Hasel and Rose by Caroline Magerl

Penguin, 2014. ISBN: 9780670077342
When Rose moves to a new house in a new town, life is not as she wishes it to be and she obviously misses her old home. Although she tries her best to settle in, she knows that something is missing. Despite her standing at the window and looking out, desperately wishing, Rose's wish thing does not come. When she draws it, the image is indistinct. On the other side of the world, another journey begins. A parcel, swinging over snow covered peaks, flying through cloudy skies and sailing across stormy oceans continues its trip, ever closer to Rose. When, 'at wits' end', Rose and her family head toward the sea and sit, listening to the waves, a magical meeting occurs. Has Rose found her wish thing?
A perfect tale to help those children who have been forced to move, leaving behind all that is familiar or have lost something dear to them. In this book, Magerl's focus is on the process of settling in to a new place and discovering a way of learning to belong. The necessity of friends and family in the tale are paramount. In the classroom, one could discuss what gives us a sense of belonging and how one could go about settling into a new place and the concept of connections. This could be paired and contrasted with other texts about loss and friendship, for example, Amy and Louis.
Jo Schenkel