For the over 2.7 million kids in the United States under the age of 18 with an incarcerated parent, children’s books depicting families with with mom and dad both at home ring a little hollow. Rarely do they see characters struggling with the absence of a parent, or the embarrassment that comes with admitting that mom or dad are in prison.
In recent years, efforts have been made to better represent this sizable part of the population in children’s literature. Sesame Street released a series as part of its “Little Children, Big Challenges” program, focusing on family issues surrounding incarceration, and introducing a new character whose dad is behind bars.
More recently, a number of books for older kids have been produced, giving pre-teen and teen-aged readers with incarcerated parents relatable characters who share their circumstances. Sarah Marshall reviews three of these books in a recent column for New Republic. While each takes a little different approach in presenting the challenges of living with mom or dad in prison, they all seek to humanize those who are affected by incarceration.
In The Girl in the Well Is Me, Karen Rivers tells the tale of Kammie, a transplant to Texas attempting to navigate the social structures at her new school. After falling into a well as part of an initiation rite gone awry, Kammie seeks to escape, as those outside the well show little understanding and even less ability to help her. As the story progresses, the reader learns the real reason for leaving her old town, and is able to draw the connection between her physical condition and the emotional hole resulting from having her father in prison.
Visiting Day tells the story of a young girl and her trip to see her father in prison. Author Jacqueline Woodson bases the story in part on her own visits to see her beloved uncle, who had been incarcerated for reasons that remain a mystery to her to this day. The books illustrations are bright and colorful, Marshall points out in her review, “images that can help children see prisons as places where love can survive.”
An even more autobiographical account is Daniel Beaty’s book, Knock Knock: My Dad’s Dream for Me. Based on a dramatic reading that went viral online, Beaty talks about growing up with his father, and the game they would play every night before he went to bed. His father would knock twice on his bedroom door as he pretended to sleep. Beaty would wait until his father would get next to the bed, and then jump into his arms.
The ritual ended when Beaty’s father was incarcerated. The father writes to his son, telling him he will no longer be able to “knock knock” on his door, but encouraging him to “learn to knock for yourself.” “As long as you become your best,” the father says, “the best of me still lives in you.” The book concludes with the son, now an adult, reuniting with his father.
In all three stories, maintaining and strengthening family ties, even in the face of prolonged separation, is key to building a positive future. While dealing with what is certainly a difficult issue for many children, the stories project a sense of hope, that the pain that comes from having mom or dad in prison can be overcome.
The same is true for the parents behind bars—those who continue to stay in contact with their families during incarceration are much less likely to return to prison.
Prison Fellowship, through its Angel Tree program, seeks to encourage children of prisoners and to restore families torn apart by incarceration. By providing gifts to boys and girls at Christmastime on behalf of their parent behind bars, kids are reminded that they are loved, even if mom and dad can’t be home for the holidays. They are encouraged and supported by Angel Tree mentors, and are reminded through Angel Tree camping programs that they aren’t alone in dealing with the pain and struggles of having an incarcerated parent. To learn more about Angel Tree and how you can get involved, click here.