Children's Books About Surgery (general & appendix focused)

* This image uses the old name of the ‘Is There a Book for That?’ blog/book list.

I'm excited to share a couple new resources written by child life specialists! One that I am especially excited about supports families through any general outpatient surgery (a very common stressful event for families), and then I added in several resources about appendectomies.

I worked in the surgery unit for many years and encountered situations when parents didn't tell their child anything about what would happen, and even situations when the adult lied about where they were going. I hope that these resources help adults feel good giving their child an honest idea of what they can expect in a more comfortable manner. It should also be considered that for those who need an emergency appendectomy, these resources could also be used after the surgery to help the child understand and cope with their experience.

Today is the Day! My First Surgery by Carli Tourdot,CCLS
This is the best book that I’ve seen so far about a child’s surgery experience! This book tells the story about one child’s first outpatient surgery. Written by a child life specialist, the book does an amazing job covering all of the important details. The book talks about waking up in the morning, traveling there, pre-op, the operating room, post-op and going home.  The book addresses feeling a little nervous, but shows kind medical professionals who help the day go well. One thing to keep in mind is that since the book does a great job covering a lot of the details that kids would find important, some of those details could be different in your child’s experience (ex. when/if your child will get an IV, parents being allowed in the OR, flavoring an anesthesia mask, etc). I would still definitely recommend this book.  Kids can understand that each child’s story and each hospital is a little different.  I would recommend this book for preschool-elementary.
https://amzn.to/4nUWZ1P

What is an Appendectomy? By Madison Matthews, Adrienne O’Connor, and Caitlyn McNamara
This is another book written by the child life specialists at Child Core.  The book is full of factual information about the ways a hospital determines what is causing a stomach ache, information about the appendix, and how an appendix is removed.  While an appendectomy is often emergent, this book would be an excellent tool to use with a child after they have their appendix removed. It clarifies everything that happens and why which can help with how they cope and how they see the entire experience. This book could also be good for a class who has student miss school because of appendicitis.  It would be appropriate for elementary or middle school aged kids.
https://amzn.to/4r3gIze

The Hospital Book by Lisa Brown
This book is a good fit for children who have had an unplanned surgery and hospital stay. My least favorite part of this book is the title. As a child life specialist, I thought of all of the children who were looking for a “hospital book” and instead found a specific story of one girl’s experience getting her appendix out.  Upon reflection, I actually think the book has a lot to offer kids, as far as things to reflect on, but I think it would be best used with children following their surgery. The book is very honest about things that are for the girl including “feeling lonely” in the hospital and the ‘needle’.  The book offers some descriptions around those things, but a caregiver will likely want to clarify more.  So use this book to help a child process their surgery and inpatient stay, but it won’t be the book for every hospital experience.  Good for early-middle elementary.
https://amzn.to/3XzoiEd

Cricket Helps Out: Understanding Appendicitis by Pat Mc Caw
This is another children’s chapter book about a therapy dog who partners with a child life specialist to support kids in the hospital.  All of the books in the series offer a story line that is interesting and relatable for kids ages 6-13 (would need to read aloud for the younger ages). This book talks about various aspects of the appendicitis experience including pain, an IV start, a scan, and surgery.
https://amzn.to/4peQXdB

(I am adding links to all of the books to help you all easily find and purchase. I do receive a small commission, but it doesn't cost you any more and it doesn't take anything away from the author. It's just Amazon that makes a little less per purchase. :) This helps me justify spending time in my week finding more great books for you!)