These reviews were written by Joel Kroft, Executive Director of Memory Support Services at Country Meadows Retirement Communities. Joel’s perspective is based upon many years of helping improve the quality of life for seniors with dementia and their families and many nights of reading to his own children. He understands just how special it is to connect with loved ones of all ages.
Hugging Grandma: Loving Those with Memory Disorders by Zina Kramer
A delightful story celebrating how special grandparents are and how even with dementia, they will always love their grandchildren. Hugging Grandma offers a clear, simple explanation of dementia and shows children how they can return their grandparents’ love and how important it is for everyone to feel needed. (Appropriate for Grades K-2)
Striped Shirts and Flowered Pants by Barbara Schnurbush
Through a colorful account, the author gives great insights into what children may see happen to a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease and is especially attentive to what they may experience. This book imparts confidence in talking about the future and facing uncertainty, fear, and sadness typically related to a diagnosis. (Appropriate for Grades K-2)
Still My Grandma by Veronique Van den Abeele
This sweet story artfully depicts a grandparent living in a retirement community for memory support. The author offers a fitting perspective for children into why loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease do (and don’t) certain things. (Appropriate for Grades 3-5)
Always My Grandpa: A Story for Children About Alzheimer’s Disease by Linda Scacco
This wonderful book gently depicts how a grandparent may change with Alzheimer’s disease and how those changes affect the rest of the family. It’s a heartfelt lesson in responding to a diagnosis with love. It can be a great conversation starter for parents to help children explore their emotions. (Appropriate for Grades 3-5)
Singing with Momma Lou by Linda Jacobs
With a look at the later stages of Alzheimer’s disease and visits to a nursing home, the author shares meaningful insight about not using “reality orientation.” The heroine creates ways to connect with her grandmother. She shows readers we shouldn’t give up on loved ones in nursing homes and there are things deep inside us that even memory loss can’t touch. (Appropriate for Grades 3-5)
What’s Happening to Grandpa? by Maria Shriver
Through a warm narrative, the reader follows the change in family dynamics and the range of emotions related to those changes. The book teaches through example how to sort through feelings, adjust expectations and find new ways to enjoy time with loved ones. It’s a sincere story of what pure love feels like. (Appropriate for Grades 4-6)
The Memory Box by Mary Bahr
A thoughtful book about a boy seeing changes in his beloved grandfather. The author captures how things that seemingly will last forever sometimes have to change and helps the reader understand why. While the book does not promise a happy ending, it does show how children can preserve memories by keeping their grandparents’ stories alive. (Appropriate for Grades 4-6)
