Hi everyone, do you know of anyone heroic who has overcome some form of illness as a child? You do?? Well, this next post has a booklist of a selection of tween heroes who have done just that!! Are you keen to find out more about them? Well, you know the drill…
This will be a short list with four titles as I felt that these really spoke more than just about the health battles these tweens have overcome. I hope you enjoy this selection!!
My first title is Halfway normal by Barbara Dee (Aladdin; 2017). We meet young Norah Levy who has just completed two years of treatment for leukemia and is preparing to return to the ‘real world’ of middle school. Compared with battling cancer, Norah doesn’t think seventh grade will be that tricky but is soon proved wrong when everyone either treats Norah like she will break or starts acting weird about all the attention she’s getting. The story changes when Norah is placed with the eighth-graders for math and science and she meets Griffin, a cute boy who encourages her love of drawing and Greek mythology. This is where the story gets interesting when Norah decides not to tell him her secret – that she was “that girl” who had cancer. When it comes to dealing with illness and surviving it, this novel by Barbara Dee sure hits the nail on the head with her universal message here about accepting yourself for who you are – no matter the experiences that shaped you. Readers of all ages will love the characters in this great story. If you enjoy the Percy Jackson books, you’ll love the references here!! This was a really good read to understand what surviving cancer feels like for kids!!
OCDaniel by Wesley King (Paula Wiseman Books; 2016) is a title that sparked my interest in learning about OCD. Our protagonist Daniel is the waterboy for his school’s football team, the Erie Hills Elephants. He spends most of his time hoping no one notices his strange habits – he calls them Zaps: avoiding writing the number 6, for example, or flipping a light switch on and off dozens of times over. Daniel’s life takes a bizarre turn when he gets a note: ‘I need your help,’ it says, signed Fellow Star Child – whatever that means. Suddenly Daniel, a total no one at school, is swept up in a mystery that might change everything for him. With a great voice and grand adventure, this book is about feeling different and finding those who understand. It’s no wonder King was awarded the Edgar Award in 2017 for this read as it delivered a middle grade mystery with a cast of remarkable characters in Daniel and Sara who enriched the storyline with their own dramas which led to the eventful truth. Not only did I enjoy this story, but I found myself learning so much more about OCD.
The next two titles were quite emotional reads for me. The first one Mascot by Anthony John (HarperCollins; 2018) tells the story of a young boy who is not just adjusting to a physical disability but also of one his grief. Noah Savino has been stuck in a wheelchair for months and hates the way people treat him like he’s helpless now. He’s tired of not having control over his own body. And he misses his dad, who died in the car accident that paralyzed Noah. He doesn’t want people to think of him as different for the rest of his life. With the help of friends and family, he’ll have to throw off the mask he’s been hiding behind and face the fears that have kept him on the sidelines if he ever wants to move forward. Fans of R.J.Palacio and John David Anderson will enjoy this heartfelt story about perseverance in the face of adversity. What I enjoyed the most was Noah’s authentic voice as he describes his middle school dramas along with his raw emotions. Despite the underlying sadness in Noah’s life, there is also humour and even some awesome sporty references thrown in which made it quite a funny read too.
This last book is one I finished quite recently. How to become a planet by Nicole Melleby (Algonquin Young Readers; 2021) tells the story of Pluto Timoney. The two most important things you need to know about Pluto Timoney is that she’s always loved outer space (obviously), and her favourite season is summer. This summer, when Pluto’s turning thirteen, is different. Pluto has been diagnosed with depression, and she feels like a black hole is sitting on her chest, making it hard to do anything. When Pluto’s dad threatens to make her move to the city – where he believes his money could help her get better – Pluto comes up with a plan to do whatever it takes to be her old self again. But it takes a new therapist, new tutor, and new (cute) friend with a plan of her own for Pluto to see that there is no old or new her. There’s just Pluto, discovering more about herself every day. To be honest, this was quite a hard book to read for me, as I felt the main theme of depression was quite a hard one for kids to understand. But then, I do know that young tweens and teens these days have faced much worse so I’ll let you make your own decision. I felt Melleby crafted Pluto’s character really well with the struggles she faced on a daily basis. I found myself learning quite a bit about depression, how young children deal with its impact, and more on astronomy than I knew before! This is one of those reads that will require a tissue box while reading!!
I hope this short selection of reads touch your hearts as they did mine. I’d love to hear from you if you have any other suggestions for me.
Stay safe and keep reading
Miss Mahee
Miss Mahee's Library of Reads 