Below are some print books (many are also available as ebooks) that parents of children with leukemia have found helpful. You might find there are some print books you wish to own. If they are not in stock at your local or online bookstore, ask whether they can be special-ordered for you—most bookstores are happy to do this for customers. Copies of out-of-print books can often be located through the internet from used bookstores or private sellers on sites such as Amazon.com. Ebooks are available in many different formats and from many online booksellers (e.g., www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com) or from local libraries.

General reading (for adults)

Cochran, Lizzie. Singing Away: Stories of Faith, Hope & Love in the Fight Against Childhood Cancer. (2013). True stories written by families of children with cancer.

Jampolsky, Gerald G. Advice to Doctors and Other Big People from Kids. (1991). This book is full of stories from children with catastrophic illnesses that remind us how perceptive and aware children of all ages are, and how necessary it is to involve them in medical decisions. Available at www.healingcenter.org/library.html.

Kushner, Harold. When Bad Things Happen to Good People, revised ed. (2004). Rabbi Kushner wrote this comforting book about how people of faith cope with catastrophic events.

National Cancer Institute. Children with Cancer: A Guide for Parents. (2015). This booklet describes the different types of childhood cancer, medical procedures, dealing with the diagnosis, family issues, and sources of information. To obtain a free copy, visit www.cancer.gov/publications/patient-education/guide-for-parents.

Sourkes, Barbara M. Armfuls of Time: The Psychological Experience of the Child with a Life-Threatening Illness. (1996). Written by a psychologist, this eloquent book features the voices and artwork of children with cancer. It clearly describes the psychological effects of cancer on children and explains the power of the therapeutic process.

General reading (for children)

Bourgeois, Paulette. Franklin Goes to the Hospital. (2011). Franklin the turtle goes to the hospital for an operation to repair his broken shell, and everyone thinks he’s being very brave. But Franklin is only pretending to be fearless. He’s worried that his x-rays will show just how frightened he is inside.

Crary, Elizabeth. Dealing with Feelings. I’m Frustrated; I’m Mad; I’m Sad Series. (1992). Fun, game-like books to teach young children how to manage feelings and solve problems.

Diaz, Jonathan and others. True Heroes: A Treasury of Modern-day Fairy Tales Written by Best-selling Authors. (2015). Gorgeous photographs and stories written by bestselling authors make children with cancer the heroes of their own modern-day fairy tales.

Gaynor, Kate. The Famous Hat. (2008). This book helps children with cancer prepare for hospitalization, chemotherapy, and hair loss.

Keene, Nancy; Romain, Trevor. Chemo, Craziness & Comfort: My Book About Childhood Cancer. (2002). A 200-page resource that provides practical information for children between 6 and 12 years of age and their parents. Warm and funny illustrations and easy-to-read text help children (and parents) make sense of cancer and its treatment. Available to families from www.acco.org/books.

Martin, Kim. H is for Hair Fairy: An Alphabet of Encouragement and Insight for Kids (and Kids at Heart!) With Cancer. (2005). A 32-page picture book that inspires, comforts, educates, and encourages children being treated for cancer.

Schultz, Charles. Why, Charlie Brown, Why? (2002). Tender story about a classmate who develops leukemia.

Skole, Gary; Skole, Jarrod. Imagine What’s Possible: Using the Power of Your Mind to Help Take Control of Your Life During Cancer. (2011). Techniques using visualization and guided imagery to help children ages 9 to 12 cope with fear, pain, anxiety, and other challenges.

General reading (for teens)

Gravelle, Karen. Teenagers Face to Face With Cancer. (2000). Sixteen teenagers talk openly about their experiences with cancer—from the physical difficulties of coping with treatment to the emotional trauma, which can be as painful as the illness itself. A heartfelt, honest book that demonstrates clearly how having cancer changes young people and how strength can emerge from struggles.

Paul, Trisha. Chronicling Childhood Cancer: A Collection of Personal Stories by Children and Teens with Cancer. (2014). Ten children and teens describe the cancer experience in their own words and pictures.

General reading (for siblings)

National Cancer Institute. When Your Brother or Sister Has Cancer: A Guide for Teens. (2012). This 100-page book helps teen siblings of a child with cancer prepare for and cope with some of the challenges they face. Available free at www.cancer.gov/Publications/patient-education/sibling-has-cancer.

O’Toole, Donna. Aarvy Aardvark Finds Hope: A Read Aloud Story for People of All Ages About Loving and Losing, Friendship and Hope. (1988). Aarvy Aardvark and his friend Ralphie Rabbit show how a family member or friend can help someone who is in distress.

