Bad Bye, Good Bye
A tender story for preschooler that offers a very positive message about relocating to a new home. What is most captivating about this books is the use of color to convey the brightness of a new neighborhood, yard, and home. New friends to make, new fireflies to catch, and new trees to climb are awaiting a child who realizes the moving can be a very good thing.
Comforting Children's Books about Moving
Moving is a big ordeal for many families with children who are uprooted from their hometown. Oftentimes kids are leaving the only home they have ever known which can be an upsetting experience. Not only are children leaving the comfort and security of their actual house, they are also faced with leaving friends, schools, sports teams, neighbors, and everything else that is familiar in their lives. Sometimes a move is the result of a divorce, a financial hardship, a career opportunity, or just to experience a new place to life.
Reading opens a conversation about why moving to a new home is necessary or desirable, encourage children to open up about their feelings. Children's books are a great tool to use when going through big life-changing events, like changing schools. The characters in the books adapt to change, and can help alleviate the stress and fear of the unknown in your own little ones. There are many tips for to help kids with moving faced with the overwhelming experience of relocating to a new home. We've scoured the market to find books that cover all the bases, reasons, emotions, logistics, and questions kids will ask.
Boomer's Big Day
Even pets can sense when something big is happening! Boomer is puzzled that his daily routine, that always begins with a walk, is all out of whack. When observes his family members running around packing boxes, he finally gets it. Moving day has finally arrived and Boomer is excited. This is a sweet, simple book for the youngest of readers getting ready to move.
Alexander, Who's Not (Do you hear me? I mean it!) Going to Move
Alexander, with his trademark humor, is here to tell you that he is absolutely not going to move. He doesn't care that his dad has a new job far away. What he does care about is all the people he will miss, like his best friend, his neighors, and his favorite babysitter. For every kid who is grumpy about having to begin a new life in a new town, read this book together. Alexander is just what a child filled with moving anxiety needs to laugh and maybe just realize that everything is going to be okay.
Big Ernie's New Home: A Story for Young Children Who Are Moving
Children who move to a new place feel a wide range of emotions including sadness, anxiety, stress, and even anger. It's important to explore these emotions with your child to help ease the transition. Big Ernie's New Home is the perfect book to open a discussion. Told from the perspective of the family cat, this adorable story will help children understand that what they are feeling is normal. At once gentle and affirming, we highly recommend this book for kids nervous about this big change.
You can always count on the Berenstain Bears to tackle life's challenges in a positive manner. This story takes the reader back in time to when the Bear family moved from the mountains into their now-famous treehouse. Brother wonders if he will like his new house and worries about whether he will make new friends. Mama and Papa Bear provide all the reassurances young readers need to hear.
We Are Moving
This Little Critter book will not disappoint fans who have come to love this furry friend. One day, his dad comes home with exciting news. The family is moving! Little Critter worries about the little things, like if he will be able to bring his sandbox. And he worries about the big things too, like if his neighbors will be monsters! Finally he learns that change can actually be pretty fun.
Yard Sale
Looking for a book that paints a more realistic picture for many families? Yard Sale features a little girl, Callie, whose family is relocating from a big house to a small apartment. All of their personal belongings are laid out in the yard for the world to pick over. Callie is upset that they can't take most things with them, especially her bike. She learns in the end that "home" is about the people who live with you, not the possessions.
Anastasia is a twelve year old, city girl who is dismayed at her family's decision to move to the boring country. The cute boy who lives down the street may just be enough to help her get over the matching split-level houses and other mundane trappings of suburbia. An easy, fun humorous read for the tween group who can appreciate a little melodrama.
Ira Says Goodbye
This classic book is written from the perspective of the child who is left behind when his best friend moves away. Ira deals with a wide range of emotions when confronted with the news that Reggie will no longer live close by, and he's even more upset to learn that Reggie is excited.
Not For Sale
Cyrus sees a For Sale sign in his front yard and his world is turned upside down. Adopted as a newborn baby, this house has been home for his entire life. This clever little boy will do everything in his power to prevent his family from leaving. An unusual, funny, easy chapter book will resonate with kids who share the same fears about living in a new house.
An award-winning picture book about what it's like to be the new kid in town. Neville has survived the transition to his new house and he is incredibly excited to start making friends. We love the way this book highlights Neville's exuberant and creative way of letting everyone know he has arrived and is ready to play.
While this may not be a traditional book, it may be just what young, independent readers need to lift their spirits about a new adventure. This beginner chapter book is about a warthog who lives in a van converted into a house. One day the van jolts. Could the family be moving? Kids will enjoy the cartoon illustrations as they delve into the story of a move of sorts.
Ben's best friend Peter has moved away, leaving him feeling a bit lost and vulnerable. He retreats to his "cave" under the table where he can control his destiny even more than in the real world. Rather than redirect Ben or force him to talk about his feelings, his parents grant him the freedom to carry out the charade and cope with his emotions on his own terms. This gem of a book is a good reminder for parents that sometimes kids need space to work through a problem, no matter how unconventional their behavior.
Sometimes life calls for a change, and in this case, Bruce decides to leave his overcrowded home. The geese and the mice are making him crazy so one day he packs up and leaves. Little kids will get a kick out of all the funny mishaps that seem to occur wherever Bruce goes.
My Name is Maria Isabel
Maria Isabel moved from Puerto Rico to the US. She desperately wants to fit in, but it's also important for her not to lose sight of her heritage. When her teacher wants to call her Mary, so as not to confuse her with two other Marias already in class, she is stunned. How can she possibly convey how much her name means to her? One day she finds a solution. A writing assignment called "My Greatest Wish" gives her the opportunity to express everything she has kept bottled up inside.
