Chemo Girl

Chemo Girl is the fictional tale of a superhero created by Christina Richmond, who was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare type of muscle cancer, when she was in the seventh grade. She was only 12 years old. She wrote Chemo Girl, not only to help herself, but to help other children in similar situations. The idea was to teach a positive, non-threatening side of chemotherapy and to realize there’s always hope.

Let My Colors Out

This is an award-winning children’s book that is helping children whose parent or relative has been diagnosed with cancer. It chronicles the story of a young boy as his mother undergoes cancer treatment. The boy uses colors to express his emotions. Sometimes he is sad/blue, angry/red, scared/purple, jealous/green, or even in denial/orange. Throughout his journey, the boy begins to realize that its okay to have all these emotions and letting them out through coloring is healthy. Eventually, he is happy/yellow and learns to cope with his mother’s diagnosis by accepting his emotions as normal.

The Hope Tree

A comforting picture book written to help younger children cope with a mother's breast cancer. The authors have created 10 "testimonials" by animal characters in an imaginary support group, allowing each of them to talk about issues they are facing. 

The Rainbow Feelings of Cancer

This beautiful, heartwarming book features daughter Carrie's art and writing about the emotions evoked by her mother's illness. Describing her own fears, difficulties and hopes, Carrie doesn't tell her readers what to feel; rather, she gently invites them into her world, offering them an opportunity to speak, draw, or consider their own feelings. Children need to share their feelings and ask questions, especially in stressful times -- and this book subtly and warmly encourages conversation between children and those who love them. 

Tickles Tabitha's Cancer-tankerous Mommy

Told through the eyes of it's title character, Tickles Tabitha's Cancer-tankerous Mommy uses candor and comic reality to dispel stereotypes and acknowledge some moody truths faced by families LIVING with cancer.

Paper Chain

This is a story about Marcus and Ben, whose mother undergoes surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Mom loses her hair and must rest a lot during her treatments. Sometimes the boys feel sad and cross because she can't enjoy the activities she once did, and their parents help them understand their emotions. In time, the woman regains her strength and her hair grows back, and the children are delighted, but she will be closely monitored by her doctor to check for signs of the disease's return. The book, which is factual but not frightening, would be very helpful for families dealing with other forms of cancer and serious illnesses in general. 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, I am posting several books for children about cancer. Some deal specifically with breast cancer; all can be used to teach coping skills and help kids express their feelings if they or a loved one is dealing with a cancer diagnosis.

Featured Author: Shel Silverstein

Check out these titles by poet Shel Silverstein, then share your own poetry in the Comments section of this post!

     

Private I. Guana

by Nina Laden


Leon the Chameleon is missing! Luckily, ace detective Private I. Guana is on the case. This engaging mystery will tickle your funny bone! Click here to listen to Esai Morales read it aloud.

The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline: An Enola Holmes Mystery

by Nancy Springer


Enola is horrified one day to find that her beloved landlady, Mrs. Tupper, has been kidnapped. Using her wealth of disguises, Enola sets out to solve the crime. Kids who enjoy the details of historical settings and solving mysterious ciphers will cheer this feisty heroine as she leaps out of windows, jumps onto the backs of coaches, and fights evil villains in the dark streets of London to rescue her dear landlady.

Closed for the Season

by Mary Downing Hahn


This book starts off as seventh-grader Logan Forbes learns that a murder had been committed in his family's new house three years earlier. Myrtle Donaldson, a bookkeeper accused of embezzling from the local amusement park, was found dead in her ransacked house and her killer is still at large. Logan's next-door neighbor, Arthur Jenkins, a sixth grader with a bottomless stomach and a quirky personality, is convinced that Mrs. Donaldson was falsely accused, and he wants Logan to help him find the real perpetrator.

This is an enjoyable mystery with just the right amount of frightening and dangerous elements. Logan is a great character — a new kid in town trying to find his place, almost immediately befriended by someone on the lowest rung who turns out the be the right friend for him.

Creepy Crawly Crime

by Aaron Reynolds


In a city totally inhabited by insects, Joey Fly is a private eye combating crime for a fee (which for a housefly is usually crumbs). Recently, Joey reluctantly hired a junior partner, a tough but clumsy scorpion named Sammy Stingtail. Together, the two are hired by a damsel in distress, the beautiful but airheaded butterfly Delilah, to recover her diamond pencil box. Simple, whimsical drawings and humorous dialogue make this a great mystery book for kids.

The Red Blazer Girls: The Ring of Rocamadour

by Michael D. Beil



Sophie and her pals Margaret and Rebecca go St. Veronica’s, on the Upper East Side, where, one afternoon in English class, Sophie screams. She has seen a ghostly face in the church window across the courtyard. The woman is real and needs help!  The dialogue is fast and funny, and the clues are often solvable in this mystery.

The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity

by Mac Barnett


Aspiring detective Steve Brixton, 12, gets more than he bargained for when he becomes mixed up with crime-fighting and undercover operatives who are also—librarians! The fast-moving plot is sure to hold your attention, and you will love Steve's ability to outsmart many of the adults in the story. This is a fun, humorous adventure.

Petronella Saves Nearly Everyone: The Entomological Tales of Augustus T. Percival

by Dene Low


This book is part farce, part mystery, part political thriller, all told in Petronella's upper-crust voice, laced with humor and a painless dose of history. Characters are skillfully drawn, time and place are clearly evoked, and excitement and intrigue abound amid the hilarity. It all wraps up nicely - well, almost - with a suggestion of more to come.

Reality Check

by Peter Abrahams


Cody sustains a serious knee injury that leaves him on the bench during the most important recruiting year in his high school career. With no college scholarship in sight, he drops out of school. When his rich girlfriend, Clea, is reported missing from her Vermont boarding school, he drives East to find her and endangers himself in the process.

The Gardener

by Sarah Stewart and David Small (Caldecott Honor)


Where in the big gray city can Lydia ever grow all the seeds and bulbs her Grandma sends her? Will Lydia ever coax a smile from Uncle Jim? Read Lydia's charming letters to find out how one determined slip of a girl brightens her city corner of the grim 1930's world.

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice

by Phillip Hoose


Nine months before Rosa Parks' stand for equality, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus to a white passenger. The unexpected consequences of her decision to take a stand against the injustice of segregation and her perseverance make her an unsung heroine in the Civil Rights Movement.

The Shepherd's Granddaughter

by Anne Laurel Carter


Amani defies family tradition and cultural expectations to become a shepherd, but when Israeli settlers threaten to take over her family’s land, she must choose between violent reaction and peaceful resistance.

Amelia Earhart: The Legend of the Lost Aviator

by Shelley Tanaka


Tanaka writes with the sweep and excitement of an airplane climbing into the sky, while the format and visuals wonderfully enhance the text. In addition to a treasure trove of archival photographs, which capture Earhart’s appeal from her youth, there are a variety of handsomely rendered paintings, starting with the cover illustration that shows Earhart in her plane as crowds of male onlookers cheer. They match the feeling of the historical photos and the tone of the narrative. This is a good choice for those needing a profile of the famous flier.