Children of separating or divorcing parents often feel alone and alienated, as though no one understands what they’re going through. They need reassurance that their feelings are normal, and age-appropriate answers to their many questions. But divorce is confusing and overwhelming—thinking and talking about it are hard, for kids and grown-ups alike.

Kate Scharff (a child of divorce herself) addresses many of kids’ common concerns, such as navigating life in two homes, feeling pressured to choose sides, and adjusting when parents date or remarry. Her central theme is the importance of parent-child communication, and she offers lots of tips for how kids can speak up constructively—even in the trickiest situations.

This book, with illustrations by Annika Le Large, is suitable for kids to read by themselves or with a parent. It’s frank, honest, and open. But while the author doesn’t shy away from the painful aspects of the experience, she also reassures her reader that while divorce will always be a sad memory, it doesn’t have to be a bad turning point. In fact, divorce can make lots of things easier over time.

We Need to Talk About Divorce is the next book in Neon Squid’s critically acclaimed series tackling subjects that are hard to talk about for kids aged 10 and above.