What about me? : when brothers and sisters get sick

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

What about me? This question, usually unspoken, lies at the heart of this poignant story, as a young girl attempts to cope with her brother's being ill. Beautifully written and illustrated, this story deals with the many complicated feelings the well child experiences in such a situation: guilt about having somehow caused the illness, fear that the sibling will die, anger over being left out, anxiety about catching the sickness, and longing for life to return to the way it was. The story will allow parents and their well children to take some time out for one another and to forge a renewed sense of family.

From the Introduction:

Children may try to overcompensate for ill siblings and attempt to please the parents by becoming "superkids" who never have a problem. At the other extreme, they may start to misbehave at home or at school. They may be teased by other children because their brother or sister is not "normal." They may feel angry at their sick sibling for getting so much attention, and then feel guilty for having such unacceptable feelings, with resulting damage to their self-esteem....Children will identify with Laura, the young girl with a sick brother in the story, and will know that their feelings are acknowledged. Sharing this understanding will help reestablish the closeness between you and your child that is so essential to your child's comfort and well-being.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Horn Book Review

Three very different approaches to dealing with problems of illness -- allegory, fantasy, and a realistic telling -- address sensitive issues. However, because of didactic and saccharine narrative styles, the books miss the opportunity to be useful guides for children and their parents. The texts are accompanied by indistinct black-and-white artwork. From HORN BOOK 1992, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.