For military children, the question “Where are you from?” doesn’t always have an easy answer.
Those raised within the military community move, on average, six to nine times during their school years, learning to navigate challenging transitions. In the past, there were few resources—for kids or adults—that reflected the realities of military life or that were created especially for those living them. That changed when Elva Resa Publishing stepped in to specialize in creating and distributing books for military families.
This April, during Month of the Military Child, Elva Resa’s work is in the spotlight with Home Moves With Me, selected by United Through Reading as the 2026 Book for the Military Child. Written by Kathy Feedham Raggio, with art by Quinette Cook, and a Spanish edition (Mi hogar se muda conmigo) translated by Gabriella Aldeman, the story follows a child through their move to discover a special meaning of home. It is being distributed to military children in both English and Spanish throughout bases in all 50 states as well as overseas posts.
For nearly three decades, Elva Resa has been bridging the gap between the resources military families have and those they need. WeVett sat down with founder and publisher Karen Pavlicin, as well as her son and director of operations, Alexander Pavlicin, to understand how their work took shape.
Karen’s husband Bob served in the Marines and frequently deployed to high-conflict areas. Early in his service during the Gulf War, support systems for families were limited. “Family centers were just getting started,” Karen said. “A lot of the support came from spouses getting together in person.” This in-person community served as a place to share advice, information, and experiences with each other.
During one particularly difficult deployment, she started collecting stories and practical tips shared during their gatherings, organizing them into something more structured, and sharing them with others. When another spouse asked if she had a book, the idea took root. She mentioned it to her husband on one of their rare phone calls. His response? “You should write it.”
She did.
However, traditional publishers were hesitant to pick it up. The market wasn’t large enough, they said. Not enough people would read it.
Still, Karen continued to push forward. Surviving Deployment was released at the start of the Global War on Terror and quickly found the audience the publishing industry could not yet envision. Then, life shifted again.
Bob, who had survived several deployments and even a helicopter crash, was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. He passed shortly after, when Alexander was three years old.
In the years that followed, the Marine community continued to show up. They visited. They helped Karen raise Alexander. They are still in their lives today. Karen describes the work of Elva Resa as both a tribute to their commitment, and a continuation of their kindness. “Part of what we do is honoring Bob,” she said. “Part of it is a thank you to the Marines who took care of their own.”
“We’ll never be able to repay that kindness,” Alexander reflects. “But we can pay it forward to the next military family.”
That mission is the heartbeat of everything Elva Resa does.
During another season of loss and transition, and amid the growing requests she was receiving from the military community for more resources, Karen wrote a new book about reunion and grew Elva Resa’s core deployment resources, including activity books for kids. In 2027, Elva Resa will celebrate its 30th anniversary and will release new editions of some of those core deployment resources.
Alexander grew up in the business, traveling with his mom to author and publisher events, managing small office tasks, and giving out hugs at trade shows. He became a business partner in January 2025, bringing with him a master’s degree in technical entrepreneurship and management, and a lifetime of watching his mother pave the way.
Together, they run two interconnected arms of the business. Elva Resa Publishing creates original books about military family life, written and illustrated by military-connected authors and artists. Its distribution arm, Military Family Books, operates as a curated marketplace, sourcing titles from a wide range of publishers and delivering them by the case to organizations that support military families. These organizations purchase books then gift them to the people who need them most.
Beyond writing and publishing books, Karen helped build the infrastructure for an entire category of literature that the industry hadn’t acknowledged yet. For instance, there was no BISAC metadata code (the classification system that helps booksellers and readers find books by topic) for military family titles, so she lobbied to create one. Military Spouse magazine affectionately dubbed her the “godmother of the milspouse book movement” for her work elevating voices and creating opportunities for other military-connected writers.
Today, Elva Resa’s catalog spans a wide range of topics and formats: children’s books, memoirs, deployment journals, activity books, career guides, grief resources, personal growth, leadership books, and more. Many have won awards and are used in military and education curricula. Since 2021, Elva Resa has committed to publishing its new picture books in both English and Spanish to support the growing need for Spanish resources in the military community.
“Elva Resa has an incredible author community, responsive to and advocating for what family members need in today’s military life,” Karen said. “Our newest picture book is based on the lived experiences of the military-connected team that created it, and we hope any child going through a move is encouraged by the story.”
Behind the scenes, Elva Resa’s work faces many challenges. Publishing remains a low-margin industry. Government shutdowns and budget delays can interrupt cash flow and disrupt programs. At times, the company has continued distributing books even when funding was temporarily paused. Elva Resa works closely with government buyers, navigating regulations and processes to make it easier, not harder, for families to access the resources they need.
For entrepreneurs in the military community considering taking their own leap, Karen and Alexander offer their perspectives. Alexander’s approach is systems-driven: “Clearly define metrics and processes. Set measurable goals. It will help you track progress and identify ways you can improve and efficiently scale.”
Karen advises entrepreneurs to imagine full success first and map out what it looks like when everything goes right and wrong. She also stresses the importance of understanding your finances before you need to and building a support network of fellow entrepreneurs both inside and outside your field.
In many ways, Elva Resa’s family-first approach mirrors the military community itself. So much about this lifestyle is challenging. However, we operate as a family, leaning on each other, sustaining each other, and continuing to show up for one another time and time again.
Elva Resa creates resources that meet families where they’re at, supporting them through the difficult transitions of military life. During Month of the Military Child, that work feels especially meaningful.
To explore Elva Resa’s collection of resources for military families, visit ElvaResa.com. Home Moves with Me and Mi hogar se muda conmigo are available in their online store: MilitaryFamilyBooks.com/Home.