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Chapter Books About Family Illness – Wonderlit | Wonderlit

Browse → Chapter Books → Life Moments → Family Illness

Chapter Books About Family Illness

Family illness in chapter books unfolds the way it does in life: gradually, with long stretches of waiting and sudden moments of change. These 454 books give the experience its full weight.

454 books

Cover of The World from Up Here

The World from Up Here

Cecilia Galante

For children navigating the heavy weight of 'what-ifs,' this story follows a girl facing her phobias to help her mother

Cover of How Hard Can Love Be?

The Spinster Club #2

How Hard Can Love Be?

For the teenager navigating the complicated emotions of a parent with a drinking problem while trying to understand the

Cover of Promises

Elizabeth Winthrop

For children navigating the uncertainty of a parent's cancer treatment, this story explores the small, steady promises t

Cover of When Aunt Lena Did the Rhumba

1 2 3...19

When Aunt Lena Did the Rhumba

Eileen Kurtis-Kleinman

When a sprained ankle keeps Aunt Lena in bed, Sophie transforms the house into a stage to bring the spirit of the theate

Ages 5–8

Cover of Pink Hair and Other Terrible Ideas

Pink Hair and Other Terrible Ideas

For the child navigating the complex emotions of a parent's serious medical diagnosis while trying to balance the social

Cover of Now One Foot, Now the Other

Now One Foot, Now the Other

For children navigating the confusion of a grandparent's health crisis. A gentle story about how love and patience can c

Cover of Pitcher Pressure

Jake Maddox Sports Stories

Pitcher Pressure

Allen must face the toughest batter in the league while his grandfather is in the hospital. Can he win the big game for

Cover of Dancing Dumplings for My One and Only

Dancing Dumplings for My One and Only

For the child feeling helpless when a loved one is unwell, this story shows how small acts of care and traditional flavo

Cover of An Early Winter

An Early Winter

Marion Dane Bauer

Eleven-year-old Tim hopes a fishing trip will help his grandfather remember who he is, but a difficult day at the pond b

Cover of Mr. Large in Charge

The Large Family #5

Mr. Large in Charge

For families navigating the endearing chaos of life when Mom is sick and Dad attempts to keep the household running smoo

Cover of Kepler's Dream

Ella travels to New Mexico to stay with her grandmother, where she hunts for a stolen rare book while her mother undergo

Cover of Going Home

For siblings navigating the weight of a parent's illness, this tense adventure follows two children relying on each othe

Cover of The Implosion of Aggie Winchester

The Implosion of Aggie Winchester

Aggie suspects her principal mother has rigged the prom queen election, forcing her to choose between family loyalty and

Cover of Thursday

Catherine Storr

A quiet and steady devotion fuels a fifteen-year-old girl's mission to reach a boy struggling through deep emotional tur

Cover of Quicksand: A True Story of HIV/AIDS in Our Lives

Quicksand: A True Story of HIV/AIDS in Our Lives

For the teenager or family member processing a loved one's HIV diagnosis, this memoir offers a safe space to explore med

Cover of Taking Care of Mama

Taking Care of Mama

Mitra Modarressi

Chaos ensues when Mama gets sick and a family of monsters tries to keep the house running by taking over the cooking and

Cover of Surprise Pancakes for Mom

Engage Literacy

Surprise Pancakes for Mom

For children who want to show love and care, this story captures the sweet chaos of a child trying to make a surprise br

Cover of Haven: A Small Cat's Big Adventure

Haven: A Small Cat's Big Adventure

Megan Wagner Lloyd

For the child who feels anxious about new environments or when a caregiver is unwell. A timid housecat finds the courage

Cover of A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares

A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares

Krystal Sutherland

For the teen navigating intense anxiety or the weight of a family history of mental illness, this story explores facing

Cover of Mel

Seventeen-year-old Mel copes with her mother's breakdown by fixing up the house and starting a neighborhood cleanup, eve

Cover of Red-Dirt Jessie

Red-Dirt Jessie #1

Red-Dirt Jessie

Amidst the dust and despair of the Depression, young Jessie finds hope as she attempts to tame a wild dog and help her f

Cover of Dad's Camera

For children processing the confusion and grief of a parent's terminal illness. This gentle story helps families navigat

Cover of Too Far Away to Touch

Too Far Away to Touch

For children processing the impending loss of a family member, this gentle story uses the stars to explain how love rema

Cover of Hero Over Here

Once Upon America

Kathleen V. Kudlinski

With his father and brother away at war, a young boy must find the courage to care for his family during a difficult tim

More Formats for Family Illness

Young Adult(199)Middle Grade(33)Graphic Novels(30)Picture Books(4)Early Readers(3)

Family Illness by Age Group

Books for Family Illness for Ages 12–18(1031)Books for Family Illness for Ages 4–7(196)Books for Family Illness for Ages 8–11(677)