Families who loved Where in the World is the Perfect Family? by Amy Hest often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your child is struggling to find their place in a newly blended family or feeling displaced by a new sibling. At twelve years old, Cornie is navigating the messy reality of her parents' divorce and the arrival of a new half-sister, which makes her feel like the 'perfect family' is an impossible myth. Through a school photojournalism project, Cornie learns to look at her world through a different lens, realizing that love doesn't have to look like a postcard to be real. It is a comforting, realistic choice for middle-grade readers who need to know that feeling jealous or out of sorts during family transitions is normal. Hest captures the voice of a preteen perfectly, making this an ideal bridge for discussing how to embrace a 'new normal' without letting go of one's own identity.
