Books for Siblings of an Ill or Hospitalized Child
* This image shows the old name for the ‘Is There a Book for That?’ blog/book list.
Many of us are familiar with this scenario: A family becomes overwhelmed with a child’s illness, diagnosis, and hospitalization. They put all of their energy and focus into supporting the sick child. This leaves the other children in the family in a new situation as well: stressed about their sick sibling, worried about how it is going to affect their day-to-day life, getting less attention, and maybe carrying some worries about what caused this sickness and what the outcome might be. These books can all support families through this hard balance.
Each of these books offers a different viewpoint, and each will be good for different families. Be sure to read the descriptions below to see which is the best fit!
I Wish I Was Sick, Too! by Franz Brandenberg
A simple story of cat siblings. One sibling is sick and the other wishes that she was too so that she could get all the special treatment. Soon the roles are reversed, and she realizes that being sick is no fun, even with the special treatment. A simple story that can help with sibling comparison and jealousy. Good for young children.
https://amzn.to/4rVp8JC
What About Me? When Brothers and Sisters Get Sick by Allan Peterkin M.D.
This book tells a very serious story of a little girl who loves her little brother. She gets mad at the little brother because he breaks her doll. Shortly after, the little brother is admitted to the hospital. The little girl struggles with not getting attention, a changed schedule, and feeling like by being mad, she made her little brother sick. She has an outburst at dinner one night and the next day her parents take her to the hospital to learn more about what is going on with her brother. Following they take her out for pizza and listen to her stories about school. This book covers common sibling feelings and stresses. It is a very honest and real depiction of the stress many families go through. This book could be good for young to middle school age, especially those who have a sick sibling.
https://amzn.to/3MTNiUv
All Siblings Are Important: Words and Artwork That Celebrate All Sibling Relationships and the Feelings They Bring by Laura Camerona
All Siblings Are Important is a book about all kinds of sibling relationships. This book honors the many feelings that come with being a sibling and is a good conversation starter for caregivers who want to talk to children about the dynamics or feelings happening within a sibling relationship or because of a sibling's struggles. The book promotes empathy, while also acknowledging that one sibling does not have full responsibility for the well-being of another sibling. The book refers to potential feelings that could come in situations where one child is sick or has a disability, but there are no specific scenarios covered. This book would be best for young to middle elementary school.
https://amzn.to/4rQAsGL
The Perfect Shelter - A Children's Book about Sibling Illness by Clare Helen Welsh
This story talks about two sisters who like to build shelters in the woods. One day, one sister starts to feel tired and sick and eventually needs to go to the hospital. The book does not give details about why, but it does mention an operation. The other sister feels sad and worried at home. One day, while visiting her sister, they decide to build a fort in her hospital room, and it makes both girls feel good. The book doesn’t talk about any specifics, but it does give room for families to talk about hope, good days to come, and being together. This story would be appropriate for preschool through middle elementary.
https://amzn.to/3KR5qhg
What Happens When My Sibling Has Cancer by Sara Olsher
This book talks about many aspects of having a sibling with cancer including a great explanation of cancer, common experiences, and common feelings. The book addresses how chemo and a patient not being themselves can affect the entire family. The book also talks about hospital stays, hair loss, and talking as a family about what to expect. I definitely recommend it for any cancer sibling. Best for early through upper elementary.
https://amzn.to/3MunQ82
Oliver’s Story: For Sibs of Kids with Cancer by Michael Dodd
This tells the story of a school-aged boy who has a baby sister who is diagnosed with cancer. This story talks about many important aspects of being a cancer sibling including not being able to spend the night, feeling worried, spending time with grandparents, everyone being sad, etc and therefore, I think this book could be helpful for lots of families. That being said, I do have a few warnings to give out about this one:
-it says that his parents were sad because some kids don’t survive cancer (not all kids/parents will be ready for this conversation)
-in this story, the baby has chemo, radiation, surgery, and a stem cell transplant (that may not be the same course of treatment as others)
-the child interacts with patients, gives out beanie babies at the hospital, and goes back to visit monthly to show his magic tricks (while giving back and building relationships are important, hospitals have strict policies about stuffed animals and interacting with patients, so this could be misleading)
This book would be appropriate for school aged kids.
https://amzn.to/3YknEuz
