Moving away from your home country to settle somewhere new can be disorientating and confusing as an adult, let alone for a child who has little control over the situation. This, coupled with living in a fast-paced society where people come and then leave as quickly as they came, can mean a lot of big feelings for children. By talking about the move, whether it is yours or someone else’s, you are helping ease the anxiety your child may face when they don’t know what is going to happen next. One great way to help start the conversation is by using books to help children understand on a level they are able to, so here are some of our favourites.
1. Alfie & Oak
By Giselle Onanian, illustrated by Sengsavane C.
Ages: four to eight
Alfie and Oak is three-book series. Each book tackles issues faced by expat children and is written in a way they can process and understand. They are all written in rhyming form, and the rhythm makes the books feel fun to read out loud.
Alfie & Oak: Daddy Has Got a New Job
This is the first book of the series, and it focuses on the initial stage of an expat family’s move—the stage where children can start noticing everything disappearing because of their parent’s “new job”. It’s a great conversation starter, as Alfie raises questions that many youngsters ask during a big move, like: “Where will our stuff go?” “What if I don’t like it?” But I like my house here!” Seeing those questions and statements written down can help younger children open up about how they might feel about the big move.
Alfie & Oak: Can We Go and See Nana?
The series’ second book focuses on extended families being apart.
“I don’t quite understand it.
To me, it’s not that clear
Why she lives all the way over there
And we live over here.”
Many books mainly focus on the emotions of moving, but this story helps children work through the feelings of leaving extended family behind and the methods they can use to feel closer to those “back home”.
Alfie & Oak: Where Did My Friend Go?
The third book works through one of the main issues in an expat child’s life: the coming and going of friends. It addresses the reality that living in a fast-moving environment often means that your friends can be here one day but headed to another country the next. The rhyming couplets throughout this book tackle the sadness of having the familiarity of a friendship torn away. They also grapple with the fact that the nature of life in a fast-moving expat city means that some friends can stay for years, while others move on much faster.
2. Sammy’s Next Move
By Helen Maffini, illustrated by Mike Swaim
Ages: six to eight
This tells the story of Sammy the Snail, a third-culture kid who has lived around the world with his parents and is about to embark on a new adventure in Japan that he is feeling sad and nervous about. Throughout the book, Sammy is reminded of his previous adventures and friendships, which makes the thought of moving to a new school and making new friends less daunting for him. The end of the book contains a helpful guide with project ideas to do as a family to help make your next move less stressful.
3. My Very Exciting, Sorta Scary, Big Move
By Lori Attanasio Woodring
Ages: five to 11
With moving being one of life’s biggest stressors, this workbook seeks to help both children and parents work through big emotions, giving everyone the opportunity to take control of their feelings and become active participants in this new adventure.
4. Where Are You From?
By Yamile Saied Méndez, illustrated by Jaime Kim
Ages: four to eight
Growing up away from your home culture, adapting to life, and having people question your identity is something that lots of expat children experience. Where Are You From? tackles a simple question that does not have a simple answer. The themes of self-acceptance, identity, and home in this book will resonate with readers—young and old—who struggle to answer this question.
5. Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away
By Meg Medina illustrated by Sonia Sanchez
Ages: five to seven
This vibrantly written book tells a story of friendship and change that centres around the move of Daniela’s best friend, Evelyn Del Rey. It is an especially poignant read for expats in fast-paced countries like Qatar.
6. The Mission of Detective Mike: Moving Abroad
By Simone T. Costa Eriksson and Ana Serra
Ages: six to 10
In this story about moving abroad, Mike and his friend Ikem set out to get to the bottom of the mystery of moving to another country. What will happen to his toys, friends, school, and house? How will he communicate in a new country? Will he ever make friends? As Mike’s mission gathers momentum, he and Ikem find the answers to these questions. It’s the perfect story to help children unpack the relocation process.
7. Looking In: Being an Expat Tween
By Sainoor Premji
Ages: nine to 12
Introduced as a book that discusses challenges that affect expat tweens, each chapter covers a topic/challenge and is followed by an exercise your tween can work on. It is well put together to help them better understand themselves and their actions. It is designed to be the kind your tween can dip in and out of and choose sections to work through depending on what is affecting them at that moment.
8. Expat Teens Talk
By Lisa Pittman and Diana Smit
Ages: 12 and up
When you relocate, your access to a support system changes and the people you could talk to and confide in can disappear—but this book can help fill that gap. In Expat Teens Talk, teens share their own stories and talk about their challenges, so your teen will probably relate to some of it. This book might even help them feel less alone, which is invaluable in expat life.
