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Home for a While

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Home for a While 
By Lauren H. Kerstein 
Illustrated by Natalia Moore 
Magination Press, 2021. Picture Book. 

Calvin is a young child that has to go and stay in another house for a while—foster mother Maggie’s house. He is full of feelings like “This isn’t your home” and “Nobody wants you.” Each day Calvin tries to quiet his loud feelings—by shouting, throwing, kicking, jumping, etc. However, sometimes his actions lead to things like a broken vase or a cracked bedframe. Calvin is worried that Maggie won’t want him to stay and is afraid that Maggie will be upset with his actions. This is a sweet story about a young boy who is in foster care and is trying to figure out all his emotions. The foster parent Maggie has a few tricks to helping calm Calvin (like breathing slowly in and out or teaching him to talk a walk). This is a necessary book on the hard subject of foster care and the tender feelings of a child in that situation.
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