Why am I passionate about this?
I know the pain of separations. Navy doctor father. Missionary kid at boarding school in India. Military wife. Military mother. Separations suck. So when my three-year-old grandchild Lily struggled with her daddy’s deployment in 2010, I felt her pain. I composed the story and used personal photos to illustrate Lily Hates Goodbyes. Whenever we read about book Lily’s emotions, my Lily would say, “Just like me!” Wanting other children to have this cathartic experience, I hired Nathan Stoltenberg, a brilliant illustrator, and self-published the book. It’s available in a Navy version and an All Military version—the only difference is daddy’s uniform. Book Lily is a friend to young military children around the world.
Jerilyn's book list on military families dealing with deployment
Why did Jerilyn love this book?
Written for grade school ages, this book lets children (military or not!) peek into a military family’s experiences as they struggle with the changes that happen when a parent is deployed. The children learn that nothing stays the same when a parent is away, except the way they love each other. I appreciate that the family is African-American.
1 author picked When You Are Away as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.
Nothing is the same when a parent has to leave home for a while. See how things are different for these military kids when their dad goes on deployment.
- Coming soon!