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Moving: An Important Developmental Event in a Child’s Life  

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Moving: An Important Developmental Event in a Child’s Life  

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3. How do friendships influence our lives?

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3. How do friendships influence our lives?

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Bad Bye, Good Bye by Deborah Underwood and illustrated by Jonathan Bean 

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Bad Bye, Good Bye by Deborah Underwood and illustrated by Jonathan Bean 

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This little boy is unhappy with all the changes associated with moving. He has to leave his house and his friend. The illustrations reflect how upset he is with the unstability of his life. Even the car trip shows new and different things. When he enters his new room and looks out the window, a boy waves to him. His outlook improves once he has a new friend.

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When you open this book, the end pages show all different kinds of symbols. This is the story of a little boy named Dat who takes a boat, plane, and bus to get to his new school. The teachers can't pronounce his name and he can't understand the new language. Many things are unknown to him, and he is lonely. Then he meets Julie, and she teaches him English by drawing pictures of the words. This new friend positively influenced his life. He wasn't isolated anymore and Dat began smiling. The final end pages show letters of the alphabet that he learned.

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A Star Shines Through by Anna Desnitskaya

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A Star Shines Through by Anna Desnitskaya

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When a war began, the girl and her mother fled to a different country for their safety. It was unknown if they would be able to return. Nothing was stable or predictable in the new country. The language, food, and even her mother's personality were different. The mother and daughter's friendship appeared to become stronger as they only had each other to rely on. The story ends with them making their apartment cozier and more familiar like it was in their home country.

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This Caldecott winning book is based on the author's own experience of moving from Hong Kong to the United States as a young child. The language was unfamiliar, so the character wrote translations on her hand so she could make friends. One brave girl was curious about what she had in her lunchbox. Jun shared it with her, and then more children came over. Homesickness is difficult for a child, but the addition of friends can lessen the sadness.

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The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh by Supriya Kelkar and illustrated by Alea Marley

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The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh by Supriya Kelkar and illustrated by Alea Marley

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This book covers diversity and feelings in addition to the difficult transition of moving. The main character has never seen snow (fear of the unknown). When his family moves to a snowy town, he's unhappy and shows his mood with the color of his patka (a turban for a young boy). The other students may fear him, because he looks different from them. But then he makes a new friend named Abby, and his mood changes in a positive way. Then Harpreet wears colorful patkas again to reflect his happiness.

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Sometimes Love by Katrina Moore and illustrated by Joy Hwang Ruiz

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Sometimes Love by Katrina Moore and illustrated by Joy Hwang Ruiz

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The friendship in this book is mainly between a little girl and her dog. Her family has to move due to her mother's military job, and they need to leave the dog behind. The little girl doesn't know if the new family will take care of and love the dog the way she did. The message in this book is that even though changes come and go, love lasts. Separation may even make the love grow stronger. The family moves back and reunites with the dog. Stable friendships can include pets when you treat them as members of the family.

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Uprooted: A Memoir About What Happens When Your Family Moves Back by Ruth Chan

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Uprooted: A Memoir About What Happens When Your Family Moves Back by Ruth Chan

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Many books are about the main character having to learn English when they move to the U.S. By contrast, this book deals with a teenager leaving her American friends to move to Hong Kong, where her family is from. She has to improve her Cantonese. It is the author's own story. The essential questions are addressed when Ruth's father says, "It's okay to be nervous about change and the unknown. Just remember you'll be okay. The unknown is simply a part of life." (p. 48)

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This novel in verse focuses on being a child of divorced parents, moving to a new country, and all the feelings that come with having a stable life disrupted. Geetha leaves India with her mother to live in Rhode Island. She's angry with her mother and lonely and isolated without her friends. Slowly, she remembers what made her happy (music and poetry). Then she finds a new passion and begins cleaning up the pollution on the beach. Once again, new friends change a character's outlook in a positive way. Note: The Amazon listing gives the age range of 10-13yrs, not 9-12.

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This book shows new and different things after a move (neighbors, weather, and scary bedroom shadows). However, it also shows what is still stable and familiar after the relocation (same toys, bed, and blankie). Then as the little girl gets used to her new surroundings and makes a friend, she is happy with the home.

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Snow Doves by Nancy Hartry and illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard

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Snow Doves by Nancy Hartry and illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard

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The beautiful illustrations in this wordless book convey the message of overcoming fears and making new friends. A child who moved from a warm climate to a place with snow was sad and lonely. When the girl next door loaned him winter clothing, he overcame his fear of the unknown and enjoyed playing in the snow. Many activities are better when children can share them with their friends.

