Common Thread: Change

Sub-Category 1: Divorce

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	I Don't Want To Talk About It	Jeanie Franz Ransom	Age 5-8	2000/ American Psychological Association.	This book discusses a child's feelings of divorce through a young girl's perspective. It is great for children because it compares the child's feelings to animals using similes and metaphors. The girl in the story struggles as any child would with anger, sadness, and fear about what her life will become. It is a great tool for helping kids work through their issues with divorce.
	Mama and Daddy Bear's Divorce	Cornelia Maude Spelman	Age 5-6	2001/ Albert Whitman	This book follows the story of a bear named Dinah. It talks about her happy life with her sister and her parents. When her parents tell the girls' that they will be getting a divorce, they are very sad. Dinah finally realizes, however, that her parents still love her and she visits each one. She sees that things are not all that bad because she still has all her favorite things like her stuffed rabbit and red sandals evan while she misses one of her parents.
	Two Homes	Claire Masurel	Age 3-6	2003/ Candlewick Press	This book helps young children focus on positive things. It follows the story of Alex, a young child who lives with one parent part of the time and with the other for the rest. It discusses the relationship he has with each parent and all the things he has in each house to make him feel at home.
	At Daddy's on Saturday	Linda Walvoord Girard	Age 6-8	1991/ Albert Whitman	This follows the story of Katie. It begins when her daddy moves out. She lives with her mom because her father travels and she spends each weekend with him. It follows Katie through her time of adjustment. She realizes that she will probably always feel hurt but that her family still loves her. This is a good book because most children with divorced parents end up in a situation just like this one. They spend the week with mom and the weekends with dad. I did.
	Mom and Dad Don't Live Together Anymore	Kathy Stinson	Age 4-8	1995/ Annick Press, Limited	This is another book dealing with a child who lives with her mom during the week and with daddy on the weekends. It deals with the same emotions and has the same outcome in the end. She discovers that she is still loved.

Sub-Category 2: Remarriage

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	Mister and Me	Kimberly Willis Holt	Age/ 7-10	2000/ Putman Juvenile	This story is set in Louisiana in the 1940's. Jolene doesn't want her momma to marry her new boyfriend. She sets out to make him miserable, calling him only "mister".  Jolene continues to do horrible things to Mister and he is always very patient. In the end, he gains her trust. This is a good story but it is long. It will have to be read to young children in segments.
	Everett Anderson's 1,2,3	Lucille Clifton	Age 4-8	1992/ Henry Holt & Company, Inc.	Everett's mother wants to remarry and he doesn't understand why. He likes it when it is just him (one) or just him and his mother (two).  He eventually realizes that three can be fun too.
	Louie's Search	Ezra Jack Keats	Age 5-8	2001/ Puffin	Louie walk through his new neighborhood looking for a man to be his father. He notices a music box that has fallen off a truck and is accused of being a thief when he picks it up. When his mother comes to settle the situation, Louie's dream of finding a father begins to come true.
	Room for Rabbit	Roni Schotter	Age 3-6	2003/ Houghton Mifflin Company	Kara lives at her mom's house sometimes and at her daddy's house other times. Wherever she goes she takes her stuffed rabbit. One day, when her father comes to pick her up she sees that her fathers' new wife lives with them now. The new wife is a costume designer for plays and she has costumes everywhere. Kara and her rabbit try to fit in but they can't sit on the couch or chair because their is too many costumes around. When she confronts her father, he and his new wife make room for Kara and her rabbit.
	My New Mom and Me	Betty Ren Wright	Age 5-8	1992/ Raintree Publishers	The young girl in the story learns some lessons when her  widowed father remarries. The girl feels alone and bonds with her cat. Eventually she comes around and the family is happy.

