Cancer has become more and more common in today's society.  Cancer can be scary for anyone that has been diagnosed with cancer, but it can be equally scary for a person to see someone die from cancer.  Children ask questions about cancer, but the normal response is that cancer is a diease that can be curable, but it can be deadly, as well.  Children can learn about cancer in books, that are specifically written to answer their questions.  I chose books in this topic because a child in a class I observed had cancer.  Her classmates are aware of her diease, but treat her just the same as other students without cancer.  The teacher brought books into the classroom to help the students in the class understand cancer.  The students know what will happen to their friend when she gets treatment such as chemotherapy and radition.  The side effects are greater for some people.  She did lose her hair and wore a baseball cap in school.  I talked to her and she said that it is very diffucult livng with cancer, but she has to be strong.  I have respect for her becuase she does not want anyone to feel sorry for her.  As a future teacher you can incorparate cancer into a science lesson on life threating illness.  The books I chose show many emotions that can arise from the person having cancer, and the people around them, what treatment is avaiable, and how people get cancer, and who can get cancer.  I think that it is important for children to know that children can get cancer, not just older people.  The books I chose are mainly for later elementary age students from about third to fifth grade.  Cancer is not an easy topic to read about, or find materials that is suitable for children without the text going into great depth.  I found a variety of books ranging from picture books, audio cassestes of children poems about their life with cancer, chapter books, biographies, and informational books.
 
 

Picture books

Borden, Louise. Good Luck Mrs.K!. New York: Simon&Schuster Children's Publishing Division, 1999.
A third grade teacher is diagnosed with cancer halfway through the year.  The book deals with how it effects her students since they have a new teacher to replace Mrs.K.  The students did not know what cancer was until the subistuite teacher researched with them. The book portrays what cacner does to a person, and how the person needs to rest and take medicine.  The students write to her at home, and in the hospital.  She writes back telling the kids she is doing great, and will be back to teach next year.  The ending of the book is Mrs.K comes and surprises her class at the end of the year, and will be teaching fourth grade class.  She does beat the cacncer in the end.

Kohlenberg, Sherry. Sammy's Mommy has Cancer. Milwaukee: Magination Press, 1994.
Sammy's mom was diagnosed with cancer when Sammy was in first grade.  Sammy still went to school and played with his friends but would go after school to visit his mom in the hospital.  She expalined to him that she was sick, and would be staying in the hospital to get better, and she would lose her hair.  I did like how she explained to him that her head would be bald just like Sammy's was when he was a baby.  The end of the book shows Sammy's mom coming home, and taking off her baseball cap, and seeing a little bit of her growing back.  She too, beats the cancer.

Multicultural Picture Book

Fang, Su Chen. Happy Birthday to You. Hauppauge: Barron's Educational Series, 1996.
A girl named Lily is diagnosed with cancer and she meets a boy named Sam who saves her hat.  He asks questions like why are you bald, and are you going to die?  They form a great friendship and meet by a tree everyday at the same time.  She explains to Sam that she goes to the doctor to get medicine, and her treatment.  Lily brings a locket to the tree and says on her birthday they will open the locket together.  Lily and her mom were going to celebrate her birthday a week early though.  She counts on tree flowers I will die, I will not die every day.  She tells Sam this, and when she does not show up on her birthday, he counts on tree flowers, and lands on she will die.  The ending of the story does not say for sure if she dies or does not, but she never showed up for her birthday.

Fantasy Picture Books

Richomnd, Christina. Chemo Girl: Saving the World One Treatment at a Time. New York: Penquin Books, 2000.
A superhero who helps children when they are receiving chemo therapy treatment for cancer. She also tells the children not to be scared of the needle, it will only hurt for a minute.  She explains how she drips into a child's body through an IV, and that is how she can help them kill the cancer.  She can only help though if the medicine goes into the bloodstream.  She cannot kill the cancer all at one time, she has to go into the bloodstream more than once.

Informational Books

Neiburg-Turkel, Susan. Understanding Cancer. New York: Franklin Watts, 1993.
The book summarizies what cancer is, why people can get cancer, the different types of cacner there are, how to find cancer, how to treat it, and the different types of emotions that people feel when they find out that they have cancer.  It also had a glossary in the back of the book if a child reading the book does not know what a word means.

Gordon, Melanie. Lets Talk about when Kids have Cancer. New York: Rosen Publishing Group, 1999.
The books starts off with two children sharing their story about having cancer.  The book explains to the reader the type of treatment they received and why.  It also explains what it is like going to school, and having cancer.  An excellent point the book made was that cancer can be cured, but it can also come back which is remission, or people can fight really hard, but will die too.

