A Very Long Time by Geri Timperley and Nikki Arro – (for ages 4 – 8) A book for young children in military families whose loved ones leave for “a very long time”. Written to “help children grasp the meaning of time and generate the tools they need to deal with the separation that might otherwise seem to never end”.

Daddy's in Iraq, but I Want him Back by Carmen R. Hoyt - An hour is a long time to a small child. How do you describe the length of a military war deployment to a preschooler? When attempting to tell her son that his Daddy was not going to be gone for just a week or seven wake-ups, but for several months, Carmen Hoyt longed for a better way to lay it out for him. I wished there was a way to help him "get his little arms around" the situation.” Written after the author’s own husband returned safely from Iraq, this story is for pre-school children who have a hard time coping with a parent’s military deployment. “I felt a need for this story to be written when my three year old, Jack, became very insecure upon his father's deployment to the War in Iraq.”

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn – (for ages 4 - 8) Published by the Child Welfare League of America, this book is just the right book for any young child confronting a difficult situation or who is temporarily separated from home or loved ones. 

Ned and the General: A Lesson in Deployment by Ron Madison - (for elementary aged children) A book of stories written in rhyme and based on real children affected by deployment. A copy of the book, of Ned and the General, was sent to each school district, IU, elementary school and elementary level charter school in Pennsylvania. For quantity orders of paperback editions, call the author, Ron Madison, at 814-255-6646.

Night Catch by Brenda Ehrmantraut (Author) and Vicki Wehrman (Illustrator) - When a soldier's work takes him half-way around the world, he enlists the help of the North Star for a nightly game of catch with his son. Night Catch is a timeless story that connects families while they are apart and offers comforting hope for their reunion.

Soldier Mom by Alice Mead - (for ages 9 – 12) A fictional story of a pre-teen girl who takes on additional responsibilities and experiences personal growth, during her mother’s seven-month deployment to Operation Desert Storm. 

While You Are Away by Eileen Spinelli - (for pre-school to grade 2) Three children’s stories of life while their parents are on active military duty abroad, each from a different branch of the armed forces. All three vignettes are upbeat and reassuring, and the book concludes with the safe return of all three loved ones.

Channing-Bete offers an array of publications for service members and their families on topic of deployment including:

Let’s Talk About Deployment
Information and activity book for children

Know What? My Parent is Being Deployed
Activity book for ages 6-8

Who Knew? The Deployment Issue
Activity book for ages 9-11

Write from the Heart
Stationery kit for military families