USE YOUR VOICE

The teenage author—daughter of CNN’s Jake Tapper—draws from personal experience for the story of a young girl attempting to convince the adults in her life to listen to her health concerns.

Alice wakes up one night with severe stomach pain. Something is wrong, but the doctor dismisses her illness as flu, and her worried parents follow his advice. Later, the adults fail to listen as a sick, anxious Alice tries to tell them her pain is getting worse. A pack of small, brightly colored creatures, each representing a number on the hospital’s 1-10 pain scale, stay by Alice’s side and encourage her to assert herself. Ultimately, Alice speaks up and asks for an X-ray. Following an emergency appendectomy, Alice returns home buoyed by the knowledge that she’s strong enough to advocate for what she needs. Depictions of the sights and sounds of hospitals may make the experience feel less intimidating for readers. Alice expresses her fears in first person, which will help children navigating their own emotions. The book presents a difficult reality with a gentle hand: Even the most well-meaning of authority figures don’t always know what’s best, and systems don’t always work as they should. But children have the power to raise their voices. In Liem’s soft illustrations, Alice and her family present white; other characters are diverse.

Useful for helping kids with serious or chronic health conditions build the confidence they need to speak up for themselves.