Review
Though aimed at pediatric healthcare practitioners, this wonderful, often touching book has much wider appeal: parents, teachers, and kids themselves will profit from it. The authors and illustrators of the book are twenty-five children, all patients at the Center for Attitudinal Healing in Tiburon, California, who were hospitalized for catastrophic illness. Their quotes are arranged in chapters covering everything from the first scary visit to the doctor to handling doctors and nurses to undergoing hospitalization and therapy. The advice is wise and humorously pragmatic. "Friendly nurses are the key," advises one youngster, "because when visiting hours are over, who else is there?" The children's chief complaint is not being told the truth and doctors, parents, and other big people would do well to heed their advice to be more honest. A chapter for peers offers suggestions as common-sensical as "Close your eyes and pretend that your mother's there" and tips on how to get around the awful food: "Just write down hamburger. They'll always give you that." The final fifth of the book consists of profiles of the contributors, some of whom succumbed to their illness, some of whom made a complete recovery, some of whom are still undergoing treatment, and all of whom are vibrantly alive in the pages of this book. -- From Independent Publisher