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Moving to the Neighborhood (Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood) by Alexandra Cassel and illustrated by Jason Fruchter

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Moving to the Neighborhood (Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood) by Alexandra Cassel and illustrated by Jason Fruchter

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The story of this small board book is based on the television show, "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood." Daniel Tiger and his family welcome the Platypus family to their community. The characters sing a song with these lyrics: "Wherever you go, you can find something you know to help you feel better." This relates to the questions about unknown situations and stability and comfort.

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Getting Ready to Move: My First Time by Jeri Cipriano

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Getting Ready to Move: My First Time by Jeri Cipriano

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This non-fiction book addresses common issues children face when they have to move with their families. The "not knowing" can make change scary and this book says it's normal to have roller coaster feelings. Learning about the new town and school before the move will answer some of the unknown questions. Practical suggestions for saying goodbye to old friends include taking photos and exchanging contact information to keep in touch. Tips for making new friends are also included such as good eye contact and smiling at people.

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Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling

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Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling

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Imagine have a physical disability that causes people to stare at you and then having to be the new kid at a school. When Aven moves to Arizona with her parents, she makes up stories about how she lost her arms. The other students encounter the unknown and aren't sure if they can ask questions or when to offer Aven help. This book can be used for discussions about disabilities. But it is also how the main character goes about finding new friends during an unstable time of her life.

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I'm Going to Make a Friend by Darren Chetty and illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat

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I'm Going to Make a Friend by Darren Chetty and illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat

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This book starts off with a child moving and denying that they are scared. The child makes a robot and then shares it with another child. They become friends. The illustrations on the front flaps show the child playing alone, and on the back flaps it shows the two children playing together. Friendships can help ease the big life transition of moving.

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A Book of Maps for You by Lourdes Heuer and illustrated by Maxwell Eaton, III

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A Book of Maps for You by Lourdes Heuer and illustrated by Maxwell Eaton, III

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What a heartwarming story with a different take on moving. The child leaves maps for the new child who will be moving into his house. All kinds of details that would appeal to a child about the town: the stores, neighbors, school lunch, and the best spot to put the bed in the bedroom. The two pages about the librarian are precious. This child is showing acts of friendship to another child they probably won't ever meet.

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A small child wishes that the new place to live will feel like home. Fear of the unknown is scary, but gradually life becomes stable again. The book summarizes this with the line, "Slowly, odd becomes ordinary, and strange becomes sweet." (p. 22) The child even realizes that change is part of life and says different homes for different times of life.

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Welcome Home, Esmerelda by Daniela Ramirez and illustrated by Maribel Lechuga 

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Welcome Home, Esmerelda by Daniela Ramirez and illustrated by Maribel Lechuga 

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The cover shows Esmerelda dancing with her abuela (grandmother). This book has many topics to share with a class. One is the instability of having to move when your parents work in the military. Another is the fear of the unknown when you move to a country and English is your second language. Additionally, it might be scary to move in with family members you don't know well. Esmerelda is shy around all her cousins and extended family, until they put music on. Then she feels comfortable in her new home. This raises another essential question: Can family members be your friends?

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Danté Plays His Blues by Allen R. Wells and illustrated by Shamar Knight-Justice

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Danté Plays His Blues by Allen R. Wells and illustrated by Shamar Knight-Justice

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This beautifully illustrated book shows how to cope with feelings from moving. The title isn't "The Blues," it's "His Blues." When Danté's mother moves them in with her extended family, he is very sad. He misses his friends, neighborhood, and even his bed. Danté's uncles are part of a band, and they teach him how to play the saxophone. He names it Luna after his old neighborhood. Then he learns how to channel his feelings and express them through music. It's explained by the phrase, "Turn yo' blues into yo' muse." (p. 25) This helps him adjust to his new setting.

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In this graphic novel, friendship and loss is addressed. When Katya spends the summer in Alaska, she meets a bear who she names Kodi. They become best friends and spend their time making memories. At the end of her summer vacation, Katya has to move back to Seattle. She and Kodi are both heartbroken. This book is different from the other books about moving, because the friendship is between a child and an animal. Also, the move happens after three months. This could spark a discussion about the length of time that it takes for a move to be disruptive to a child.