Poetry Books

York, Michael. I will Sing Life Hole in the Wall Gang. 1995.
This is an audio cassesste about children that have taped their life at a camp called Hole in the Wall Gang.  The camp is for children with life threatening illness, such as, cancer.  The camp is a support group for the children.  They talk to each other about their illnesses, what type of treatment they are receiving, and how long they have to live.  The children love coming to this camp becuase they all are sick, and do not feel like they get treated differently.  They write poems about life, family, freinds, and being sick.

Biographies

Gaes, Jason. My Book for Kids with Cansur. Aderdeen: Melius&Peterson Publishing, 1987.
Jason was diagnosed with cancer when he was six years old.  He tells his story about how they found the tumor in his stomach, what type of treatment he received.  He aslo explains what tests he received, and how he had to have the tests run.  He explains in pictures and words what chemotherpay and radition are.  He knows that it is okay to be scared to get shots, and knowing that you might die.  He gives his home phone number if you want to talk to him, or if you are crying and want some cheering up.  The spelling and the writing are all in his own words.  He said that he wants to become a doctor to help kids with cancer when he grows up.

Krementz, Jill. How it Feels to Fight fot your Life. Boston: Little, Brown Company, 1989.
Children that have been diagnosed with life threatening illness tell their story.  The ages range from seven to twenty-one.  They each have a picture of themelves, their age, what illness they have, how long they have had the illness, what type of treatment they are receiving, how they deal with the illness each day, and what is important to them.  The children in this book have a different outlook on life; they do not take any day for granted, as much as a healthy person does.

Chapter Books

Warner, Sally. Sort of Forever. New York: Alfred A. Knoph Publishing, 1988.
A friendship is formed between Cady and Nana since the age of three.  Nana is diagnosed with cancer.  Cady watches her friend change from being strong, to being very weak, and tired.  Cady hates to watch her friend change, she knows why, but does not want to realize it just yet.  She wants to resuce Nana just like she rescued Cady from a slide.  Nana dies after being in a coma for two weeks.  Sort of forever was the bond that Cady and Nana made.  They both knew that Nana was going to die, and made a pact they would be freinds for sort of forever.  Cady was getting over Nana's death when she called up a friend without crying, and told her about a dream she had about Nana.

Stolp,Hans. The Golden Bird. New York: Penquin Books, 1990.
A young boy is dying of cancer.  He is in the terminal stage of cancer when we meet him in the book.  He has been in the hospital for six months already.  A golden bird comes and talks to him each day telling him that a nest is being made for you, but it is not quite ready yet.  The bird tells him to watch the tree outside for the buds to form, and by then the nest will be ready.  The bird tells him it will be painful, but it will end soon.  The bird is preparing the young boy for death, and the boy is accepting that he is going to die.  The day the first bud bloomed he died peacefully.

Brisson, Pat. Sky Memories. New York: Delacorate Press, 1999.
Emily's mom is dying of cancer.  Emily is upset becuase she does not have a dad.  She is very close to her mom, and does not think her dying is fair.  She watches her mom get weaker and weaker each day.  She wonders who is going to be her new guardian.  She does not think that it is fair that her mom is dying becuase she takes all her medication, and goes to the doctor, but still she is going to die.  Sky memories is a moment that happened between Emily and her daughter at the times when the sky looks beautiful.  They would hold hands and say,"click."  It was hard for Emily to deal with her mothers death.  She knew she was getting over her death when she gave some of her mom's things away, and when she took a sky memory by herself.

Carrick, Carol.  Upside-down Cake. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1999.
Michael's dad is diagnosed with cancer.  He was upset that he could not attend his soccer game.  It is his dad's birthday, and the rule is you get to choose the birthday cake.  His dad chose upside-down cake.  His dad was going to the hospital, and taking his medication like he should be, and was doing well.  One day he took a turn for the worst.  Michael said that he would sleep all the time, and became very thin.  Michael had to take on the responbilities of making himself dinner sometimes while his mom was at the hospital.  His dad called him to tell him he was coming home.  He was so excited.  That morning Michael's dad told him I love you for the last time.  It was Michael's birthday in two months, and he did not want to celebrate it.  He had a dream and his dad told him to have upside-down cake.  The next morning he celebrated his birthday with upside-down cake and his family.

Martin, Carrie.  Living with Cancer. New York: Language Arts teacher's guide Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000.
This was an article in the Carousels teacher's guide.  it explains what caner is and who can get it.  The article explains what will happen as the cancer progresses in patients with cancer.  This was from a third grade textbook.  The pictures they show in the teacher's guide was excellent.