Farewell Friends (Fort Goode, Book #3) (Paperback)

In the third and final book in the popular Fort Goode series, Lang Ford is presented with his most challenging moment yet on the Fort Goode military base . . . something that will surely bring the Ford family together to evaluate their future.

Lang Ford has experienced quite a bit of change in his young life as the child of a military family. He has experienced moves to different bases over the years, each time leaving behind his school, friends, and the familiar comforts of his community. His most recent home at Fort Goode Military Base in Virginia, though, provided many new adventures with his friends Ying and brothers Carlos and George. But as is the norm on any military base, change is not far off.

After Carlos and George's mother receives a PCS (Permanent Change of Station) order and must leave Fort Goode, Lang and Ying spend months staring at their empty house until finally, a new family moves in.

Lang meets Thomas and Lily, and to everybody's surprise, Lang's mother knows the new kids' mother, Mrs. Bradley, from years ago on another military base. The two families instantly bond over shared memories, food, and fun.

But one day, a car – the kind that no family on a military base wants to see – pulls up beside the house. When the officer delivers the news no one wants to hear, Lang and his family jump into action to help their friends as they also evaluate their future living at Fort Goode. There is one thing Lang and his parents know for sure, though. ""As long as we together, we home.""

Farewell Friends, the final book in the Fort Goode series, amplifies the reality of family life on a United States military base for young readers, especially those who have had similar experiences as the characters in the story. Author Winsome Bingham and illustrator Colin Bootman expertly navigate one of the most difficult occurrences that a military family could experience on base, the loss of a loved one. Lang and his family spring into action and comfort their neighbors in their time of grief. This comfort is all too familiar to a military family, and Bingham and Bootman use their own experiences serving in the military to educate young readers on some of the hardships of life on a military base.

Winsome Bigham and Colin Bootman brough the Fort Goode series to life to show readers the essence of friendship, loyalty, and the uncertainties that come with life's twists and turns. These lessons are rooted in their personal experiences on military bases but are relatable to families of all backgrounds. The series provides young readers with a positive message about personal growth and maturity. For some, that growth and maturity may come through more difficult circumstances.

The important message from all three stories in this heartwarming series about growth and change remains that, as long as a family is together, they are truly home.

Winsome Bingham is a military veteran who spent years living on Army posts like Fort Goode. Her son spent time with his friends exploring the post's PX, Shoppette, and the moat. She is the author of Soul Food Sunday, one of New York Times' Best Books of the Year. She writes about family, food, military life, and mental health. You can find her online at binghamwrites.com.

Colin Bootman was born in Trinidad, where the vibrant palette of the Caribbean influenced his painting. He moved to the United States when he was seven, where he studied art and illustration. He has illustrated many books for children, winning the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award in 2004. In 2017, he won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Works for Children. All of his award-winning illustrations show how brilliantly his art frames moments of life.