Three Great Children's Books about Cancer

       Cancer is another issue that is close to my heart. When I was a sophomore in high school, my mother found out that she had a very fast spreading form of Lymphoma. She was put on intensive treatments of chemotherapy, and yes, she lost all her hair. When her hair grew back in, it was no longer the shiny red that it had been. Now, it was a dull grey color. But we didn't care, because it was so wonderful that she was getting better and had the strength to do things again. Today, that strand of cancer is in remission, but the doctors have found another type of Lymphoma in her kidney. Because of its location, they are not going to treat her unless she starts showing symptoms of the illness. This may never happen, or it could happen tomorrow. This always keeps the topic of cancer floating in the back of my mind.

       The same day I found, "Still My Grandma", I also ran across the book "Hair for Mama". Ironically, I wasn't looking for books on either topic at the time. In fact, I was actually looking for a children's book on even and odd numbers, but you know, that's just how libraries are. You go in looking for one thing, and come out with 20 great books on topics completely unrelated to your initial search. If you are lucky, you will also have one or two books on the topic you actually went into the library for.

Anyway, on this particular occasion, I saw the book, "Hair for Mama" propped up on top of a shelf, and I just had to pick it up and read it. This book is told by a young African American boy whose mother has cancer. The whole story centers around his family's traditional photo session. Every year, the family would get a group photo taken by a professional photographer, but this year, mama isn't sure if she wants to be in the picture because she has lost all of her beautiful hair. The boy decides that he is going to find hair for his mama. He looks everywhere, and finally decides that there was only one thing to do: get his own hair cut off to give to his mama. This story is a wonderful tale about the power of family, and love, in the face of hardships. It talks about cancer in a way that children can understand, comparing the cancer cells to the weeds in mama's garden. Amy June Bates did an amazing job illustrating the book, and the pictures really make the story a joy to read.

Of course, I couldn't just leave it there. I ran out and searched for other children's books the library had about cancer. After all, how can I be sure that one book is really so great when I haven't read any others on the topic. I was surprised by the narrow selection that the library offered. To be fair, there were many young adult books dealing with the topic, but there were not very many picture books. I was able to find two other amazing stories that I think deal with the topic in a thoughtful and sensitive way.

 The book, "Promises" is actually written in first person from the perspective of a little girl who's mother has cancer. It makes you want to both laugh and cry at the same time. The narrator's perspective really makes this story powerful. It's really easy to relate to, and it gives the story a very personal feel.

The third book I would highly recommend is, "The Lemonade Club" by Patricia Polacco. This story is based on a real event from her daughter's fifth grade class. Her daughter's best friend and the teacher both develop leukemia, and must undergo chemo treatments, but they band together and give each other strength through everything. Illustrated in Patricia Polacco's classic style, this story is a must have for any classroom library.