I Heal: The Children of Chernobyl in Cuba [Library Binding]

Trish Marx (Author), Dorita Beh-Eger (Author), Cindy Karp (Illustrator, Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1996 | Age Level: 9 and up

A photo essay about young victims of the Chernobyl nuclear accident who are receiving medical treatment in Cuba.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6?Most of the book is written from the point of view of Elena, a Ukrainian girl of 12 who is grateful for her treatment at Tarara, a Cuban medical camp for children whose illnesses are attributed to the radiation released during and after the Chernobyl accident 10 years ago. Many of these youngsters have tumors or suffer from leukemia; others are there to build up their immune systems. Elena may seem a bit too idealized for some readers, but her story is heartwarming and at times poignant. The same can be said about the accompanying photographs of other children, ranging from sick youngsters undergoing treatment to those well on in the healing process who are able to bicycle and romp in the ocean. Although references are made to long hospital stays, surgery, chemotherapy, and even to one death, the book gives only minimal explanations of medical care for cancer patients. Chemotherapy, for example, is simply described as taking very strong medicine. The main goal of the author, it seems, is to convey the generosity of the Cubans, which is indeed to be commended. Hosting 13,000 children since 1990 is an impressive feat for a country undergoing severe economic difficulties. However, the implication in the preface and afterword that only two countries (Cuba and Israel) responded when the Soviet Union asked for help is not correct. In fact, many countries have treated Chernobyl's victims and sent assistance to the Ukraine.?Elizabeth Talbot, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3^-6. The narrator of this poignant photo-essay about child victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster is 12-year-old Elena, who also relates the story of 11-year-old Lubo. Both were infants at the time of the accident; both later developed tumors and went to Cuba to receive medical attention. Perhaps because this is a book for children, the authors devote more attention to the fun the kids have recuperating in the resort town of Tarara than to the medical treatments they receive. Although the organization could be better, it is hard to imagine any young reader not being moved by these stories. The authors make politics accessible through their discussions of the Soviet Union's failure to notify citizens immediately about the meltdown as well as of the impact of the U.S. embargo of Cuba. Team this with Toshi Maruki's Hiroshima No Pika (1980), which also presents the tragic consequences of nuclear power unleashed. Julie Corsaro

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Library Binding: 48 pages
• Publisher: Lerner Pub Group (L) (September 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0822548976
• ISBN-13: 978-0822548973
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,127,780 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I write books for kids about things that really interest me. I need to fall in love with my subject, because I'll be spending many hours working on the book. My books usually involve travel - mummies in Peru, Forbidden City in China, Palestinian and Jewish kids in Israel, amazing Edi in a Kosovo refugee camp, alligators in the Everglades, Hanna the hippo in the Budapest Zoo, and the rough cow pasture in Ohio where the Wright Brothers secretly flew their new invention - the flying machine. I have a MA in journalism, and my books are often based on oral histories, interviews, and lots of observation. They have won their share of awards along the way, but I am most honored by the letters and comments I get from the kids who have read them.