Book Recommendations for TCK Families
Families raising Third Culture Kids (TCK) walk a path that involves both joy and hardship. These TCK families face unique circumstances as they adapt to new cultures, relocate frequently, regularly say goodbye and hello [1], and navigate daily social norms. At TeachBeyond, our TCK Care team seeks to support these families in a variety of ways. One way to do that is by offering this reading list of books designed to help and encourage them.
This list was compiled by our TCK Care Coordinator, Lindsay Nimmon. Lindsay and her team carefully selected books that are both practical and helpful. However, this doesn’t mean they necessarily agree with everything presented in each book. The TCK Care Team encourages you to read these books through the truth of the scripture, weeding out all other philosophies, religions, and world views. You are also encouraged to look up these books on your own to get a better sense of each book’s content and reviews.
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Third Culture Kids by Ruth Van Reken and Michael Pollock: A helpful book if you are teaching TCKs and want to gain insight into their feelings and behaviors.
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The Grief Tower by Laura Wells: A short, practical guide for being a positive influence in a TCK’s life. [2]
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My Tower is Tumbling by Marci Renee: A good kids book companion to The Grief Tower. [3]
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Safe Passages by Doug Ota: Expresses the challenges of moving and provides practical actions for families and schools in navigating those challenges.
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The Practice of Processing by Elizabeth Vahey Smith: Guides the reader step by step through both the importance of processing emotions and ways to process.
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The Backdoor to Your Teen's Heart by Melissa Trevathan and Sissy Goff: A helpful read in order to gain an understanding of the heart of an adolescent.
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Of Stillness and Storm by Michèle Phoenix: A Christian fiction book that weaves a story of “profound dilemmas into a tale of troubled love and honorable intentions gone awry.” [4]
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Third Culture Kids: A Gift to Care For by Ulrika Ernvik: An extremely practical book addressing different subjects regarding TCKs that includes discussions and activities for families and organizations.
The final book on this list is extremely practical for those raising Third Culture Kids (TCKs). Ulrika Ernvik writes that the purpose of Third Culture Kids: A Gift to Care For is, "To make the beauty of being a TCK visible" and to help parents, sending agencies (like TeachBeyond), and TCKs themselves steward the gift of our children and the gift of their cross-cultural experience well. Each chapter is called by the subject it addresses, and, after a short discussion of those subjects, it suggests activities that families, organizations, and TCKs can do to consider and process that aspect of the overseas life. This is not a book that has to be read cover to cover but can be taken in chunks, utilized practically, and returned to throughout the course of a family's cross-cultural journey.
As TeachBeyond sends out new missionaries, those with kids are stepping into this new world of raising TCKs. As one way to support those being sent out from the USA and Canada this summer, we would like to gift each of these families a copy of Ulrika Ernvik’s Third Culture Kids: A Gift to Care For. If you would like to purchase a copy of this book for a new TCK family, you can do so though this Amazon wishlist.
[1] Episode 143 of Transformed & Transformational: 5 Tips for Saying Goodbye (with Lindsay Nimmon)
[2] Episode 61 of Transformed & Transformational: TCKs and the Grief Tower (with Lauren Wells)
[3] Episode 130 of Transformed & Transformational: My Tower Is Tumbling (with Marci Renee)
[4] Episode 22 of Transformed & Transformational: Third Culture Kids (with Michèle Phoenix)
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