Dodd, Mike. Oliver’s Story. (2004). A 40-page illustrated book for 3- to 8-year-old siblings of children diagnosed with cancer. Parents can order a free copy in English or Spanish from www.acco.org/books.

Loughridge, Sally. Daniel and His Starry Night Blanket: A Story of Illness and Sibling Love. (2015). With lovely images and comforting words, this book explores the many emotions felt by Daniel over the course of his sister’s treatment for cancer.

Hospitalization

Keene, Nancy. Your Child in the Hospital: A Practical Guide for Parents, 3rd ed. (2015). A pocket guide to help parents prepare their children for short- or long-term hospitalization.

Parenting

Faber, Adle; Mazlish, Elaine. How to Talk so Kids will Listen…and Listen so Kids Will Talk. (2002). A best-selling classic about how to effectively communicate with your child.

Nelson, Jane. Positive Discipline. (2006). This parenting book explains how to focus on solutions while being kind and firm.

Radiation

National Cancer Institute. Radiation Therapy and You: Support for People with Cancer. (2016). A 55-page booklet that explains radiation therapy, what to expect, possible side effects, and follow-up care. Available online at www.cancer.gov/publications/patient-education/radiation-therapy-and-you.

School

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Living & Learning with Cancer. (2013). Booklet about returning to school and obtaining any needed accommodations. Available at www.lls.org/content/nationalcontent/resourcecenter/freeeducationmaterials/childhoodblood-cancer/pdf/learninglivingwithcancer.pdf.

Princeton Review. K&W Guide to Colleges for Students with Learning Differences, 13th ed. (2016). Excellent reference book that is available at most large libraries.

Silver, Larry. The Misunderstood Child: Understanding and Coping with Your Child’s Learning Disabilities, 4th ed. (2006). Comprehensive discussion about positive strategies that can be implemented at home and in school to help children with learning disabilities.

Siblings

Faber, Adele; Mazlish, Elaine. Siblings Without Rivalry: How to Help Your Children Live Together So You Can Live Too, revised edition. (2012). Offers dozens of simple and effective methods to reduce conflict and foster a cooperative spirit.

Greves, Julie; Tenhulzen, Katy; Wilkinson, Fred. Upside Down and Backwards: A Sibling’s Journey Through Childhood Cancer. (2014). Child life specialists and social workers from Seattle Children’s Hospital describe the effect of cancer on siblings. Aimed at 9- to 12-year-old siblings.

Wozny, Sharon. Jamie’s Journey: Cancer from the Voice of a Sibling. (2016). With comforting text and gorgeous illustrations, this book gently explores the sometimes difficult emotions that arise in siblings of children with cancer.

Survivorship

Keene, Nancy; Hobbie, Wendy; Ruccione, Kathy. Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Practical Guide to Your Future, 3rd ed. (2012). A user-friendly, comprehensive guide about late effects of treatment for childhood cancer. Full of stories from survivors of all types of childhood cancer. Also covers emotional issues, insurance, jobs, relationships, and ways to stay healthy.

Technical reading

Medical textbooks are very expensive. If you’d like to read one, you can usually obtain it through interlibrary loan (ask your local reference librarian).

Bleyer, Archie; Barr, Ronald. Cancer in Adolescents and Young Adults, 2nd ed. (2016). Medical textbook.

Institute of Medicine. Comprehensive Cancer Care for Children and Their Families. (2015). Summarizes needed improvements in research, treatments, and outcomes. Available as full text online or as a paperback at www.nap.edu/catalog/21754/comprehensive-cancer-care-for-children-and-their-families-summary-of.

Pizzo, Philip A.; Poplack, David. (editors). Principles and Practice of Pediatric Oncology, 7th ed. (2015). Medical textbook.

Treatment journals

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Treatment Journal. (no date). Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation provides a free treatment journal to help parents of children with cancer keep track of important information. Parents can request a free copy of the journal at www.alexslemonade.org/childhood-cancer-treatment-journal.

Crawford, Bonnie; Lazar, Linda. In My World. (1999). Journal for teens coping with life-threatening illnesses. Includes chapters called “Things Accomplished in My Life,” “I’ve Been Thinking,” and “Questions I’d Like Answered.” Available by calling (866) 218-0101 or visiting www.centering.org.

Terminal illness and bereavement

Callanan, Maggie; Kelley, Patricia. Final Gifts: Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs, and Communications of the Dying. (2012). Written by two hospice nurses with decades of experience, this book helps families understand and communicate with terminally ill people. Compassionate, comforting, and insightful, it movingly teaches how to listen to and comfort the dying.

