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June 17, 2011 | 5 Comments

Books About Moving

books about moving for kids

Life changes are tough when you are an adult, when you are a kid with no control they are tougher. Moving is exciting but scary, especially if you are going far. Here are some books that help kids facing a move themselves or who have had friends move away.

Goodbye House by Frank Asch focuses on that kids get a lot of security from the familiar and may need to say goodbye to it before feeling at ease about a move. Little Bear is moving to a new home but before he can jump into the moving truck to go to his new home he tells his parents that there is something he’s forgotten. As he goes through the empty rooms it turns out that he simply forgot to say goodbye.  I generally have a low tolerance for sentimental things ( says the woman who was crying as she pulled out of the preschool on the last day of class…) and this book is very sentimental but there is a great reason for this and that’s closure.

The Berenstain Bears’ Moving Day by Stan and Jan Berenstain has been on my bookshelf as long as I have been able to read. I love this book and maybe it’s nostalgia. Maybe it’s because I remember connecting with Brother Bear as he stepped into the unknown. This is a great book and is especially powerful for children who are familiar with the characters. If a character they know has to move too, the unknown isn’t so scary.  Don’t overlook this book just because it’s part of a character franchise.

My Best Friend Moved Away by Nancy Carlson was a huge hit with my son who is still sad about our neighbor moving at Christmas and knows we have an upcoming move as well. This book deals with children missing their friends, reminiscing about the friendship, and trying to deal with the heart-wrenching task of bonding with someone new. My 4.5-year-old followed the book well and even clued into my one and only issue. Which is that in the end, a new girl moves in to give the book a happy ending.

My issue is that it’s rare that in the end things will be that awesome. After reading, my son turned to me and said: “or maybe it won’t be a kid at all!” My complaint isn’t big in the grand scheme of things but if you are reading this to a child already vulnerable about losing a friend telling them that a new best friend will be coming with a moving truck is simply unfair. If it’s just a story the perfect ending is well, perfect!

A Kiss Goodbye by Audrey Penn is a sequel to one of my favorite books “The Kissing Hand”. In this book, Chester, the little raccoon, has to leave his home. They move to another tree because his is being chopped down. This book really focuses on the feelings of fear of the unknown, the loss of security and the uncertainty that comes with moving. Feelings that even as a 34-year-old mom and veteran mover I am still facing! This is a great book. While you grab it, grab all the other books the library has by this author. You won’t regret it.

Alexander, Who’s Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It!) Going to Move by Judith Viorst brings our favorite angry kid Alexander back but this time he’s not threatening to move to Australia, he’s threatening never to move anywhere! I love this author and Alexander is one of my favorite book characters ever. Often, I have felt like him. I know I am not the only fan who is now reading him to the next generation. In this book, Alexander is adamant that he will not move. Unlike the rest of his family, he has no desire or intention to move. I liked this book, although it’s longer than maybe it should be. It touches on kids’ need to control things, especially when they have none. Glad my son seems to like Alexander as much as I do.

Filed Under: Books About Moving | 5 Comments

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5 Comments

  1. Melany @ project anthologies says

    June 17, 2011 at 7:50 am

    Thank you! We’re moving soon too and I think I’ll look for a couple of these books for my soon-to-be 5 year old. She seems a little unsure about the whole thing. Good luck on your move!

    to Melany @ project anthologies" aria-label='reply to this comment to Melany @ project anthologies'>reply to this comment
  2. anonymous says

    June 17, 2011 at 7:53 am

    When we moved a couple years ago, the book “Moving House” was helpful for my son. http://www.amazon.com/Moving-House-Usborne-First-Experiences/dp/0794510094/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1308322313&sr=1-1

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  3. Jamie says

    August 21, 2016 at 2:21 pm

    Thank you for this annotated list! I’d like to link to it from my post about how reading together can help adults and children navigate scary situations. I hope that’s ok…? Thanks!

    to Jamie" aria-label='reply to this comment to Jamie'>reply to this comment
    • Allison McDonald says

      August 21, 2016 at 8:38 pm

      Of course!!

      to Allison McDonald" aria-label='reply to this comment to Allison McDonald'>reply to this comment

Trackbacks

  1. Friday Things. : Oven Love says:
    July 12, 2013 at 1:13 pm

    […] move is in about a month, and I’m planning on picking up one of these books about moving for the kids. Anyone else have any book recommendations or tips on how to prepare the little ones […]

    to Friday Things. : Oven Love" aria-label='reply to this comment to Friday Things. : Oven Love'>reply to this comment

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