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| Image copyright 2008 Sue Rama |
Where
Am I Sleeping Tonight?
A
Story of Divorce
By
Carol Gordon Ekster
Illustrated
by Sue Rama
Boulden
Publishing
Weaverville,
California, 2008
Reviewed
by Laura Harting
A fourth-grader named Mark struggles
with the challenges of being a responsible student while having parents who are
divorced. “Which house is my homework at
anyway?” he wonders. Mark is afraid to come to class again without his
assignment, as the words of his teacher saying “Fired! Fired! Fired!” ring in
his ears.
Written
by a retired fourth-grade teacher, this nicely illustrated 24-page paperback deals
with how to help children of divorced parents manage their school
responsibilities. Only an experienced
and compassionate teacher could offer these helpful insights on ways to address
this particular struggle for children. As Mark grapples with how to stay
organized and remember his homework while living and sleeping in two different
houses, he wishes he was a first grader again, like his brother Evan. The
younger boy’s life seems so much easier, and Mark begins to feel resentful
toward his parents who caused the whole problem by getting divorced in the
first place. However, by the end of the book Mark becomes solution-focused. He begins
to discover ideas for becoming more organized and responsible. Having mastered
his homework problem, he even looks forward to hearing “Hired! Hired! Hired!”
from his teacher.
This book
is a good read for older elementary school-aged children on how to solve problems
and manage their school lives while living in a shared custody arrangement. It
is also a good reality check for parents and step-parents. Reading it might help
these adults become more sensitive to the peculiar difficulties and challenges that
young children face following a divorce.
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| Laura Harting, LCSW sees clients at her office in Paoli, Pennsylvania. |
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