Big Ernie’s New Home gently affirms the normal sadness, anger, and anxiety that young children feel after a move. And as Big Ernie gradually discovers familiar comforts and exciting adventures in his new home, young readers may be encouraged to do the same in theirs.

In a cleverly combined voice — accompanied by wonderfully detailed illustrations depicting parallel urban scenes — a young boy conveys his fears about moving from New York City to Mexico City while, at the same time, a young girl expresses trepidation about leaving Mexico City to move to New York City. Tania de Regil offers a heartwarming story that reminds us that home may be found wherever life leads. Fascinating details about each city are featured at the end. picture book

A preschooler’s perspective on reentry. Returning to New York when his father’s job finishes, he longs for the familiar ways of living in Africa. He articulates many of the things older children feel but are often unwilling to express.

A young boy moves out of his old house and into a new one far away. He walks through the empty rooms saying good-bye. As he leaves town he looks at the familiar places one last time. After arriving at his new home he begins to make friends and feels more at home as his parents find places for familiar possessions. picture book

Very suddenly, a young boy knows that what he fears has come to pass: he and his family must begin their long journey away from everything he’s ever known. When he meets a kind lady at a bus station, she tells him the story of another boy (Jesus) who had to go on a hard journey as a refugee, but who grew up to save the whole world. While written from a refugee perspective, TCKs who have had to leave a home suddenly will very much relate. picture book

Little Bia Fish struggles to make a new place home. What will help her to transition smoothly and become resilient? A Christian story for parents to read with their young Third Culture Kids, Cross-Cultural Kids or Missionary Kids to start conversations about moving, culture shock and transitions. Complete with questions to ask young TCKs before and during a transition to life in a new place. picture book

There are many reasons to feel different. Maybe it's how you look or talk, or where you're from; maybe it's what you eat, or something just as random. It's not easy to take those first steps into a place where nobody really knows you yet, but somehow you do it. This book reminds us that we all feel like outsiders sometimes-and how brave it is that we go forth anyway. And that sometimes, when we reach out and begin to share our stories, others will be happy to meet us halfway.

Little Seed and Little Fox are facing big changes and brand-new circumstances--and they don't like it one bit! Through this unlikely friendship, children will discover that no matter how scared or anxious they are about something new or unknown, God is always with them.

t’s Dat’s first day of school in a new country! Dat and his Mah made a long journey to get here, and Dat doesn’t know the language. To Dat, everything everybody says — from the school bus driver to his new classmates — sounds like gibberish. How is Dat going to make new friends if they can’t understand each other? Luckily there’s a friendly girl in Dat’s class who knows that there are other ways to communicate, besides just talking. Could she help make sense of the gibberish? picture book

Sometimes you find yourself in an in-between place. A place that is neither here nor there. The beautiful book encourage readers to meet new experiences with an open mind and confidently take on any challenges that come their way. Perfect for caregivers who are looking for creative ways to talk with kids about change, transition, or self-doubt.

The children of Julie Jean Francis love their life in Southeast Asia. They wake with the sun and eat fried rice for breakfast. They buy their drinking water in plastic bottles and sleep outside when there’s no electricity at night. They play with their friends and eat curry for lunch—every day. But what happens when Covid-19 comes to their neighborhood? What happens when the government changes? Will their life in Myanmar last forever? picture book

Ira’s best friend is moving. Follow Ira’s struggle with his friend who idealizes the new location. The story illustrates by negative example how not to tell a child about a move. On a more positive note, it demonstrates how to help them say goodbye and gives hope for maintaining a long distance relationship.

This book focuses on the feeling of children who are left behind in a move. It ties into the reconciliation aspect of RAFT. Third-grade Amber’s best friend Justin Daniels is moving. As the reality sets in, both struggle with their feelings. They have a fight and stop talking to each other. How they resolve this conflict allows them to share their feelings and manage the separation.

Allie Rader can’t wait to spend seventh grade in Bangkok, Thailand. She’s excited to explore the wonders of a new country even though it means being apart from her best friend for a whole year.But adjusting to a different culture turns out to be much harder than Allie expected. Everything keeps going wrong and Allie fears she’ll never be happy in Thailand. Soon, she’s simply counting the days—literally—until she can return to her normal life back in the suburbs of Chicago, where everyone speaks English, school lunch doesn't have fish sauce, and monkeys don't threaten field trips.Luckily for Allie, three new friends at the international school make it their mission to help her find the bright side of life in Bangkok. Funny and heartwarming, See Ya Later, Allie Rader is a story about leaning on friends in the face of change.

His family is moving, but Alexander has decided he’s not going. He investigates other living arrangements while at the same time saying goodbye to people, places and things. His parents gently help him work through his feeling, until he finds himself packing. This book provides a humorous yet realistic look at a difficult situation. picture book

This Caldecott Award-Winning book is the story of the author’s grandfather who longed to return to his homeland after living for years in San Francisco. It compliments Say’s other book Tea with Milk. longer picture book

By writing, drawing, collecting memories and sharing them with others, they can create their own special story about their lives before, during and after their international move. The book supports children in sharing thoughts, feelings and ideas with their family and with old and new friends, so friendships can be maintained and enhanced. workbook

Sixth-grade Amy arrives in Taiwan and begins school at the international Christian school. She wants to serve Jesus and make friends with Chinese children, but discovers it’s not as easy as she had hoped. Originally published in 1994, this book took a realistic look at a middle schooler finding her niche in a new country and school.

Written specifically for teens who are returning to their passport culture (aka, where their parents are from), this devotional covers a number of important topics related to moving to (or back to) a different culture. Faith on the Move explores loss, hope, settling into a new place, cultural mis-steps, family dynamics, injustice, feeling lost, grief, forgiveness, managing stress, standing for your convictions, perseverance, healing, and so many other topics. The devotional pulls from the cross-cultural stories of Ruth, Joseph, Esther, and Daniel from the Old Testament. Consider using it's companion journal as well. Each day, it includes a short Bible passage, related quotes/prayers, reflection questions, and some suggested next steps. This book works well as a group study, but it can be enjoyed independently as well.

The novelty of life overseas wore off, and Taylor became overwhelmed with frustration, loneliness and the sorrow of leaving everything she knew-the States, her home, her extended family-for everything she didn't know. She kept these emotions hidden in her heart until they reached a boiling point. Written as a series of individual prayers to God, Hidden in My Heart tells Taylor's story as she transparently unloads her grief and anger on Him and, surprisingly, finds Him willing to listen and bring her to a place of healing and-ultimately-joy.