Field Problem: Virtual Duty Station Recon

Welcome! My Account | Login | Logout

- - Guide to Joining the Military
  - Military Newsletters
  - Site Map
- - Pay
  - VA Home Loan
  - GI Bill
  - Discounts
  - TRICARE
  - VA Health Care
  - Forms
  - Legal Matters
  - Records
- - Equipment Guide
  - Game Center
  - Kit Up!
  - Movies
  - NASCAR
  - Road Warriors
  - Shock & Awe
  - Trivia

Spouse Careers

Family Links

Family Resources

Field Problem: Virtual Duty Station Recon

Field Problem: Books for Military Children

About the Authors

Tara Crooks and Star Henderson might seem like an unlikely pair, but when they get together they shine. Field Problems is the fruit of their friendship. Committed to sharing their stories, knowledge, and providing real answers, Tara and Star work hard to identify and solve the issues of today's military families.

Tara Crooks is an active duty Army wife and small business owner. Tara's journey with the military began in 1998 when she and her husband PCS'd to their first duty station, Ft Hood. Tara holds a BBA in Human Resource Management but smiles at the applicability it has to what she feels she was "born to do". You can hear Tara weekly on Army Wife Talk Radio (www.ArmyWifeTalkRadio.com) and on www.Military.com sharing knowledge, answering questions, and simply bringing the real into the reality of the military life.

Star Henderson is a National Guard Army wife and Army veteran of full-time and Army Reserve components. Since leaving the military in 2001, she has worked for the Department of the Army and then began her schooling to become a certified counselor. She graduated in 2005 with a Master's of Arts in Professional Counseling. Her desire to know about and work more with service members and military families drew her to ArmyWifeTalkRadio where owner, Tara Crooks, and her became fast friends with a shared desire to help military families.

Tara and Star self-syndicate Field Problems, a military question and answer column, geared toward empowering spouses by providing real answers to common questions of today's military families. Both Crooks and Henderson hope to eventually grow their partnership and offer workshops, Field Exercises, to military families worldwide.

For more information or to submit your Field Problem, visit www.FieldProblems.com or email fromthefield@fieldproblems.com.

Crooks and Henderson Article Archives

My husband is scheduled to deploy soon. I have found many books and resources [to help] military spouse[s] but none for my 5-year-old son. Can you tell me of any good books for military children regarding deployment? Actually, any children’s books related to military would be a great help.

Bridgette
Fort Hood, TX
Active Army spouse; 4 years

Dear Bridgette:

We’d love to help you in your search for books for your child. A military child is a very important person. Don’t you wish there was a book or website that just explained it all to them or at least to us so we could tell them? As spouses, we tend to have an easier time expressing our feelings. Children are sometimes less vocal when it comes to the struggles of military lifestyle.

So, we have scoured libraries, both brick and mortar and virtual, to bring you the most up to date and relevant books for military children. We hope you find this list helpful in your “pre-deployment” conversations with your child as well as in everyday military life.

• "A Yellow Ribbon for Daddy" by Anissa Mersiowsky
• "Daddy Is a Soldier!" by Kirsten Hallowell
• "While You Are Away" by Eileen Spinelli
• "A Year Without Dad" by Jodi Brunson
• "Daddy, Will You Miss Me?" by Wendy McCormick
• "Uncle Sam’s Kids: When Duty Calls" by Angela Sportelli-Rehak
• "Making New Friends" by Jacqueline H. Blumenstock
• "Mommy, You're My Hero!" by Michelle Ferguson-Cohen
• "Daddy, You're My Hero!" by Michelle Ferguson-Cohen
• "Our 50 States: A Family Adventure Across America" by Lynne Cheney
• "The Blue Day Book for Kids: A Lesson in Cheering Yourself Up" by Bradley Trevor Greive
• "H Is for Honor: A Military Family Alphabet" by Devin Scillian
• "A is for America" by Devin Scillian
• "Dear Soldier: Heartfelt Letters from America's Children" by Barbara W. Baldwin, Amber Baldwin D'Amico, Heather Baldwin Duff
• "I Miss You!: A Military Kid's Book About Deployment" by Beth Andrews
• "The Five Love Languages of Children" by Gary Chapman, Ross Campbell
• "The Magic Box: When Parents Can't Be There to Tuck You In" by Marty Sederman, Seymour Epstein
• "Night Catch" by Brenda Ehrmantraut
• "Lulu's Rose Colored Glasses" by Gretchan Pyne
• "An American Flag for Their Father" by Annmarie Hickey Georgopolis
• "A Very Long Time" by Geri Timperley
• "Ned And The General: A Lesson About Deployment" by Ron Madison
• "Daddy's in Iraq, But I Want Him Back!" by Carmen R. Hoyt
• "When Is Daddy Coming Home?" by Richard Carlton Haney
• "Mommy, Don't Go" by Elizabeth Crary
• "My Daddy is a Soldier" by Kirk Hilbrecht
• "Deployment Journal for Kids" by Rachel Robertson
• "The Kissing Hand" by Audrey Penn
• "War? I'm Scared!" by WeWriteKids
• "A Paper Hug" by Stephanie Skolmoski
• "The Hero in My Pocket" by Marlene Lee
• "Footsteps Around the World: Relocation Tips for Teens" by Beverly D. Roman

Many of these books’ authors and publishers have websites that include additional material in support of military children and their attempt to make the most of military life. All of these books can be purchased through the FP Booklist found at www.fieldproblems.com/booklist.shtml

Have other questions? For more information or to submit your Field Problem, visit www.FieldProblems.com or e-mail FromTheField@FieldProblems.com. Please include your first name, location, branch of service, and years in/associated with the military. Questions may be edited for length and clarity. Field Problems™ reserves the right to read on the air and/or publish on its website or in any other form, the emails and letters that we receive. By sending us a letter or email, you agree to these terms.

Back To Top

Discuss this topic in the Spouse Forums