Kids in elementary school are in a formative place: As they continue learning fundamental skills like spelling and math, they are just beginning to make substantive friendships outside the home. For a child’s perspective on adult decisions they may not understand yet, the following books put words to feelings.
In The Year We Fell From Space, readers meet Liberty, whose world is spiraling over news of her parents’ impending divorce, her dad’s heightened depressive episodes, and aggression from the neighborhood bullies. To distract herself, Liberty draws maps of the stars. When a meteorite falls into her lap, she sees it as a sign she must act. This novel is a lesson in what we can and can’t control, with a positive message about self-empowerment.
Children of divorce can relate to Kristy, whose mom is getting re-married in The Baby-Sitters Club: Kristy’s Big Day and who has enlisted Kristy as bridesmaid. A new stepfather and the challenges of a blended family are the backdrop for this installment of the best-selling franchise.
The Swift Boys & Me is narrated by Nola as she observes the fallout of a divorce between the Swifts next door. Nola is best friends with the three Swift boys, and one by one she begins to lose her grasp on those relationships as each boy experiences his own emotional response to the event. It’s a study of grief and the aftermath between divorce and remarriage.
