Staff Picks
Books for Children with Incarcerated Parents
- Jessica B.
- Monday, October 10, 2022
Collection
According to PEW research, it is estimated that about 1.7 million children have at least one parent in jail or prison in the United States. Here is a list of books to help start that conversation with young people who are living through this experience.
A Kind of Thief
Published in 1992
When her father is suddenly arrested and put into prison, thirteen-year-old Elinor finds that she has to face many unpleasant truths about him and their way of life.
Ruby on the Outside
Published in 2015
Eleven-year-old Ruby Danes has a real best friend for the first time ever, but agonizes over whether or not to tell her a secret she has never shared with anyone--that her mother has been in prison since Ruby was five--and over whether to express her anger to her mother.
Knock Knock
My Dad's Dream for Me
Published in 2013
"A boy wakes up one morning to find his father gone. At first, he feels lost. But his father has left him a letter filled with advice to guide him through the times he cannot be there"-- Provided by publisher.
Mama Loves Me from Away
Published in 2004
When a mother and daughter are separated by the mother's incarceration, they find a special way to keep their loving relationship alive.
Glennis, Before and After
Published in 1996
While her father serves his term in a detention center, twelve-year-old Glennis learns that "not all prisons are made out of stone, and spiders aren't the only ones who can weave webs."
All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook
Published in 2016
Born and raised in a prison where is mother is incarcerated, Perry T. Cook is taken to live with a foster family, where he feels trapped and out of place, and works to find a way to be reunited with his mother.
An Uninterrupted View of the Sky
Published in 2017
In Bolivia in 1999, when their father is unjustly arrested and their mother leaves, Francisco, seventeen, and his sister Pilar, eight, must move to the dirty, dehumanizing, and corrupt prison.
The Year the Swallows Came Early
Published in 2009
After her father is sent to jail, eleven-year-old Groovy Robinson must decide if she can forgive the failings of someone she loves.
Letters to a Prisoner
Published in 2017
In a wordless story, a man who was arrested during a peaceful protest begins to despair, when a bird begins delivering messages of support from the outside.
When Andy's Father Went to Prison
Published in 1990
When Andy's father is sent to prison for robbery and the family moves to be near him, Andy is afraid of what the kids at his new school will think.
From the Desk of Zoe Washington
Published in 2020
"Avid baker Zoe Washington receives a letter on her twelfth birthday from her biological father, who is in prison for a terrible crime"-- Provided by publisher.
The Same Stuff As Stars
Published in 2002
When Angel's self-absorbed mother leaves her and her younger brother with their poor great-grandmother, the eleven-year-old girl worries not only about her mother and brother, her imprisoned father, the frail old woman, but also about a mysterious man who begins sharing with her the wonder of the stars.
Almost Paradise
Published in 2017
When twelve-year-old Ruby's mother goes to jail, Ruby finds her Aunt Eleanor, an ornery nun with some dark secrets, who Ruby hopes will help free her mother.
Nine Candles
Published in 1996
After visiting his mother in prison on his seventh birthday, Raymond wishes it were his ninth birthday when Mama has promised to be home with his dad and him.
Amber Was Brave, Essie Was Smart
The Story of Amber and Essie Told Here in Poems and Pictures
Published in 2001
A series of poems tells how two sisters help each other deal with life while their mother is working and their father has been sent to jail.
Harbor Me
Published in 2018
"When six students are chosen to participate in a weekly talk with no adults allowed, they discover that when they're together, it's safe to share the hopes and fears they have to hide from the rest of the world"-- Provided by publisher.