I think Trudy Krisher’s Kathy’s Hats: A Story of Hope might be for little kids, but it actually has this really important idea about how being sick can take away your feelings of being normal, and how much help from friends is needed is for rebuilding it. The first part is easy to get: Kathy loves hats, then she gets cancer, loses her hair from chemo, and suddenly hats become this painful, clear sign of her disease. This quick change from hats being a sign of her fun personality to a bad sign is really much the main feeling of the story, showing how confusing and out-of-control getting a serious illness accompany a serious diagnosis in childhood. I feel like what was most struck me, though, wasn't just her putting a cap on, but the mental change, guided by her mom’s help, to see the hat as a "thinking cap"a tool for being brave, not just a cover for shame. I think that this new way of seeing things turns the book into a big example for finding control when things are out of your hands, teaching young readers that being brave is a choice, even when things are really hard. It's important to remember that the book doesn't hide the tough treatments, but it focuses on the feeling inside, which I think is good. The end part, where her whole class wears their own favorite hats together, it is genuinely moving because it signifies they aren't seeing a sick girl, but Kathy, whose good spirit is still defined by that strong love for headwear. This act of being accepted by everyone beautifully illustrates the power of social support in helping a person feel good about themself when they are weak, and that is what makes the book a success. It's a nice, honest picture of self-acceptance and the quiet, big power of small acts of kindness when people feel fear.

I think Trudy Krisher’s Kathy’s Hats: A Story of Hope might be for little kids, but it actually has this really important idea about how being sick can take away your feelings of being normal, and how much help from friends is needed is for rebuilding it. The first part is easy to get: Kathy loves hats, then she gets cancer, loses her hair from chemo, and suddenly hats become this painful, clear sign of her disease. This quick change from hats being a sign of her fun personality to a bad sign is really much the main feeling of the story, showing how confusing and out-of-control getting a serious illness accompany a serious diagnosis in childhood. I feel like what was most struck me, though, wasn't just her putting a cap on, but the mental change, guided by her mom’s help, to see the hat as a "thinking cap"—a tool for being brave, not just a cover for shame. I think that this new way of seeing things turns the book into a big example for finding control when things are out of your hands, teaching young readers that being brave is a choice, even when things are really hard. It's important to remember that the book doesn't hide the tough treatments, but it focuses on the feeling inside, which I think is good. The end part, where her whole class wears their own favorite hats together, it is genuinely moving because it signifies they aren't seeing a sick girl, but Kathy, whose good spirit is still defined by that strong love for headwear. This act of being accepted by everyone beautifully illustrates the power of social support in helping a person feel good about themself when they are weak, and that is what makes the book a success. It's a nice, honest picture of self-acceptance and the quiet, big power of small acts of kindness when people feel fear.