World Read Aloud Day

Happy World Read Aloud Day!

To celebrate, I thought I'd share the most recent addition to my counseling  collection. I actually put it on my wish list last November after reading the book review at Roxanne's Books That Heal Kids blog {here}. For some reason there was a delay in its arrival, but last week I received a late Christmas gift from John's mom. She read it before I had a chance and said that it was definitely a keeper. I didn't doubt that because 

Rox's reviews are always spot on.

Anyway, in this treasure about Alzheimer's that sheds light on the dark disease, "It's time" for Grandpa to move in with the narrator and her parents. And as they're making room and meting out duties to make their new normal work, Grandpa wants to know what his jobs will be. In addition to gardening and a few other tasks, Callie adds, "Make music!" to the list. As Grandpa's memories fade in other areas, he's somehow able to remember how to play the piano and sing the songs. At first. But when the lyrics start to slip away from him, it's young Callie who helps him recreate old memories while he's creating new ones. Until "it's time" again. 

This newcomer by author Alison Acheson is as thoughtful as it is sensitive; the warm illustrations by Bill Farnsworth are sure to make the story painfully real for its readers who are in the throes of dealing with this debilitating disorder. In the back, there's an info page that addresses the special connection that Alzheimer's patients have to music. 

Check out this book; I enthusiastically recommend it.

What are you reading aloud today?