Amber Was Brave, Essie Was Smart. Vera B. Williams, $9.75

Essie is smart. She can read hard library books and make cocoa. Amber is brave. She isn't afraid of the rat in the wall or of climbing up in high places. Amber and Essie are sisters and best friends. Together, they can do anything.

The Best Interests of Children: an Evidence-Based Approach. Paul Millar, $24.95

The best interest of the child is an overriding principle in all matters of family law, especially in child custody cases. THE BEST INTERESTS OF CHILDREN links social theory with survey data to establish much-needed parameters for determining a child's best interest. It provides important criteria for determining the best interest of the child and concludes that the role of law in the lives of children must be to preserve their connections with those that love them.

Empowering Children of Incarcerated Parents. Stacey Burgess, Tonia Caselman & Jennifer Carsey, $28.95 (GR 2-6)

Empowering Children of Incarcerated Parents is for counselors, social workers, and teachers who work with children who have an incarcerated parent. Designed to be used with individual students or in small therapeutic groups, the book offers literature reviews, discussion suggestions, activities, worksheets and more. Topics include:

• Understanding what happened
• Building a support system
• Dealing with shame
• Allowing for grief, acknowledging trauma
• Building positive relationships
• Planning for the future

Far Apart, Close in Heart: Being a Family When a Loved One Is Incarcerated. Becky Birtha, illustrated by Maja Kastelic, $26.99 (ages 4-8)

Children can experience many emotions when a parent is in jail or prison. They may be angry, sad, lonely, or scared. Sometimes friends act differently toward them. Sometimes the children begin acting differently too. In this important book, young readers will learn that even when it feels like nothing can get better again, there are ways they can improve their circumstances. Sending letters, talking to a trusted grown-up about their feelings, and even visiting a parent in jail or prison can help keep a parent close in their hearts. Use this title as a helpful tool to start a conversation with any child in this situation and to remind them they are not alone.

In the Shadow of Prison: Families, Imprisonment and Criminal Justice. Helen Codd, $45.95

This book provides an up-to-date, accessible introduction to the relationship between families, prisons and penal policies and explores current debates in relation to prisoners and their families, and introduces the reader to relevant theoretical approaches. Interdisciplinary in nature, the book incorporates perspectives drawn from criminology, sociology, social work and law.

Jakeman. Deborah Ellis, $11.95 (novel, pre-teen)

Jake and his sister Shoshona have been in foster care since their single mother was arrested three years before. Both have found their own ways to cope: Shoshona has become a bossy mother figure; Jake, who is a budding comic book artist, has created an alter ego named Jakeman. Four times a year Jake and his sister take the long overnight journey through New York State to visit their mother in jail - along with an assortment of nervous, angry, and damaged kids on the way to visit their own mothers.

But this trip will be like no other trip they've ever taken.

My Daddy is in Jail: Story, Discussion Guide & Small Group Activities for Grades K to 5. Janet Bender, $22.50

My Daddy is in Jail offers professionals and caregivers resources for providing information and support in helping young children cope with the incarceration of a loved one.

My Daddy’s In Jail. Anthony Curcio, $18.99

There are nearly three million adults in the U.S. alone that are in prison or jail. Many of these people are parents, who leave behind children unanswered questions — What is jail? Why did this happen? Is it my fault? Is my daddy (or mommy) bad? Do they love me?

My Daddy’s in Jail is a story of two bears who have a father in prison. The book helps to answer these important questions, and to reassure children that they are loved.

The Night Dad Went to Jail: What to Expect When Someone You Love Goes to Jail. Melissa Higgins, illustrated by Wednesday Kirwan, $9.95 (ages 4-8)

It’s tough when someone you love goes to jail. But thanks to the school counselor, and a box of crayons, this little rabbit who loves to draw learns how to make it through the scary, sad, and mad times. 

Razor Wire Women: Prisoners, Activists, Scholars, and Artists Jodie Lawston &  Ashley Lucas, Editors, $80.00

From the vantage points of those both inside and outside of prisons, this collection of essays and art illuminates many of the distinct experiences and concerns of incarcerated women, including abuse and rape; the policing of women; incarcerated motherhood; mental health issues in prisons; incarcerated women's artistic and cultural production; and prisons' impact on families, health, and sexuality. Combining the transcendence, hope, and clarity of art with powerful analytical and conceptual tools, RAZOR WIRE WOMEN reveals the gendered dimensions of incarceration.

Understanding and Working with Parents of Children in Long-Term Foster Care. Gillian Schofield & Emma Ward, $40.95

For children growing up in foster care, the role of their birth parents is an important factor in the success of their long-term placements. Understanding the experiences of parents is essential in developing effective practice with parents that can also ensure the best possible outcomes for children.

Drawing on detailed interviews with parents, the book takes a chronological approach, starting with their accounts of family life before their children were taken into care. It goes on to explore their experiences of court and then how they seek to come to terms with their loss, sustain an identity as a parent and manage a relationship with their children. Parents' views on what they find valuable and helpful in relationships with foster carers and social workers are also discussed. The book then draws on the views of social workers on the opportunities and challenges of supporting parents, while also remaining child-focused. The authors set out a model of good practice, based on the lessons learned from the experiences of these parents and social workers.

War on the Family: Mothers in Prison and the Families They Leave Behind. Renny Golden, $45.95

Renowned criminologist and activist Renny Golden sheds light on the women behind bars and the 350,000 children they leave behind. In exposing the fastest growing prison population, Golden sets up new framework for thinking about how to address the situation of mothers in prison, the risks and needs of their children and the implications of current judicial policies.

What Do I Say about That? Coping with an Incarcerated Parent. Julia Cook, $14.50

When a loved one is sentenced to prison, the emotional turmoil is difficult for everyone to handle. Children of incarcerated parents often suffer the heaviest burden of all and pay the price of hardship. As a result, they often develop mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and feelings of abandonment and grief.

Children of incarcerated parents are five times more likely than their peers to commit crimes. Unfortunately, these at-risk children are largely ignored before they get into trouble. This book takes a unique look at the internal struggles a child faces when a parent is incarcerated. What Do I Say About That? explores and validates the roller coaster journey of emotions that children of incarcerated parents endure. It also gives insight to the process of healing and coping.

When Dad Was Away. Liz Weir & Karin Littlewood, $21.50

This is a gentle and sensitive story showing how one family comes through a difficult time of separation, by an author and illustrator who have extensive experience of working with prisoners and their families.

Wish You Were Here: Teens Write about Parents in Prison. Autumn Spanne, Nora McCarthy & Laura Longhine, Editors, $22.95

These stories describe how teens kept in touch with their parents (or didn't) and the complicated feelings that come with reunification.