Gilbert, Laynee. I Remember You: A Grief Journal, 2nd ed. (2000). A journal for recording written and photographic memories during the first year of mourning. Beautiful book filled with quotes and comfort.

Kübler-Ross, Elisabeth. On Children and Death: How Children and Their Parents Can and Do Cope With Death. (1997). In this comforting book, Dr. Kübler-Ross offers practical help for living through the terminal period of a child’s life with love and understanding. Discusses children’s knowledge about death, visualization, letting go, funerals, help from friends, and spirituality.

Mitchell, Ellen, and others. Beyond Tears: Living After Losing a Child. (2009). Comforting book written by nine mothers who each lost a child. Includes a chapter written from the perspective of surviving siblings.

Orloff, Stacy; Huff, Susan. Home Care for Seriously Ill Children: A Manual for Parents. (2003). Helps parents explore the possibility of home care for the dying child. Contains practical information about what to expect, methods of pain relief, and management of medical problems. Available from Children’s Hospice International by emailing [email protected] or online at http://75.103.82.45/publication-order-form.

Wolfelt, Alan. Healing a Parent’s Grieving Heart: 100 Practical Ideas After Your Child Dies. (2002). A list of practical actions a parent can take to memorialize their child’s life and to cope and heal in the months and years that follow.

Sibling grief (adult reading)

Grollman, Earl. Talking About Death: A Dialogue Between Parent and Child, 4th ed. (2011). A classic guide for helping children cope with grief. Contains a children’s read-along section to explain and explore children’s feelings. In very comforting language, the book teaches parents how to explain death, understand children’s emotions, learn how children react to specific types of death, and know when to seek professional help.

Schaefer, Dan; Lyons, Christine. How Do We Tell the Children? A Step-by-Step Guide for Helping Children and Teens Cope When Someone Dies, 4th ed. (2010). If your terminally ill child has siblings, read this book. In straightforward, uncomplicated language, the authors describe how to explain the facts of death to children and teens, and show how to include children in the family support network, laying the foundation for the healing process to begin. Also includes a crisis section with quick references for what to do in a variety of situations.

White, P. Gill. Sibling Grief: Healing After the Death of a Sister or Brother. (2008). This book explains the emotional significance of sibling loss, drawing on clinical experience, research, and wisdom from hundreds of bereaved siblings to explain the five healing tasks involved in sibling grief.

Sibling grief (young child)

Buscaglia, Leo. The Fall of Freddy the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages. (1982). This wise yet simple story about a leaf named Freddy explains death as a necessary part of the cycle of life.

Karst, Patrice. The Invisible String. (2000). This gentle, sweet book explains the connections between family members and helps children cope with fear of separation and loss, whether through absence or death.

Hanson, Warren. The Next Place. (2002). A book of warm and peaceful images that helps young children think about the continuity and beauty of all lives, and provides comfort to teens and adults, as well.

Hickman, Martha. Last Week My Brother Anthony Died. (1984). A touching story of a preschooler’s feelings when her infant brother dies. The family’s minister (a bereaved parent himself) comforts her by comparing feelings to clouds—always there but ever changing.

Mellonie, Bryan; Ingpen, Robert. Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children. (1983). Beautiful paintings and simple text explain that dying is as much a part of life as being born.

Varley, Susan. Badger’s Parting Gifts. (1992). Badger’s friends share the memories he left them and learn to accept his death.

Sibling grief (school-aged children)

Romain, Trevor. What on Earth Do You Do When Someone Dies? (1999). Warm, honest words and beautiful illustrations help children understand and cope with grief.

Temes, Roberta. The Empty Place: A Child’s Guide Through Grief. (1992). Explains and describes feelings after the death of a sibling, such as the empty place in the house, at the table, and in a sibling’s heart.

Sibling grief (teenagers)

Gravelle, Karen; Haskins, Charles. Teenagers Face to Face with Bereavement. (2000). The perspectives and experiences of 17 teenagers comprise the heart of this book, which focuses on teens coping with grief.

Grollman, Earl. Straight Talk About Death for Teenagers: How to Cope with Losing Someone You Love. (1993). Wonderful book that discusses denial, pain, anger, sadness, physical symptoms, and depression. Charts methods to help teens work through their feelings at their own pace.

Hyatt, Erica Goldblatt. Grieving for the Sibling You Lost: A Teen’s Guide to Coping with Grief and Finding Meaning After Loss. (2015). Helps teens understand grief, the symptoms that accompany it, various ways to cope, creating meaning out of loss and suffering, and when and how to ask for help.