Patricia Perry and Marietta Lynch:
Mommy and Daddy are Divorced (N.Y.: Dial
Press, 1978). Non-fiction. 26 pp. Explanation of divorce
in preschooler terms: mommy and daddy argue too much, etc.
Offers reassurance to children that their parents, though
separated, will continue to love them and be involved with
them.
Danielle Steele: Martha's
New Daddy (N.Y.: Delacorte Press, 1989). Illus.
by Jacqueline Rogers. Fiction. 27 pp. Mother's remarriage.
Jane Werner Watson, Robert E.
Switzer, J. Hirschberg, J. Cotter: Sometimes
a Family Has to Split Up (N.Y.: Crown Publishers,
1988) Illus. by Cat Bowman Smith. Non-fiction. 29 pp. A
read-together book for parents and young children. Book
is good to dispel feelings of the child that he/she was
responsible for their parents' divorce.
Blume, Judy: It's
Not the End of the World (N.Y.: Bradbury Press,
1972) Excellent book about how a girl and her siblings react
to their parents' separation. Karen worries how the family
will make it financially and if her parents will remarry.
She tries to get them to reconcile. Her 6-year-old sister
becomes afraid of the dark and being left alone. Her older
brother runs away for a few days. Karen learns how to cope
from another girl whose parents are divorced. The book recommends
reading The Boys and Girls Book About Divorce .
Particularly recommended for girls ages 10 - 13.
Dragonwagon, Crescent: Always,
Always (N.Y.: Macmillan, 1984) Illus. by Arieh
Zeldich. A girl whose parents divorced when she was a baby
live in different parts of the country. She lives with her
mother during the school year and with her father each summer.
Explores the child's ambivalent feelings on leaving her
mother, reiterates the reasons for divorce, and assures
the child of both parents' love for her.
Mayle, Peter: Why
Are We Getting a Divorce? (N.Y.: Harmony Books,
1988) A short book packed with helpful information for children.
Offers ideas about the reorganizing family and hope for
children. It encourages children to have some empathy for
their parents. This is an update of an earlier book Divorce
Can Happen to the Nicest People.
Newfield, Marcia: A
Book for Jodan (N.Y.: Atheneum, 1975) Jodan moves
with mom from NY to CA. Strategies for bridging long distance
parent-child relationships.
Park, Barbara: Don't
Make Me Smile (N.Y.: Alfred A. Knopf, 1981). Charlie
reacts to his parents' separation by blaming them for ruining
his life. He runs away to a local park. Charlie develops
a trusting relationship with a psychologist who helps him.
Engaging and humorous. Better for boys than for girls.
Paulsen, Gary: Hatchet
(N.Y.: Viking Penguin, 1987). A thoroughly enjoyable
adventure story about a boy on his way to visit with his
dad in Canada for the summer as the only passenger on a
plane w2hen the pilot has a heart attack. Brian manages
to crash land the plane in a lake, then uses the hatchet
his mother gave him . . .
Green, Constance: Ask
Anybody (N.Y.: Viking Press, 1983) The coming
of age of a young girl in rural Maine. Deals with parents
forming new romantic relationships after divorce.
LeShan, Eda: What's
Going to Happen to Me? (N.Y., Four Winds Press,
1978) A guide to feelings and thoughts of the older child
relating to divorce and family re-organization. Includes
practical steps children can take to help themselves. Written
in a warm and passionate manner. Recommended for parents
as well as adolescents.
Nicman,
Steven L.: When Mom and Dad Divorce
(N.Y.: Julian Messner, 1986) Sensitive, well written. Addresses
common fears, a legal explanation, forms of custody, parental
dating, step-families. Practical 2steps children can take
to help themselves and their parents.