The Blue House
A little boy and his father are devastated to learn that the little blue house that has been their home forever is being torn down. They could see it coming when other changes started happening in the neighborhood. Nevertheless, they were upset when their landlord delivered the news. When it finally comes time to leave, the two vow to keep the little blue house's memory alive in their new home. This is a quite endearing story about how a house is so much more than four walls.
The Time of Green Magic
For chapter book readers, The Time of Green Magic is a fantasy book about a girl named Abi who settles into a home with her new family. Her father remarries and Abi finds herself having to adjust to a new house, new siblings, and and new, eerie secrets waiting to be uncovered. The huge, old house covered in ivy is the perfect setting for a creepy mystery. Abi and her two stepbrothers come together to explore the magical danger lurking in their new home.
A New Kind of Wild
Home looks and feels different for everyone. In this colorful, whimsical and wistful picture book, a special friendship forms between two children who have drastically different homes. Ren lives with his grandmother in a house with lush surroundings. His active imagination provides all the entertainment he needs, and he finds plenty of companionship with his fantastical friends. Ava, on the other hand, lives in a city surrounded by cement. She loves her action-packed lifestyle in an environment with constant stimulation. When Ren moves to the city, he wonders how he will ever adjust to his new home with no green surroundings. Then he meets Ava who shows him that there is more to the city than meets the eye.
Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend!
In this sweet, tender book, two best friends learn that saying goodbye to some things can also mean saying hello to new experiences. Little readers will come to understand that life is always changing. Sometimes these changes are sad, like moving away from special friends. But sometimes happiness is right around the corner with new friends waiting to meet them.
KT Wynn is nervous about relocating to Florida from Iowa City. She has all of the usual worries associated with moving- missing her best friends, leaving her home, and starting all over again in a brand new school. Will she make new friends easily? How will kids respond to her wheelchair? Fortunately, she will have her sister by her side the whole time. And she will be able to finally pursue a lifelong dream of swimming with a dolphin! Moving may just end up being the best thing that ever happened to KT.
Southwest Sunrise
An incredibly beautiful picture book about a young boy named Jayden who moves to New Mexico. The landscape is very different than where he comes from and he takes it all in with a sense of wonder. The descriptive verse and captivating illustrations draw in young readers and make them feel like they are right there with Jayden. Southwest Sunrise tackles the subject of moving from the most positive perspective and focuses on the wonder in exploring a new place.
A Kiss Goodbye
Readers fell in love with Chester Raccoon in The Kissing Hand and A Pocket Full of Kisses. Now he is back to face a new obstacle in his life. The time has come for Chester and his family to find a new home. Moving is never easy, but Chester finds a special way to say goodbye to his old home. He also finds some new and exciting things about his new place to live.
Lenny & Lucy
An endearing story about a little boy, Peter, who moves to a new house past the deep, dark, scary woods. Feeling lonely and afraid, Peter acquires a couple of imaginary friends. Lenny and Lucy keep him company and protect him from whatever might be in the woods. Soon enough, Peter makes a new friend, Millie, who shares her binoculars and suddenly the woods isn't so frightening anymore.
A beautiful, poetic book about best friends, Mia and Ben, who live an idyllic life by a big lake. They spend their days swinging, sailing, and enjoying the outdoors. They especially love making paper airplanes with the dream of flying them across the lake. Everything is perfect until one day when Ben learns he will be moving far away. Ben and Mia are devastated by the miles that will separate them, but together they explore all the ways they can keep their friendship intact.
This is a fantastic, award-winning workbook for kids. It is normal for young children to experience a rollercoaster of emotions, and finally there is an interactive guide to help them navigate the entire journey. This handy book walks kids through all the steps, gives them opportunities to journal their experiences, and provides tips for saying goodbye to old friends and making new ones.
Coquí in the City
Miguel adores everything about his hometown, San Juan. He is very connected to his neighbors, his grandfather, the culture, the food, and last but not least, his pet frog- Coquí. When he learns that he will be moving with his parents to the US mainland, Miguel is sad about leaving all that is important to him behind. But when he settles into New York City and goes exploring with his Mamá, Miguel finds a lot of things that are similar to Puerto Rico. Maybe this strange new place will eventually feel like home after all. An uplifting book for kids about keeping an open mind.
Evelyn Del Rey is Moving Away
Evelyn and Daniela are best friends who have grown up across the street from each other in the city. They have spent countless hours together in their apartments, which are almost identical, except for the colors of the walls. The bond between the two girls is so very strong, and they love each other like sisters. But when Evelyn Del Rey finds out that she will be leaving, the girls are distraught. Their sadness, captured through expressive illustrations, is palpable. In preparation for the big move, the girls make plans to talk every day and never lose touch with each other.
This graphic novel for middle-grade readers is about Vega, a girl who is very unhappy about heading to a new town. Her family announces that they are relocating from Portland to Seattle, which feels like a million miles away from her best friend, Hallie. In an effort to help Vega make new friends in Seattle, her parents send her to summer camp. At first she stubbornly refuses to talk to others, but when strange things start to happen, Vega is forced to join forces with her campmates. Before long, Vega makes new best friends and realizes that this change was not the end of the world after all.
Ten Beautiful Things
A poignant story about a little girl, Lily, who goes to Iowa to live with her grandmother. Although the readers never learn the reason for this move, there is no doubt that this transition leaves Lily feeling empty and sad. Her wise, tender grandmother suggests that they find ten beautiful things to admire on their long drive. There is a subtle shift in the mood as Lily starts to open her heart to the new landscape. The beautiful illustrations mirror the various emotions and energy of this touching story.
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Picture Books to Help Navigate Life Changes
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Books for Kids About Blended Families |