Reseñas proporcionadas por Syndetics

School Library Journal Review

Gr 6 Up-- Given Harvard Medical School's projection that almost half of the people over 85 are likely to have Alzheimer's disease, a very large number of children will experience having an afflicted grandparent. Wilkinson discusses the disease in its three stages of development, describing all the nuances of patient behavior--accusations, shadowing, hoarding, wandering, and sometimes fear of water. More important, she demonstrates how this affects young people and what they can do to better their situations. Throughout the book, richly descriptive personal narratives are skillfully interspersed. The chapters on nursing homes and dealing with death are very helpful and applicable to an even broader audience. While Elaine Landau's Alzheimer's Disease (Watts, 1987) is a good, basic reference, Wilkinson's offering is geared more to young people's needs. There are good discussions about what it can be like to share a home or even a room with an Alzheimer's victim and how to explain odd behavior to friends. The coping strategies explored are excellent. Wilkinson's language is simple, yet elegantly effective. Much information is artfully interwoven to make a flowing, unified whole, leaving readers with some sense of preparedness and realistic hope for themselves.-- Cindy Darling Codell, Clark Middle School, Winchester, KY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

Gr. 9-12. Presenting testimony from teens whose grandparents are in various stages of Alzheimer's, Wilkinson addresses a wide range of issues that include reactions to the illness, the impact on families, and strategies to continue a relationship with the patient. Interspersed is information about the history and nature of the illness and how it is diagnosed. Wilkinson's chatty tone and frequent use of the second-person voice detracts from her sensitive descriptions of the illness and the far-reaching consequences it has for families. But teens will appreciate the author's willingness to broach difficult topics, such as what to expect from a nursing-home visit or how to respond when a patient's sexual desires result in inappropriate behavior. Readers might, however, want to skip the sentimental last chapter, "Memories." ~Sources of information and some reading suggestions are included in the narrative; a short glossary and a reading list, which includes children's books, are appended. ~--Karen Hutt