Alzheimer’s disease can be confusing and scary for anyone, but for a child or teen, it is important to talk with them as soon as possible so they begin to understand how the disease might change the relationship they have previously shared with their loved one. It may begin with a loved one forgetting a name, which the child may or may not notice. However, as the disease progresses, a child will begin to realize that something serious is going on.
Here are the top books for every age group to help a child better understand the disease.
Preschool to Grade 3
What’s Happening to Grandpa? ByMaria Shriver
Singing with Momma Lou by Linda Jacobs Altman
The Stranger I Call Grandma: A Story about Alzheimer’s Disease by Swanee Ballman
Grandma’s Cobwebs by Ann Frantti
Remember Me? Alzheimer’s through the Eyes of a Child (Te Acuerdas de Mi?) by Sue Glass
Allie Learns about Alzheimer’s Disease: A Family Story about Love, Patience and Acceptance by Kim Gosselin
Thank You for the Thistle by Dorie Thurston
Grades 4-7
An Early Winter by Marion Dane Bauer
Horse Whispers in the Air by Dandi Daley MacKall
The Graduation of Jake Moon by Barbara Park
It Only Looks Easy by Pamela Curtis Swallow
Resource: http://www.alz.org/living_with_alzheimers_stories_for_grades_4_to_7.asp
