BOOK REVIEW: JULY IS NATIONAL CHILD-CENTERED DIVORCE MONTH

​Divorce may not be something to celebrate, but many children are affected by it. Reading a book about a character going through a divorce may help a child going through a similar situation. Today’s review is on one of those picture books:

TITLE: HEARTS IN MY POCKET
AUTHOR: Nancy Tupper Ling
ILLUSTRATOR: Shirley Ng-Benitez
PUBLISHER: Union Square Kids
OPENING LINES:
Almost everything is the same in the place I’ve always lived.
Silver trees line my front yard. Town chimes ring at noon.
My friend Eduardo and I play hide-and-seek with Pepper. We spy Ms. Penny mailing a purple letter.
Only now I miss Daddy when I’m here--
at Mommy’s house.

HEARTS IN MY POCKET tells the story of a girl who is trying to adjust to her parents’ recent divorce. When staying with her mom, she misses her dad. When she’s with her dad, she misses her mom. Her heart sometimes feels like it’s torn in two. But, in time, the girl learns she can carry the hearts of both of her parents in her pocket, no matter where she is. Nancy Tupper Ling doesn’t shy away from addressing the sometimes-difficult realities of divorce, but does so with a heartwarming, lyrical story that has a hopeful resolution. Shirley Ng-Benitez’s watercolor illustrations add just the right touch to this beautiful book. I highly recommend this book for anyone experiencing a divorce in the family.
 
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