Growing up in a military family is a unique experience that not every child will have. These books welcome readers in, showing them the ins and outs, ups and downs of military life, while also sharing what these families have in common with their own.
Preschool
“Goodbye, Hello: A Going Home Travel Adventure”
by Angela H Dale
In this bouncing picture book, an LGBTQ+ Navy family travels across the globe to reunite.
by Julie Murray
Families come in all shapes and sizes. Readers will learn all about military families through relatable situations. They may just find out that a military family isn’t so different from their own!
“Purple Up!: We Salute Our Friends”
by Sarah Lynn Scheerger
While military parents are away serving and protecting, their children are at home, taking care of themselves and each other. April 15 is Purple Up! Day, a day when Americans around the world recognize and celebrate the children who make sacrifices along with their military parents.
Elementary
“Boyogi: How a Wounded Family Learned To Heal”
by David Barclay Moore
When his daddy comes home from the service struggling with PTSD, a young boy discovers that learning yoga together can be a source of healing.
“My Life With a Parent in the Military”
by Mari C. Schuh
Meet Gracen! She likes karate and ice skating. Her dad is in the military. Gracen is real and so are her experiences with moving often and having her dad away from home.
by Sarah Doran
When military child Finn and his helicopter mechanic mom head to the hangar, a day of imagination and adventure is about to begin! With included educational resource pages and a STEM activity, readers will fall in love with this timeless story and develop a deeper appreciation for our service men and women.
Middle
by Caroline Hickey
Ginny learns that her father, who is a military ER doctor, is being deployed to Afghanistan. This is devastating news because they are already moving to another post in Maryland, and Ginny depends on her father to help her manage her obsessions, panic attacks and general meltdowns.
“AWOL”
by Marla Lesage
In this graphic novel for middle readers, everyone in 11-year-old Leah’s family is affected by her father’s PTSD.
by Gordon Korman
Twelve-year-old Trevor Firestone loves playing war-based video games, and his great-grandfather Jacob came home from World War II a celebrated hero. Trevor is going to learn real war is not a video game and valor and heroism can be very murky concepts.
High School
by Todd Strasser
Hailed as a hero, 20-year-old Jake returns to his pro-military hometown and family, injured physically and emotionally, unsure if he can return to active duty but uncomfortable with the alternative.
by Sarah Littman
Life has suddenly turned chaotic for high school student Stella since her brother, Rob, got home from his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. When Rob’s anger finally spirals out of control, Stella realizes she has to find the courage to take a stand against the forces of hate in her hometown.
