I am always interested in reading books that address Still’s Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis and was recently recommended Angie and Me by fellow blogger Kirsten. It is only a short book and very easy to read in one sitting, but a good one too, especially if you have experiences of staying in hospital as a child.
The story follows Jenna, a twelve year old who is diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and spends a month or so in hospital to get things under control. It doesn’t go into the Arthritis side of things in great detail but there are some interesting insights and certain issues that I found myself identifying with.
Mainly, it shows how Jenna handles the adjustments she needs to make and how the people around her handle things too; family, school friends and the new friends that she makes in the hospital itself. It’s actually quite thought provoking, even if simple.
There is a sweet storyline running throughout and I even felt a little tearful at the end. My only criticism is that I wanted it to go on longer, I wanted to know more about Jenna and how she got on after she left hospital.
I had to order my copy from the US but it still only cost a few pounds. Well worth a read and a good choice if trying to explain arthritis to an older child too.
Happy reading!
L
