10 Thoughtful Novels That Deal with Divorce for Tweens

by Devon A. Corneal

Divorce is never easy — and kids caught in the middle can often feel confused, lonely, and unheard. Stories that include families going through divorce and separation can help kids connect to characters experiencing situations similar to theirs, giving them a path to better understand things they may be dealing with like changing family dynamics, navigating new schools, making new friends, and coming to terms with new living situations and relationships. If you know a middle grade reader who is struggling to understand their parents’ separation or divorce, we hope the characters in these books — who come from all walks of life and face their parents’ divorces or separations with grit, imagination, bravery, humor, and sensitivity — will help them feel a little less alone.

If you’re looking for more practical advice for helping middle grade readers deal with the effects of a separation or divorce, A Smart Girl’s Guide to Her Parents’ Divorce, written by Nancy Holyoke and illustrated by Scott Nash, and Divorce Is Not the End of the World: Zoe and Evan’s Coping Guide for Kids, by Zoe Stern and Evan Stern, might help.