Customer Reviews

The Year My Mother Was Bald

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In this story, a young girl, Claire, tells the story of her mother's breast cancer in a monthly scrapbook. It starts in June, when her mother's cancer is first diagnosed. In the ensuing months, her mother experiences surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. In the final month, May, her mother is feeling better and appears to be on the road to a good recovery.

Each month includes Claire's experiences, hopes and fears. She discusses her daily routine and how it has to change when her mother is too ill to pack her lunch or drive her to school. Eventually, Claire learns to manage some chores, such as laundry, on her own. She feels that she is contributing and that she has learned some new skills. Each monthly chapter also includes scientific information explaining facts that a child might want to know. These topics include surgery, surgical drains, chemotherapy, and hair loss. the illustrations include drawings and photographs. They look like the marginal drawings that a girl like Claire might actually do. they help illustrate her reactions.

I liked the way that the book is organized around a specific time frame. A child experiences time differently from an adult. Although cancer treatment often extends longer than a year, the concrete depiction of time passage allows the child or young adolescent to see that there is a progression.

The author and illustrator have both had personal experience with cancer in themselves or in their family. They make it clear that different people experience cancer in their own ways, and that different emotional reactions are all right.

First off, let me say that I would be a lot happier if nobody ready this book. I certainly hope that my kids never have to read this book and that I will never ever have to recommend it to anybody that I know.

"The Year My Mother Was Bald" is written for children ages 8-13 who find themselves in the position of dealing with a parent dealing with cancer. Ann Speltz based this book on the experiences of her own family during the year that she was treated for cancer. What she and her daughter, Amelia, went through is turned into this heart-warming volume from Magination Press, with illustrations by Kate Sternberg, who also endured a year when her mother was bald. Here the story is told by Clare, who keeps a journal about the year her mother undergoes treatment for cancer.

"The Year My Mother Was Bald" is divided into twelve chapters, one for each month, beginning in June (which means the cycle ends in the spring). Clare is looking forward to summer, making a list of her favorite summer things to do, when her mother comes back from her annual physical with the news that she might have a tumor in her breast. In addition to Clare's journal entries, there are articles that have been clipped from other sources explaining things like what happens "When Cells Go Wild" and "Radiation." Accompanying Clare's thoughts and this information are drawings, photographs, and resources that will help youngesters understand what is happening, the same way they helped Claire.

Not only does "The Year My Mother Was Bald" offer answers to the obvious questions that will occupy the minds of kids in this situation ("Will my mom be all right?" "Who will take care of me if she doesn't get better?") but also gives kids some pro-active things they can do to not only help them deal with their concerns and fears, but also to help with the recovery process for their mother. However, the primary focus is on helping kids deal with all aspects of this process, which is why perhaps the most poignant moment in the book is when Claire decides what to do with the box underneath her bed that has the hair that her mother has lost.

The back of this book provides resources that kids will find useful for finding additional information about dealing with cancer in free booklets, organizations and online sites, and other books. More importantly, Speltz reassures kids that there are no right or wrong feelings and their feelings are not only important, but also helpful. She also reminds her readers that scientists keep making new discoveries about cancer and coming up with new methods of fighting cancer all the time.

The only concern anyone could have about the helpfulness of this book would be the gender differences between Clare and her mother and the reader and their parent. "The Year My Mother Was Bald" speaks more to a situation where the mother has been diagnosed (fathers can always claim they are trying to look like Michael Jordan or Yul Brynner), but even young boys should be able to relate to Clare's situation and take comfort from this excellent book as well.

This very well written, easy to read book is writen from the perspective of a preteen girl whose mother is undergoing testing and treatment for breast cancer. As both a practicing oncologist and a mother of two children (12 and 8 yrs old), I highly recommend this book. The explanations of procedures and treatments were simple, straightforward and easy to understand (my 12 year old agrees). Clare is able to describe feelings and thoughts common to many people in this situation - adults and kids alike - and will let young readers know that they are not alone. This book can also be used as a starting point for further family discussions. The references in the back of the book are quite helpful. The pictures and illustrations are wonderful and make this book unique.

This book was given as a gift to my ten year old niece while her mom was undergoing treatment for breast cancer. I asked her about how she liked the book and she told me that is has really helped her understand what her mom is going through and helped her understand what she (my niece) was feeling. Great choice!!

This book is invaluable for helping children take in everything related to a loved one's cancer. It helps kids understand that their fears are normal and understandable, and that cancer is something that we can fight. They also learn that the fight is hard and that they are part of the fight when they support their loved one.

It was enormously helpful to my daughter in understanding my father's cancer last year. My daughter was just five at that time. I read it aloud to her, and she listened so intently that she repeated parts of it verbatim six months later!

I gave our (first) copy to a friend when she was diagnosed with breast cancer for her daughter to read. She describes it as "a godsend."

The Year My Mother Was Bald is an excellent book; I passed it along to a family friend who has cancer and her kids found it very helpful. It is informative yet accessible for children, having been written from a child's point of view. It seems appropriate for ages 7-14, though it could be used beyond those ages on either end. I highly recommend this book!

This well written and easy to understand book does a wonderful job of explaining what cancer is and the fears children have when someone they know has cancer. Written from the perspective of a child, it highlights the questions that go through the minds of children from the point in which a loved one is diagnosed through surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. "Science sidebars" included in the book help to explain the "foreign words" children often hear adults expressing following a cancer diagnosis.

As an elementary school teacher and someone who does volunteer work with cancer patients, I feel the book is not only useful for a parent who is diagnosed with cancer but also for adults who may come into contact with children going through this very difficult time. It makes a scary thing more understandable for a child. Use it to begin a discussion with children who probably have similar questions to the child telling this story, but might not have asked them yet.