THE AMBER BROWN BOOKS - Paul Danziger (ISBN 0749721790)
Amber Brown Goes Forth
Forever Amber Brown
Amber Brown Wants Extra Credit
Amber Brown Sees Red
STARRING SALLY J FREEMAN AS HERSELF - Judy Blume (Piper)
Sally's family move to Florida because of her brother's health but her father stays behind. Sally keeps her relationship with her father alive through letters and thoughts.
THE ANIMALS, THE VEGETABLE AND JOHN D JONES - Betsy Byars (Puffin)
Sisters Deanie and Clara go on holiday with their divorced father and discover the party includes his new partner and her son. Relations are icy at the start but events lead to a neat resolution of conflict.
MY PARENTS ARE GETTING DIVORCED: HOW TO KEEP IT TOGETHER WHEN YOUR MOM AND DAD ARE SPLITTING UP - Florence Cadier, Melissa Daly (New York Amulet Books ISBN081099163)
A book for older children which aims to answer some of the questions they might have when their parents decide to separate or divorce. Aims to help children cope with new situationsa nd chances within the family.
HOW DO I FEEL ABOUT MY PARENTS' DIVORCE - Julia Cole (Watts Books ISBN 0749626704)
CHILDREN DON'T DIVORCE - Rosemary Stones and Nichola Spooner (Happy Cat Books ISBN 899248021)
WHAT'S HAPPENING? SPLITTING UP - Karen Bryant Mole (Wayland ISBN 0750203978)
LET'S TALK ABOUT DIVORCE - Angela Grunsell (ISBN 0863139418)
MIKE'S LONELY SUMMER - A CHILD'S GUIDE THROUGH DIVORCE - Carolyn Nystrom (Lion Publishing plc) ISBN 074592729)
IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT: WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR PARENTS DIVORCE - Rosemary Stones (Piccadilly ISBN 1853402338)
THE SUITCASE KID - Jacqueline Wilson (Yearling ISBN 0440863112)
Distraught at her parents' divorce, Andy cannot decide who she wants to live with. She spends one week at Mum's house, the next ad Dad's, but never really feels that she belongs anywhere. This difficult situation, which is worsened by animosity between Andy and her new stepfamilies, has no simple solution. Approached with humour and understanding, this is a very readable tale of confusion, guilt and ultimately optimism, which many children (and adults) will identify with.
NO GOODBYE - Marita Conlon-McKenna (The O'Brien Press ISBN 0862783623)
Mother loves her four children but, exhausted by running a house and having repeated arguments with her husband, decides to leave. The children are left confused, worried and angry, as well as insecure about their future. Why has Mother left and will she ever come back home? Narrated in the first person by each child in turn, this book highlights the emotional turmoil of a group of young children affected by their parents' separation.
SINCE DAD LEFT - Caroline Binch (Frances Lincoln ISBN 0711213550)
Sid feels cross because he doesn't understand why his mum and dad don't live together any more. When his mum arranges for him to spend a day with his dad, Sid doesn't want to go. His dad, Mick, is a traveller who keeps goats, dogs and a horse. He lives in a makeshift house, and his friends relax by sitting under the stars, playing drums and digeridoos. At first Sid thinks he wants nothing to do with Mich and the travellers, but slowly he is won over and by the time he rejoins his mum, he really feels that he has a dad once more.
MAGIC DAD - Alison Prince (Piccadilly Press ISBN 1853404411)
To explain why his dad left, Cosmo's mum tells him that he went away on a magic carpet. In his imagination, Dad is thus elevated to the status of 'Magic Dad'. Whilst this helps Cosmo deal with his absence, it also makes him a target for the school bullies. Meanwhile, Mum's neighbour, Mr Burton, has been coming round to help around the house. With time, Cosmo realises that his mum's new friend may not be very magical, but he is real - and he does make her happy. Alison Prince tackles the absence of a father and acceptance of a new paternal figure with sensitivity and poignancy.
STARRING GRACE - Mary Hoffman (Frances Lincoln ISBN 0711215308)
There is no end to Grace's imagination! It is the school holidays and she and her friends spend their time playing at being everything from doctors to ghost-hunters. Then when Grace takes part in her favourite musical Annie, she realises that what she really wants to be is a star! This book tackles the difficult subject of an absent father (he lives in The Gambia) and a mother's new boyfriend, with sensibility and great understanding of children's emotional needs. A multicultural celebration of childhood, effectively illustrated with vivid black-and-white artwork.
GRACE & FAMILY - Mary Hoffman (Frances Lincoln ISBN 0711208689)
Grace lives in England with her mum and grandmother. Her parents are divorced and her father is living in Africa where he is married with two children. When she is invited to visit them, Grace must come to terms with the new situation and learn to accept her stepmother as well as adapting to a totally foreign environment. This is a poignant story tackling the difficult issues of divorce and race. Caroline Binch's distinctive artwork successfully represents each character and situation with feeling and sensibility.