Recommended Reading Material

St. Louis County Library Divorce Bibliography

Ages 2-5

On the Day His Daddy Left by Eric Adams 2000
On the day his father moves out of the house, Danny’s teacher, friends, and family reassure him that his parents’ divorce is not his fault. SLCL owns 13 copies.

Best of Both Nests by Jane Clarke 2007
When Stanley Stork’s mother announces that his Dad is going to build his own nest, Stanley doesn’t like the idea of visiting two nests and worries that their divorce is all his fault, but after seeing his dad’s new place, he realizes that maybe things will work out after all. SLCL owns 7 copies and additional copies are available for purchase.

Fred Stays with Me! By Nancy Coffelt 2007
A child describes how she lives sometimes with his mother and sometimes with his father, but his dog is his constant companion. SLCL owns 5 copies and additional copies are available for purchase. This title is one of Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journals best books of 2007.

A Day with Daddy by Nikki Grimes 2004
In A Day with Daddy, a boy living with his mom talks about having fun with Dad on their weekly outing. Grimes draws on personal memories of growing up in a divorced family, and her simple, poetic words describe what goes on until the boy returns home with “enough happy / to last me one week.” The separation is here as well as the joy, and Tadgell’s exuberant watercolors show the family bonds, the longing, and the love. SLCL owns 9 copies and additional copies are available for purchase.

Was it the Chocolate Pudding? A Story for Little Kids about Divorce by Sandra Levins 2005
Readers learn about divorce, and receive age-appropriate explanations of what is happening regarding such issues as single-parent homes and joint custody as well as how divorce is a grown-up problem, not the child’s fault. Title is available for purchase.

Two Homes by Claire Masurel 2001
A young boy named Alex enjoys the homes of both of his parents who live apart but love Alex very much, in a comforting story about the reality of divorce. SLCL owns 6 copies and additional copies are available for purchase.

When My Parents Forgot How to be Friends by Jennifer Moore-Mallinos 2005
A simple explanation of divorce reassures youngsters that they are not responsible for their parents’ breaking up and that their parents still love them even though they no longer live together. SLCL owns 8 copies and additional copies are available for purchase.

Mom and Dad Don’t Live Together Anymore by Kathy Stinson Revised Edition 2007
A little girl describes how she feels about her parents’ separation and explains how she spends the time she’s with each of them. SLCL has ordered 20 copies of the title.

My Family’s Changing: A First Look at Family Break Up by Pat Thomas 1999
Explains divorce in simple terms and addresses the normal fears, worries, and questions that children have when families break up. SLCL owns 17 copies of title.

Ages 6-12

How Tia Lola Came to Stay and Spanish Title Cuando Tia Lola Vino a Quedarse by Julia Alvarez 2002, 2004
Ten-year-old Miguel is at first embarrassed by his colorful aunt, Tia Lola, when she comes to Vermont from the Dominican Republic. She has come to stay with him, his mother, and his sister, after his parents’ divorce, and he soon learns to love her. SLCL owns 9 in English and 4 in Spanish.

For Better, For Worse: A Guide to Surviving Divorce for Preteens and Their Families by Janet Bode 2001
Uses first-person accounts from young people to describe the effects of divorce and remarriage and how to handle them, and includes a section for adults discussing how to minimize both the short- and long-term impact of divorce.  SLCL owns 17 copies.

My Mom’s Wedding by Eve Bunting 2006
Seven-year-old Pinkie has mixed feelings about her divorced mother’s wedding especially when she learns that her beloved father will be an attending guest. SLCL owns 5 copies and additional copies are available for purchase.

My Parents are Divorced too: A Book for Kids by Kids by Melanie Ford 2006
Three stepsiblings in a blended family discuss their experiences and those of friends with divorce and remarriage. SLCL owns 20 copies.

Julie Tells Her Story by Megan McDonald 2007
Julie is doing well on her “Story of My Life” project until she has to write about “The Worst Thing that Ever Happened”, which happens to be her parents’ divorce. SLCL owns 26 copies.

I don’t want to Talk about it by Jeanie Franz Ransom 2000
After reluctantly talking with her parents about their upcoming divorce, a young girl discovers that there will be some big changes but that their love for her will remain the same. Includes an afterword for parents on helping children through such a change. After reluctantly talking with her parents about their upcoming divorce, a young girl discovers that there will be some big changes but that their love for her will remain the same. SLCL owns 3 and additional copies are available for purchase.

Bright Side: Surviving Your Parents’ Divorce by Max Sindell 2007
A guide for children with divorced parents covers such topics as how to relate to parents and other adults, family politics, travel, dealing with new relationships and stepfamilies, support systems, and the good and bad aspects of divorce. SLCL does not own but copies are available for purchase.

