The Mission of Detective Mike: Moving Abroad

Simone T Costa Eriksson & Ana Serra
Summertime Publishing: £16.00

Although many people won’t remember their first day of school, somewhere in the depths of their minds they know it was terrifying.

Now imagine starting the first day of school again? Over and over again: but each time in a different country, and often in places where the local children don’t speak your language. Welcome to the life of a young expat…

The Mission of Detective Mike: Moving Abroad, helps parents with the difficult job of preparing youngsters for their new adventure, and considers the enormous emotional upheaval by telling a story through the eyes of a character children can relate to: Detective Mike.

Eight year old Mike is moving overseas with his family and has all the normal anxieties about leaving his home and friends behind, but after a chat with his Grandfather he decides to get one step ahead and investigate his soon-to-be new city with his friend, sister and a little help from modern technology.

Using the Internet, the inquisitive trio begin to discover things about their new home before they move, and even manage to make friends with their new classmates on Skype.

It wasn’t that long ago that little thought was given to the long-term effects of uprooting children at such crucial stages in their development, but research now proves there is a need to adequately prepare youngsters for what can be an intensely distressing and unsettling experience.

Psychologist Simone T. Costa Eriksson and children’s author Ana Serra have teamed up to create this delightful self-help book for children and parents and disguised it as a charmingly written story that will strike a chord and give reassurance to any child facing the daunting prospect of a new life abroad.

Shelley Antscherl
books@dutchnews.nl