Fifth grader Traci begins to notice some changes in her best friend Marilyn. She's losing weight, and seems tired all the time. She has leukemia - and a tough road of chemotherapy ahead. In a story of love and acceptance the whole fifth-grade class, figure out a way to tell Marilyn they are with her. This book turns lemons into lemonade and celebrates amazing life itself. 

When Sara Olsher was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 34, her first thought was how to tell her six-year-old daughter without scaring her. As it turned out, explaining cancer was only the beginning. Treatment is long and causes a lot of ongoing changes in the family—all of which can be confusing, scary, and isolating for kids. Let this book help.

Cancer Party! uses bright illustrations to show how cells divide, work, and what happens when a cell gets confused and turns into cancer.  It discusses different types of cancer and treatment aiming to empower kids with knowledge, which is proven to help kids through traumatic situations. 

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Aimed at families with kids ages 4 to 10

This book aims to take away the fear around cancer and give a basic understanding to grown ups and kids who may have someone in their life who has it.

Written in rhyme this picture book follows a story about a little girl looking for her mother's hair. It helps children understand chemotherapy and how cancer and hair loss are not their fault. It is a story about fear and sadness, being silly and wearing crazy hats, and loving those who look different.  It is a positive book aimed at giving children hope, comfort, and a better understanding of cancer treatments.

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Targeting ages 3-8 (but really for all ages)

Written by a breast cancer survivor this book shows a woman fighting cancer and how her family deals with it. The kids give her hugs and kisses and tell her jokes, because cancer hates hugs, kisses, and laughter. 

Relatable at any age but aimed at 4-8 year olds. 

Written by an author who herself suffered childhood leukemia, she offers loving and reassuring advice from a  position of experience on how to help a young friend who is sick. It is often uncomfortable and difficult even for an adult to navigate a sick friend. This book offers warm and kind advice which is not only relevant to children but to all ages.

​An important book to show children that they are not alone and that other children are going through the same emotions. It is illustrated using animals as characters and is a series of brief essays written by children about how their families cope with their mothers' breast cancer. It tackles issues such as how you cannot catch it, how to talk to people about it and how to cheer up your mother.

Written by a cancer survivor this beautiful book is written without watering down cancer too much yet providing warmth, love and purpose to a child. Watching someone you love go through cancer treatment is scary—especially for a child. This book reminds us how children can nurture people they care about at a time when optimism and love are the most needed. 

This book is Clare's journal from the year when her mother is diagnosed with cancer and goes through her treatment. Clare tells her story, shares her feelings, and describes her family's experiences from her mother's diagnosis to chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation. Young readers will learn to understand the science of cancer and its treatments and will take comfort in knowing that they're not alone and that their feelings are normal. This book also contains lots of extra resources for children to help them understand and process cancer. 

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Recommended for 10 years plus. 

The Invisible String is a story written to provide comfort and hope. It is about two siblings who learn that everyone has an invisible string that connects them to everyone they love, anywhere, anytime. They are never alone or separated from them because if you tug on this invisible string they can feel it in their hearts.

This is a sweet message for children who maybe anxious, worried about a loved one with cancer. Worrying about them dying or about separation during treatment or recovery.

It’s family picture time for the Carters, but Mama does not want to be in the photo this year. All of her beautiful hair is gone because of chemotherapy treatments for her cancer, and she doesn’t want to be remembered without hair. Eight-year-old Marcus knows that the picture won’t be the same without Mama, so he decides he will find her some hair and make her better.  

This story is told with a touch of gentle humor children will readily understand. It will bring comfort and reassurance to all readers young and old. 

The text of Butterfly Kisses and Wishes On Wings was originally written as a gift for the Author's cousin Nanci Hersh, an award winning artist, to help her find the right words to explain her cancer diagnosis to her 3-year-old and 5-year-old boys. Several years after her successful fight with cancer - her cousin agreed to illustrate the text written for her boys. The illustrations are indeed beautiful

The message is beautiful too and a wonderful resource to educate, soothe and support children and families who are facing the cancer of a loved one.

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3 years and older.

​When something terrible happens, Taylor doesn't know where to turn. All the animals are sure they have the answer. The chicken wants to talk it out, but Taylor doesn't feel like chatting. The bear thinks Taylor should get angry, but that's not quite right either. One by one, the animals try to tell Taylor how to process this loss, and one by one they fail. Then the rabbit arrives. All the rabbit does is listen, which is just what Taylor needs.

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A great book for all ages who are struggling with loss or tragedy but also for their friends to read to know what to expect or how they can help.

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3 years and older.

Gus and Ida, are polar bears at a city zoo this book beautifuly examines their feelings when Ida becomes sick with an illness that cannot be healed and later dies. It shows the range of emotions felt when a loved one becomes terminally ill, with a focus on making the most of the time we have left with sick loved ones. 

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7 years and up.

Jeremy struggles with a dilemma at school. All he wants are the shoes that "everyone" else has at school. Jeremy's Grandma tells him that they can't afford the expensive high top tennis shoes that he wants, but they can get the warm winter boots that he needs. When Jeremy's old shoes break and he is forced to wear Velcro cartoon character shoes provided by the guidance counselor, he finds out who his real friends are and what he truly needs not wants.

The theme in this book is that we should all take the opportunity to change our perspective on situations/people we don't understand. By doing this, we may be rewarded with a new understanding of things and of ourselves in the process.
 

Middle grade readers