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Summer's Story - Living with Epilepsy (Living with Illness) ISBN: 9781445156668
Glynne, Andy and Maldonado, Salvador
Published by Franklin Watts, 2017
Summer doesn't like to call her epilepsy a disability; she says it is an 'obstacle' that causes her problems. She explains that epilepsy is caused by something that happens in the brain when electrical messages are interrupted or there is lots of 'electrical activity' happening. Summer's seizures are either full-blown or absence or tonic clonic, and are caused by too much heat or cold, or by bright lights. She explains her absence seizures by saying they only last about a few seconds, but during that time, she is unable to hear or speak or blink, and she is often in trouble at school because her teacher doesn't understand. This has affected her school work, which makes her sad. Her tonic clonic seizures happen if she is ill or watching a film, and they are much more serious than absences. They are similar but much longer and move through her body bit by bit. She can hear but becomes temporarily mute. Summer finds that her friends don't ask her round to their houses because they don't know what to do about her seizures, and as her mum has to go on school trips with her, she often feels isolated. The seriousness of her epilepsy means that she is happy at home where she knows she can do the things she likes, such as writing stories and plays, but at school, 'I feel like another person. I don't feel like I'm me.' In the end, she comes to know that there isn't any point about feeling miserable because she has a life ahead of her and we feel she will live that life as fully as she can. This is a truthful story about a child with a serious condition that she must deal with every day, and it gives us an insight into her feelings and worries that I haven't come across before. The illustrations are super and very evocative of Summer and her friends. Excellent for schools so that fellow pupils (and teachers!) can understand what a class member who suffers is all about.
Age: 6+