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Measuring Up: A Graphic Novel by Lily LaMotte and illustrated by Ann Xu

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Measuring Up: A Graphic Novel by Lily LaMotte and illustrated by Ann Xu

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Cici cooks with her grandmother in Taiwan. When she moves to Seattle, she misses her, and her friends and the food she is used to. As a twelve year old, she really wants to fit in with a clique, but sleepovers aren't allowed in her culture. She's nervous when her new friends come over. She doesn't know how they'll react to taking off their shoes in her house or the altar for deceased relatives. They are accepting of the cultural differences. Cici gets the idea of entering a cooking contest to earn money for the plane ticket so her grandmother can visit America for her birthday. Instead of making a Julia Child recipe, she makes a recipe she learned from her grandmother and wins the contest. Fearing the unknown and leaving and making new friends are concepts in this graphic novel.

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Classic books on the topic of moving & 1 new release

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Classic books on the topic of moving & 1 new release

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Berenstain, S., & Berenstain, J. (1981). The Berenstain bears' moving day. Random House Books for Young Readers.

Brown, L. (2025). The moving book. Neal Porter Books.      (Expected publication July 22, 2025)

McGeorge, C.W. (1994). Boomer’s big day. Chronicle Books.

Rogers, F. (1987). Mr. Rogers moving: First experiences. Putnam Juvenile.

Viorst, J. (1998) Alexander, who's not (Do you hear me? I mean it!) Going to move. Aladdin Paperbacks.

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After his mother dies, Langston moves from country life in Alabama to city life in Chicago. He's lonely and misses his friends and family. Everything is unfamiliar. In an effort to escape the school bully, he goes to a library. His world is opened up by the poetry of Langston Hughes, who he was named after. This 11 year old boy finds comfort in books and a new friend.

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Lasagna Means I Love You by Kate O'Shaughnessy

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Lasagna Means I Love You by Kate O'Shaughnessy

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When her Nan dies, 11 year old Mo is put into the unstable world of foster care. She thinks if she can find any relatives, then she will have the family she wants. She learns to cook and makes a website looking for people with her last name. This is a book of found family, comprised of her new friends and her foster parents. Fears, emotions, a stable household, and friendship are all themes in this heartwarming story.

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It's 1940 in London and three children (9-12) are moved to the countryside and put into temporary housing after the death of their cold grandmother. Their situation is not stable, because they are essentially auditioning to be good enough to be adopted by one of the families they live with. Everything is uncertain in their lives, except the bond they have with each other. Luckily, they find comfort in books, the village library, and the caring librarian.

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Something Like Home by Andrea Beatriz Arango

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Something Like Home by Andrea Beatriz Arango

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When the social services agency finds out that her parents can't take care of her, Laura enters the foster care system and has to move in with her aunt. She's scared and just wants to be reunite with her parents. Then she finds a puppy and wants to train it to be a service animal to help her parents get better from their addictions. Laura learns to adapt to her new home with the help of the dog, a new friend, and a therapist. This novel in verse deals with uncertainty, feelings, friendships (human and animal) and what makes a home.

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This non-fiction book is a memoir describing the author's time in sixth grade. Stability (or lack of it) is a theme, due to poverty, hunger, and domestic violence. Midway into the school year, his mother and her boyfriend are evicted. They move to government housing. Rex is ashamed and doesn't want his classmates to know. Fear of the unknown is also a theme. He doesn't know if his mother will get a job, or if the fighting at home will stop, or if he'll ever get enough food to eat. Note: The Amazon listing gives the age range of 10-13yrs, not 9-12.

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1.   Read one of the books with an animal in it. Discuss how pets can be our friends. Have paper cut in the shape of different pets (dogs, cats, birds, turtles, horses, etc.). Ask the children to write on one side how their pet can help them when they are feeling sad or mad or lonely. On the other side, ask them how they can make their pet friend happy (treats, walk, belly rubs, etc.). For older children, they can write a paragraph of a specific time when their pet comforted them the way a friend would. If there are any children who don’t have pets, they can substitute a teddy bear or stuffed animal for this activity.

2.   After reading A Book of Maps for You by Lourdes Heuer, have the children choose one location in the school (gym, lunchroom, library, art room, playground, etc.). Then they can draw a map or make a list with helpful, descriptive information for a new student to see. Make sure they put their name on the paper. Put their work in a three ring binder and keep it in the classroom for any new students to look at. This way the new student can meet each student and have something to talk about. For older students, you can also ask them to write down the answer to this question, “When I came to this school, three things I wish somebody had told me were…”