Buttermilk Hill by Ruth White 2006
When Lindy’s parents divorce and gradually begin to make new lives for themselves she finds all the changes difficult, but in time she starts to find her own way. SLCL owns 83 copies.

Ages 13-19

Notes on a Near-life Experience by Olivia Birdsall 2007
Fifteen-year-old Mia feels like a ghost watching her own life when her parents’ arguments escalate into a separation, triggering counseling sessions, strange behavior in her brother and sister, and a new connection with her brother’s best friend. SLCL owns 6 copies and additional copies are available for purchase.

What Erika Wants by Bruce Clements 2005
The bright spot in the life of fourteen-year-old Erika Nevski is her lawyer, who supports Erika as she faces a custody battle, deals with her shoplifting friend, and tries out for the school play. SLCL owns 4 copies and additional copies are available for purchase.

A Friend at Midnight by Caroline Cooney 2006
After rescuing her younger brother abandoned at a busy airport by their divorced father, fifteen-year-old Lily finds her faith in God sorely tested as she struggles to rescue herself from the bitterness and anger she feels. SLCL owns 20 copies.

How I Saved my Father’s Life, and Ruined Everything Else by Ann Hood 2008
After she helps save her father from an avalanche, twelve-year-old Madeline’s world is thrown for a loop after he writes a book, becomes famous, and divorces her mother; causing her to seek another miracle that will bring normalcy back to the family she loves. SLCL does not own because it will not be published until March 2008.

Mom’s House, Dad’s House for Kids: Feeling at Home in One Home or Two by Isolina Ricci 2006
A guide for the children of divorced families and stepfamilies counsels young people on how to balance the dynamics of living in two different homes, sharing a range of case examples and suggestions for such topics as parental fights, dating, and managing hurt feelings. SLCL does not own but it is available for purchase.

Surviving Divorce: Teens Talk About what Hurts and what Helps by Trudi Strain Truelt 2006
This title presents facts about divorce, advice for children of divorced parents, and stories from of teens that have been through the experience. SLCL owns 5 copies and additional copies are available for purchase.

Adult

In the Best Interest of the Child: A Manual for Divorcing Parents by Nadir Baksh 2007
Baksh (clinical psychology) and Murphy (an R.N. focusing on clinical practice dealing with divorce and its impact on children) take the tone of a wake-up call from the onset of this book advising divorcing parents how to minimize the damage done to their children during the process. Among other advice, they compel readers to keep adult arguments between adults, to always prioritize a sick child over even a much-needed paycheck, to avoid involving children in court proceedings, and to pay attention to the emotions and bad behaviors–or an apparent lack thereof–of their children and treat them as expressions of frustrations over the changes divorce brings. SLCL owns 18 copies.

Ex-Etiquette for Holidays and other Family Celebrations by Jann Blackstone-Ford 2007
The authors stress cooperation and compromise in this guide for families of divorce navigating holidays and family get-. The text is made up of ten rules of good ex-etiquette, along with examples of the rules’ practical application. Putting children first is the guiding tenet; readers should use empathy when problem solving and resist the urge to be spiteful. Issues covered include sending out wedding announcements, attending funerals, and helping a child cope when a parent misses a birthday. SLCL owns 18 copies.

How to Parent with Your Ex: Working Together for your Child’s Best Interest by Brette McWhorter Sember 2005
A family law attorney, Sember presents a flip book for divorced parents-one half for residential parents, the other for nonresidential parents. Each part offers commonsense advice on similar topics, e.g., long-distance parenting, dealing with the other parent, holidays, and scheduling, with content customized to the appropriate parenting role. Direct and encouraging in tone, Sember frequently dictates conduct and presents lists of dos, don’ts, things to say, and things not to say. SLCL owns 18 copies.

Parenting After Divorce by Philip Stahl 2000
This title presents a plan for divorced parents to put aside differences to meet the needs of their children. SLCL owns 13 copies.

Verbal Judo: The Gentle Art of Persuasion by George Thompson 2004
A guide to improved communication shows readers how to avoid the most common conversational disasters, listen and speak more effectively, and engage people through empathy, using a simple, easily-remembered strategy. SLCL owns 20 copies.

Vicki Lansky’s Divorce Book for Parents 2005 3^rd edition revised
An updated parents’ guide to helping youngsters cope with divorce and its aftermath offers advice on such issues as breaking the news, custody, financial and legal matters, and support groups, emphasizing the need for cooperation and respect between divorcing partners. SLCL owns 7 copies.

Divorce Poison by Richard Warshak 2003, 2001
A guide for parents on how to protect their children from the crossfire of separation and divorce urges action against a bad-mouthing spouse and offers specific advice about different types of criticism, insight into why parents manipulate their children, and counsel on how to preserve and rebuild a loving parent-child relationship. SLCL owns 18 copies.