Books for Children

Angel Kisses. Kelley, Ginny. 2000. ISBN: 0964043425.

A very sweet book that can comfort children who are faced with losing their mother to cancer. Using lambs as the fictional characters, the author writes for very young children about the cancer experience, including getting sick, having treatment (and the loss of hair), not getting better and later dying. Written specifically for young children about dealing with the loss of their mother.

Breast Cancer: Questions & Answers for Young Women. Vogel, Carole. Twenty-First Century Books, 2001. ISBN: 0761318550.

Written for adolescent girls, this book answers questions on breast health and breast cancer. It also offers practical guidance and comfort to teenagers whose mothers are undergoing breast cancer treatment.

Dear Mom, I am Sorry That You Had To Get Brest Cancer. Jackson, Mikayla A. 2003. ISBN: 1553067045.

This book is a personal story and testimony of a young mother, as seen and told through the eyes of her 7-year-old daughter. The book shares with readers young and old the journey of a young mother, her daughter and their family as they experience what it means to live with, and survive breast cancer. The words are spelled as they sound (inventive spelling) and the text is simple and enjoyable for young readers.

Less Than Perfect.Albert, Louise. New York, Holiday House, Inc., 2003. ISBN: 0823416887.

This story of a mother’s breast cancer diagnosis and treatment is told through the eyes of a teenage daughter (15-16). Because she is struggling with her own self-conscious feelings about her changing body, she is unable to support her mother as she knows she should. This book is based on some of the author’s own experience, and she believes that love is the best medicine for health.

Mama’s Going to Heaven Soon. Copeland, Kathe Martin. 2005. ISBN: 0806651229.

This book is a compassionate story written to assist children in talking about the anticipated death of a parent. Readers will begin to process their own feelings as they listen to the children in the story talk about the confusion they feel because their mom is sick, the sadness they feel when they learn that their mom will die, and their questions about what will happen when she dies.

Mom and the Polka-Dot Boo-Boo. Sutherland, Eileen. 2005. ISBN: 1933002131.

This book is an informative and reassuring story that helps families talk about breast cancer. Lovingly written by a mother of two and illustrated by her young daughter, it gently prepares children for what lies ahead in the weeks and months following their mother’s diagnosis.

Moms Don’t Get Sick. Brack, Pat. Melius Publishing, Inc., 1990. ISBN: 093760374.

Written by a mother and son, this book describes the feelings they experienced during the mother’s treatment for breast cancer.

Mrs. Biddlebox. Smith, Linda. Harper Collins Publishers, 2002. ISBN: 006-0286903.

This illustrated storybook is about having a bad day during which nothing is going right, and the magical way Mrs. Biddlebox makes it better.

Once Upon A Hopeful Night. Yaffe, Risa. Oncology Nursing Press, 1998. ISBN: 1890504106.

This book does a wonderful job of helping parents who are diagnosed with cancer discuss their illness with their children. A very good guide for establishing open communication about this sensitive subject.

One’s Own Self. Jalazo, Dori. 2003. ISBN: 0971519501.

This book is a story about finding joy and fulfillment in the brief friendships and experiences that touch our lives. The story could be read to a child who may be losing a loved one to breast cancer and needs to hear that it is OK to let that person go.

Our Family Has Cancer, Too! Clifford, Christine. Pfeifer-Hamilton: 1997. ISBN: 1570251444.

Clifford shares her personal childhood experiences about her mother’s breast cancer as well as her own experiences as a mother with breast cancer.

The Hat Lady Leonard, Jean. Illustrated by Mollie Elkin. Printing courtesy of Herbert D. Kerman, Regional Oncology Centers, Centers for Clinical Research in Cancer Care, 2004. www.halifax.org

This book enlightens a little girl about the necessity for some people to wear hats after undergoing chemotherapy. The hats are made to appeal to the personality, taste and mood of those wearing them. The story emphasizes the interest and delight of the little girl to be involved in her neighbor’s cancer experience and recovery.

The Paper Chain Blake, C., and E. Blanchard and K. Parkinson. Health Press, 1998. ISBN: 0929173287.

This illustrated storybook for children provides a general understanding of breast cancer for younger children. The book uncovers the feelings of fear and separation children face as their mother undergoes surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.

The Year My Mother Was Bald Speltz, Ann. Washington, DC: Magination Press, 2003. ISBN: 1557988889.

A month-by-month account of a young girl’s life while her mother battles breast cancer, with emphasis on her feelings during that time.

Tickles Tabitha’s Cancer-Tankerous Mommy Frahm, Amelia. Nutcracker Publishing Company, 2001. ISBN: 0970575203.

This book covers many serious issues like cancer treatment and its affect on the body and how even the delicate infrastructure of day-to-day family issues between husband, wife and children are changed by cancer.

When Eric’s Mom Fought Cancer Vigna, Judith. Albert Whitman & Co., 1993. ISBN: 0807588830.

This is a storybook for younger children about a mother who undergoes treatment for breast cancer.

When Mommy Had a Mastectomy Greenfield, Nancy R. Silver Spring, Md., Bartleby Press, 2005. ISBN: 0910155607.

This book is an insightful story from a child’s perspective about her mother’s breast cancer and how it affects the special hug they share. The book gently introduces a child to breast cancer and states options after mastectomy while being candid about treatment and recovery issues. This book will help encourage discussion between mothers and their children, and thus alleviate some of the fear associated with breast surgery. It also reaches out to women and their families during an emotional and uncertain time in their lives and addresses a critical issue for women faced with breast surgery following cancer.

When Mommy is Sick Sherkin-Langer, Ferne. Morton Grove, Ill.: Albert Whitman & Company, 1995. ISBN: 0807588946.

This book can help a child express the feelings he may have while his mother is away due to illness. The story portrays a little girl’s experience while her mother is ill and hospitalized.

Where Did Mommy Go? Smith, Brenda Joyce. 2004.

This book is a spiritual tool to help children grow from grief to peace. The story in this book deals with a little girl whose mother has died. Where Did Mommy Go? was written to help children deal with the pain of losing any loved one to death. The main purpose of this book is to comfort children with God’s promise of eternal life. For more information, email: TALLMinistries@aol.com.