The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune is a sweet, charming story about a social worker for magical children. Though this book is marketed for adult audiences, and the main character is middle-aged, I feel this book is appropriate for tween and teen audiences as well for all families. It covers many themes relevant to foster and adoptive families. I particularly loved how this book explored the landscape of foster homes and social work agencies through the lens of fantasy. The story follows Linus, a middle-aged social worker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth (DICOMY). Linus is sent on a mysterious, highly classified assignment to assess the welfare of six magical children deemed “highly problematic” and their guardian, Arthur Parnassus. As Linus spends time with the children and Arthur, he begins to…
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About the Reviewer:
Julie is a Central Virginia native who currently resides in Rochester, New York. She received her Masters of Arts Degree in Psychology from the College of William and Mary in 2012 and is currently a PhD candidate in Epidemiology at the University of Rochester. Julie has worked in various mental health research positions since 2012 and is passionate about researching how physical health, mental health, and trauma experiences interact. When not working, Julie enjoys reading, cooking, spending time with her cats, and watching videos about otters (her favorite animal).
**Transfiguring Adoption is a nonprofit organization seeking to nurture growth in foster and adoptive families by giving a HOOT about their families. Transfiguring Adoption does not intend for its reviewers nor its review to be professional, medical or legal advice. These reviews and discussion guides are intended to help parents to better be able to connect and understand their children who come from traumatic backgrounds.
