We give military kids so much credit (and rightly so), but they sometimes need a little TLC along the way to help them realize the bigger picture. Thankfully, books are one of the best gateways to help those little minds grasp what’s really going on.
When there’s a deployment on the horizon, an upcoming move, or when they have to say “see ya later” to their best friend, books can bring them understanding and comfort.
Over the course of one year, my three kids experienced all three of those scenarios. Their dad deployed for a year; we packed up and moved from the only home one of them ever knew; and we were preparing for an overseas PCS days after he returned.
There are some big emotions in play with those events, and I sometimes didn’t have the answers to comfort them. But books did.
Where to Find Books for Military Kids
You can almost always find books for military kids on Amazon. I ended up checking them out from the library first so we could see which ones we liked the most. Then we bought them from local bookstores as much as possible.
Friends who had been in our shoes loaned us some of their copies, and then we’ve passed some of our books on to other military kids that are about to go through the same events.
For Military Kids + Talking about Deployments
Deployment is such a heavy word, even for adults, so it can be confusing and scary for little ones. My military kids loved several of the following books during my husbands 365+ day deployment—the knew them by heart and wore the pages down until the spines started cracking.
The first three are recordable books, and my son, who was 2-3 years old at the time, cherished those the most. My husband recorded them before he left, and he listened to them every single day (not an exaggeration).
- Under the Same Moon
- All the Ways I Love You
- My Wish for You
- My Daddy is a Hero
- My Mommy is a Hero
- H is for Honor
- Night Catch
- Daddy’s Boots
- Superheroes’ Kids
- Deployment: One of our Pieces is Missing
- When You Are Away
- Hero Dad
- A Paper Hug
- While You Were Gone
- Air Force Ace
- Lily Hates Goodbyes
- Momma’s Boots
- Countdown ’til Daddy Comes Home
- I love you near and Far
- I miss You!
- I’ll Lend you My Daddy
For Military Kids When You’re Moving
Whether you’re PCSing around the world, across the country, or just to the next city over, it’s a really big deal for military kids.
Some may not know how to cope with all the big feelings they’re experiencing or will encounter in the days leading up to and after the actual move. I mean, most adults deal with those emotions, too.
These books about moving for military kids can help explain the process in ways they can digest more clearly.
- Moving House
- Max’s Moving Adventure Coloring and Activities Book: A Coloring Book for Kids on the Move
- My Very Exciting, Sorta Scary, Big Move: A workbook for children moving to a new home
- Boomer’s Big Day
- Bird, Balloon, Bear
- The Berenstain Bears’ Moving Day
- The Great Big Move: A Surprisingly Exciting Adventure (Surprisingly Exciting Adventures)
- Moving to the Neighborhood (Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood)
- Will I Have a Friend?
- Augustine
What are Your Favorite Books for Military Kids?
Did we miss any of your favorites? Please share your favorite books for military kids below; you never know how much one book can literally change a child’s entire outlook on a deployment or a PCS.
