Mary Hoffman - Grace & Family

Grace and Family confronts the issues of split or non-conventional family set ups and the impact they can have on young children. Grace is a young girl who lives with her ma, nana and cat, with her father living back in Africa. She develops anxieties surrounding her family as it does not conform to the standard family unit of a mum, dad, brother and sister as set out in the books she reads, leaving her feeling that her family is not quite right. 

The book helps confront hard issues such as split parenting and estrangement as well as new cultures not to mention the difficult acceptance of step-families. The writing is clear and simple, helping to portray typical sentiments surrounding these problems and how the non-standard family unit has its own value. Grace and Family reassures children that there are alternatives out there and that although their families are different, they are by no means less than anyone else's.

This book is a refreshing read giving a voice to children who are looking for relateable material when dealing with difficult situations which they might not otherwise voice. A good read for ks1 to discuss what are families and also to investigate different cultures.