Sub-Category 3: New Baby

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	Peter's Chair	Ezra Jack Keats	Age 4-7	1998/ Puffin	Peter struggle with the arrival of his new baby sister. When his parents start taking his baby furniture and painting it pink, it hurts him. He takes his little chair and "runs away" so that it cannot be painted as well. While running away, he thinks about his sister and changes his mind about her. In the end, he even helps his father paint his chair.
	The New Baby	Mercer Mayer	Age 5-8	1985/ Golden Books	Little Critter gets aggravate when his new baby sister doesn't respond to him. She won't listen to his story or make funny faces at him. She just cries. Little Critter helps his parents take care of her and it takes him a while, but Little Critter finally finds out that baby's can be fun even when they can't play with you.
	Julius, the Baby of the World	Kevin Henkes	Age 5-8	1995/ Morrow, William, & Company	Lilly doesn't like her new baby brother. She calls him disgusting. he feels left out by her parents. She really begins to dislike her brother until her cousin comes over and begins to criticize him. This changes her mind and she quickly begins to stand up for her brother and realizes she loves him after all.
	The New Baby at Your House	Joanna Cole	Age 5-8	1999/ Morrow, William, & Company	This book uses full color photographs and helps children deal with the emotions involved with the arrival of a new baby.
	Baby Makes Five	Stan Berenstain	Age 3-6	2000/ Random House	This book deals with Sister Bear. everyone deals with the arrival of the new baby with excitement except for sister bear. She gets aggravated at everything to do with the baby. She even takes it out on her dolls because they remind her of the baby. Mama Bear shows Sister Bear home videos of when she was a baby, successfully addressing the problem.

Sub-Category 4: Moving

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	Alexander, Who's Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It!) Not Going to Move	Judith Viorst	Age 4-8	1998/ Simon & Schuster	Alexander tells his family that he will not move 1000 miles away and leave behind all the things he loves. He tries to find ways to stay either with other families of by living in a tree house. In the end, he listens to his parents reassuring and moves.
	Goodbye House	Frank Ashe	Age 5-8	1991/ Simon & Schuster	Little Bear has to move from his neighborhood with his family. He take short trip by himself saying good-bye too all the things that have meant a lot to him.
	The Berenstain Bear's Moving Day	Stan Berenstain	Age 4-7	1981/ Random House	The Berenstain Bears are moving to their new tree home. Brother Bear is very worried. He is afraid to leave his friends behind. In the end, the house is fine and the neighborhood is filled with children his age to play with.
	I'm Not Moving, Mama!	Nancy White Carlstrom	Age 5-8	1999/ Simon & Schuster	Little Mouse does not want to move with her mother into a new home.He keeps resisting until moving day when his mother tells him that the best thing about the new house is that they will be together in it.
	Boomer's Big Day	Constance W. McGeorge	Age 3-6	1996/ Chronicle Books LLC	This is a book for children on moving with a twist. Instead of following the story of a child, it follows the story of the family's dog, Boomer. Boomer begins the day by waiting for his daily walk but nobody pays any attention to him. He gets confused and feels anxious until at last he arrives at his new home.

Sub-Category 5: Death

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	I Miss You: A First Look at Death	Pat Thomas	Age 5-7	2001/ Barron's Educational Series, Inc.	This is a great book for kids who are dealing with a death in their lives. It explores emotions and shows that death is a very natural part of life.
	Sad Isn't Bad	R.W. Alley	Age 5-8	1998/ Abbey Press Printing & Publishing	This book was written by a school counselor for children dealing with death. It helps children cope and assures them that the world is still a positive place.
	What On Earth Do You  Do When Someone Dies?	Trevor Romain	Age 5-10	1999/ Free Spirit Publishing, Inc.	The author begins by telling of the death of his father. He answers questions concerning death, what happens to the body, what funerals are, and deals with common emotions as well.
	Dog Heaven	Cynthia Rylant	Age 4-7	1995/ Scholastic, Inc.	This book helps children deal with the death of a dog by describing a beautiful place called "Dog Heaven". This book is sweet and reassuring to a child except for one part. The author tell children that the dog can return to earth for invisible visits with the child which could scare them.
	Charlotte's Web	E.B. White	Age 9-12	1974/ HarperCollins Publishers	This is a long book that will have to be read to children in segments. It follows the story of a pig named Wilbur and his spider friend, Charlotte. It will eventually deal with death in a way that shows life continuing.