Selected by United Through Reading to be the 2026 Book for the Military Child
(St. Paul, MN, February 5, 2026)— Award-winning independent publisher Elva Resa Publishing is pleased to announce that United Through Reading has selected Elva Resa’s newest picture book, in English and Spanish, to be the 2026 Book for the Military Child. One story is featured annually.
Home Moves With Me by Kathy Feedham Raggio, with art by Quinette Cook, and Mi hogar se muda conmigo, translated by Gabriella Aldeman, will be released to the military community for April’s Month of the Military Child and to all retail outlets June 9, 2026.
United Through Reading will distribute 14,000 copies of Book for the Military Child to military families around the world in 2026.
In this lyrical story, a child moves to a new house with their family and discovers a special meaning of home. Mixed media illustrations invite the reader to experience the story from the main character’s point of view. Details in the art—dragons, photo memories, a playful dog—offer fun and meaningful themes and substories to discover.
Author Raggio wrote the story for children who move a lot with their family, especially those whose parents are attached to the military. “My hope is that those kids will see themselves in this story,” she says. “Since I have lived a life of multiple moves, I also wrote this story to explore what home means to me. For me, home was never the building we lived in. It was my family, memories made, and our traditions that went with us from one place to another, those things that made us feel like we were home, no matter the dwelling or place in the world.”
United Through Reading’s Book for the Military Child initiative unites military parents, caregivers, and children around a shared reading experience.
“This year’s Book for the Military Child reflects the experience of moving, a defining part of military life for children around the world”, says Laura Steiner, UTR’s Director of Outreach & Engagement Strategy, who oversees the Book for the Military Child program. “My own children, like so many of their peers, have navigated multiple PCS moves, often across countries and cultures, and this book captures the spirit of those journeys. By telling stories that reflect these lived experiences, we help military children feel seen, represented, and connected to a shared global community. Through Book for the Military Child, our storytime recordings, and other shared experiences, we’re building resiliency and strengthening community for military families everywhere.”
About the Author
Kathy Feedham Raggio grew up a military kid, became a DoDDS (DoDEA) school teacher, married an Air Force officer, and raised their three kids through eight military moves. Home Moves With Me is her first picture book.
About the Artist
Quinette Cook is an award-winning children’s and young adult author and traditional artist. She also illustrated Military Life: Stories and Poems for Children. Her father served in the Korean War and her sister served in the Navy.
About the Translator
Gabriella Aldeman is a Panamanian American author and translator. Her picture books include Paula’s Patches and Squawk of Spanish. She is Elva Resa’s lead Spanish translator and editor. For the past two years, Gaby has won first place for best translation of a picture book in the International Latino Book Awards for her translation of Elva Resa’s Operation AviationTM series by Teri Weber.
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ELVA RESA PUBLISHING LLC is an award-winning, mission-driven, traditional independent publisher based in St. Paul, Minnesota, specializing in quality resources by, for, and about military families. ElvaResa.com, MilitaryFamilyBooks.com
United Through Reading is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to strengthen military families’ literacy, emotional bonds, and well-being through the power of reading together at every age, no matter the distance. UTR.com
MEDIA: Please contact Elva Resa PR at 651-357-8770 or pr [@] elvaresa.com to interview the contributors or to receive an advance reading copy for review.
ISBN 979-8-88752-035-3 Home Moves With Me (English paperback)
ISBN 979-8-88752-036-0 Mi hogar se muda conmigo (Spanish paperback)
Author: Kathy Feedham Raggio
Translator: Gabriella Aldeman
Artist: Quinette Cook
Publisher: Elva Resa Publishing
Military Publication Date: April 1, 2026 (UTR 2026 Book for the Military Child)
Retail Publication Date: June 9, 2026
Distributed by: Military Family Books
Format: 8.5″x8.5″ Paperback, 32 pages
Retail Price: $15.95 each
Case Quantity: 80
JUV091000 JUVENILE FICTION / Moving & Relocation
Available in English and Spanish. Ages 4+.
Available for preorder beginning February 1, 2026, at MilitaryFamilyBooks.com/Home in cases of 80, bulk packs of 320, and single copies. Bulk preorders placed by March 1 arrive in time for April’s Month of the Military Child events.
Direct sales support military family programs. Order online (MilitaryFamilyBooks.com), send purchase requests to orders@elvaresa.com, or call 651-357-8770.
Beginning June 9, service members may visit a United Through Reading Story Station or use the free UTR App to record themselves reading the book to their child and request a book to be sent home to their child at no cost to the military family.
More information:
About the books: https://ElvaResa.com/book/Home-Moves-With-Me
https://ElvaResa.com/book/Mi-hogar-se-muda-conmigo
Author Kathy Feedham Raggio: https://ElvaResa.com/author-artist/Kathy-Feedham-Raggio
Translator Gabriella Aldeman: https://ElvaResa.com/author-artist/Gabriella-Aldeman/
Artist Quinette Cook: https://ElvaResa.com/author-artist/Quinette-Cook
United Through Reading Book for the Military Child: https://UTR.org/Book-for-the-Military-Child
United Through Reading App: https://UTR.org/App
Organization preorders: https://MilitaryFamilyBooks.com/Home