Customer Reviews

Finding the Right Spot: When Kids Can't Live with Their Parents

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Finding the Right Spot has a double meaning in this superb book of the same name. It is a story of disappointment and reconciliation for a little girl placed in foster care and the dog who is unapproachable until she finds just the right place to touch him. Geared towards ages 6 through 12, Finding the Right Spot by Janice Levy teaches the reader to grasp the perspective of a child who cannot live with her parents.

Whatever the reason for the child's placement in a home outside his or her own, this book offers ways for the child to relate to the protagonist's emotions of anger, sadness, hope, and disappointment. It is equally appropriate for adults who work with children living without their parents.

"She's not coming," the little girl says as she waits and waits for her alcoholic mother to arrive at her birthday party. The grave disappointment she experiences reinforces the reason she is not with her mother. In another section, her foster mother, Aunt Dane, allows her to pound the pizza dough until the house shakes. In the book, the little girl is allowed to show her anger and confusion.

Alcoholism, shelter living, and feelings of displacement are handled with great aptitude. The book touches at the heart of every person's emotions, big or small. Finding the Right Spot is a well-written book with exceptional illustrations that speak to all children. A helpful guide at the end, written by Jennifer Wilgocki, M.S. and Marcia Kahn Wright, Ph.D., breaks down the text into digestible parts for the adult reader. Finding the Right Spot is ideal for teaching school-age kids about all types of families, including non-traditional models.

I highly recommend this book for its approach to foster care living both for children and for the people who care for them.

Christine Louise Hohlbaum is an American author living near Munich. Diary of a Mother (2003), SAHM I Am (2005), and "American Housewife Abroad" at AnotherChapter.com are among her most recent works...

This is a story of disappointment and reconciliation for a little girl placed in foster care and the dog who is unapproachable until she finds just the right place to touch him. It teaches the reader to grasp the perspective of a child who cannot live with her parents. The book touches at the heart of every person's emotions, big or small. It is a well-written book with exceptional illustrations that speak to all children. This book offers ways for the child to relate to the protagonist's emotions of anger, sadness, hope, and disappointment. It is equally appropriate for adults who work with children living without their parents. Alcoholism, shelter living, and feelings of displacement are handled with great aptitude. It is ideal for teaching school-age kids about all types of families, including non-traditional models.

We have a family member's child in our care and this was exactly what we've been looking for. She can see that she is not alone and her feelings are real and okay. She reads this book a lot and talks about it with her therapist on a regular basis. We all recommend it for any child (or family) going through a forced separation from their parents, whether short or long term, or unknown length of time.

I anticipated a book that would capture the attention of elementary-age children who had been through traumtic situations-- this book did not accomplish that goal. Many of the concepts were good, however the book was not easy for my clients to follow. I was looking for a book that would also apply to children in homes of relatives not just in foster care. I was disappointed. A certified trauma consultant/licensed social worker.

This is an exceptional book for kids in foster care. It is good for children in the elementary school years.