by Sarah Scheerger
April is the Month of the Military Child. It is a month to highlight the stories of military children and recognize why they matter. During April, many communities are now celebrating Purple Up! Day. This is a day during which community members can wear the color purple to show their support, and honor military children for their contribution. The color purple is chosen as a representation of a mixture of all the colors of the different military branches. Many of the celebrations of Purple Up! Day can be found within communities and schools, at the local level. Many national groups and organizations also share about this special day.
The Stories of Military Children Matter
All book illustrations credited to Leah Giles and published by Albert Whitman and Company
About seven years ago, my kids’ school celebrated Purple Up! Day. The school worked together to spread the color purple across our campus, and students/staff/parents were encouraged to wear purple as well. We gathered in a huge circle on the blacktop. There we made time and space to honor all the military children in our community. I remember watching the faces of the military children and seeing the sense of pride and acknowledgement. I also remember watching the faces of non-military children and parents, as they reflected upon the multitude of ways military children contribute.
It was inspiring.
What a wonderful way to show appreciation for military kids! Since I live and work in a community near a Naval Base, I have long been aware of the strength, commitment, and resilience of military children. However, this was my first experience with a celebration of their contribution. I immediately wanted more people to learn about Purple Up Day!
As an author, school-based counselor, and mom of four, I’m always on the lookout for stories that give a voice to the experiences of children. I began searching for books that celebrate children from military families. I found several books about the experiences of having a parent deploy and/or books about a sense of pride relating to having a military parent. Which is wonderful! But I had difficulty finding children’s books that celebrated the specific contribution of military kids. Without a book for military kids, I knew I needed to write one.
All book illustrations credited to Leah Giles and published by Albert Whitman and Company
Purple Up! We Salute Our Friends.
The traditional publishing process can often be quite long. So fast forward a number of years, and I’m happy to welcome my newest picture book to the scene. My book is Purple Up! We Salute Our Friends.
In the story, the community celebrates children from military families and honors their contributions. Each family situation is different, and contributions can take many forms. Some may be helping out at home while a caregiver is deployed, coping with the emotional toll of deployment, and making multiple moves (which can impact changing schools and peer groups),
just to name a few. With the goal of legitimizing their contribution and solidifying the important role military children play in the military community, Purple Up! sends a clear message to children that they matter, their experience matters, and their contribution matters.
Story written for military kids
This story was written for military kids, who are well aware of their day-to-day contributions. It will also have an impact on readers outside the military community. My book will allow them to broaden their perspective and understanding. This book helps to spread awareness of the Month of the Military Child, which takes place in April. My goal is to see all school communities celebrate this month. To help meet this goal, I created a free classroom guide, along with a companion coloring sheet and a supplemental article with practical tips. You can check out all of these free resources on my website.
Everyone has a story.
Children need to know their stories matter. They matter to us as individuals and to society as a collective. I look forward to watching the awareness of Purple Up! Day as it continues to grow over the coming years.
Sarah Scheerger, MSW, LCSW, PPS lives in Ventura County, California, with her husband and children. She started writing as a convenient excuse to avoid laundry, and admittedly has gotten a little carried away. Purple Up! We Salute Our Friends is her ninth book for children or teens.
