Summer Reading – books about dementia for Kids
Dementia can make a big impact on the entire family, including kids and teens.
Younger family members will most likely have questions about what is going on with their loved one because dementia can be a hard concept to understand. Dementia affects the person’s brain and they may forget, get confused, and may have trouble speaking and taking care of themselves.
Even though these can be difficult conversations to have it is important to be open and honest when sharing the changes that dementia may cause. In recent years, many books aimed at helping younger people better understand dementia have been published. These books are often written by someone (sometimes kids themselves) who have experienced dementia in their lives. These books can help to answer questions kids and teens have. There are many books available to help your loved one learn more about dementia. Below you will find a list of books for kids and teens.
Click the pictures below to learn more about each book.
Brie’s Granddad has always been a serious man, never without a newspaper and knowing the answer to everything. But now he keeps losing track of the conversation, and honestly, Brie doesn’t really know how to speak to him. At first, Fred was annoyed that Gramps had come to live with them, it meant he had to give up his room! But then he starts to enjoy watching old films with him and spending time together… although there’s the small problem of Gramps calling him Simon.
Follow the stories of Brie, Fred, and other young carers as they try to understand and cope with their grandparents’ dementia at all stages of the illness. Adapted from true stories, and supplemented with fun activities and discussion ideas, this book for children aged approximately 7-14 cuts to the truth of the experience of dementia and tackles stigma with a warm and open perspective.
Recommended ages 7-14 years.
Edie Weinstein is a ninth-grader at Visitation High School in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Edie wrote Grandpa and Lucy for a Girl Scout Silver Award Project to help more people, particularly youth, learn about dementia. She wanted to make it more enjoyable for young people to talk to their relatives or other older friends who have dementia. Because dementia can make someone’s world shrink, Edie hopes Grandpa and Lucy can help some families become closer and broaden their world.
Recommended ages 6-10 years.
“Grandma’s whole family is concerned as they start to notice that she is becoming more and more forgetful. After they find her wandering the neighborhood, they need to make an important decision on her behalf—that the time has come for her to move out of her house and into an assisted living community where she can have the best care possible.”
Recommended ages 4-8.
“Nine-year-old Tamika Jordan dreads visiting her grandmother at the nursing home. Momma Lou has Alzheimer’s and always forgets who Tamika is. After her father shows her Momma Lou’s scrapbooks, Tamika comes up with an idea to jog Momma Lou’s memory. Tamika is successful in reaching her grandmother one day when Momma Lou recognizes a newspaper clipping of a Civil Rights demonstration and leads everybody in a celebration of song.”
Recommended ages 6-9 years.
You can find more books about dementia for kids on the following links:
https://www.alz.org/help-support/resources/kids-teens/for_kids
https://www.alzheimers.net/6-03-16-books-for-children-about-alzheimers-and-dementia
https://thiswestcoastmommy.com/childrens-books-understand-dementia/