Why am I passionate about this?
The inspiration to write about Alzheimerās came from my own life. My grandfather had the disease. He and I were very close and it broke my heart when I realized Iād been forgotten. He only remembered my voice, that it sounded like a little girl he used to know. I wanted to capture the truth of that in a story. Sadly, dementia is so common, but for some reason, we donāt talk about Alzheimerās as openly as we do other diseases. Kids need to be able to have everyday conversations about what they might be experiencing in regards to whomever they know with the disease. My hope is that books like Flowers can help.
Shannon's book list on when a loved one has Alzheimers dementia
Why did Shannon love this book?
Stark-McGinnis tackles Alzheimerās of a parent, in this case, a mother. The disease is already well-progressed as we meet Cassie; her mother has already forgotten her name. Told in the present tense interspersed with a series of flashbacks to before Cassieās Mom had the disease, we see all that has been lost. Linking memories to math, in that each can be broken down into more finite parts, Cassie draws āmemory sketchesā in the hopes that connecting all the dots in Momās life will make her remember. It doesnāt of course, but with her father, Cassie finds a path toward acceptance.
1 author picked The Space Between Lost and Found as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.
From the acclaimed author of Extraordinary Birds, a powerful story about family, friendship, and the light that can be found even in the darkest of places.
Cassie's always looked up to her mom, a vibrant woman bursting with grand ideas. Together they planned to check off every dream on their think-big bucket list, no matter how far the adventures took them. The future seemed unlimited.
But then came the diagnosis, and Mom started to lose her memories. Even the ones Cassie thought she'd never forget. Even Cassie's name.
Cassie tries her hardest to keep Mom happy . . . toā¦
- Coming soon!