseas.
Based on a survey and interviews of over 300 TCKs, this book describes the impact of living overseas during childhood and/or adolescence. The description of overseas life, reentry into the U.S., and the long-term effects of their experiences will resonate with older TCKs and can help parents better understand their children, especially their teens and young adults. The author grew up in overseas with her parents who were in the Foreign Service (Diplomatic Corp).
This interactive book for teens (especially older teens) gives practical advice on things like getting organized for moving, packing, getting established in a new school, and making new friends. Activities for this age group including checklists, places to journal about feelings, space to note different greetings, gestures and phrases for the new country, and pages for regular and e-mail addresses. The first section of the book is for any move, and parts of it will not apply to those moving overseas (though it may be appropriate for those returning to the U.S.), but the second section is very helpful for moving to a new country. The book also has two plastic pouches for holding papers, and a sheet of packing labels.
This is the true story of the author’s mother. The American-born daughter of Japanese parents, she returns to Japan when her immigrant father gets homesick for his homeland. A high school graduate with an American mindset, she faces culture shock as she re-enters Japanese society. She struggles with the expectations that she will be a proper young Japanese lady, and eventually leaves home to try to find her own place in this country. Eventually she discovers a way to blend her American experiences with her life in Japan. While the format of this book is a (beautifully illustrated) children’s picture book, it’s content is more applicable to older children and teens. It would make a fabulous discussion starter for older kids and teens – particularly about re-entry into the U.S.
Reading level: age 5 – high school
