World Cancer Day
4 February is World Cancer Day, which aims to raise awareness, urge governments to take action, and educate us all about the disease and its impact.
We've put together a booklist for children of all ages featuring stories that explore the effects of cancer, so if you and your family want to do some wider reading, take a look at our recommendations below.
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The Soup Movement
Author: Ben Davies
Interest level: 10-13
Reading age: 10+
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The Soup Movement
Author: Ben Davies
Interest level: 10-13
Reading age: 10+
Jordan is in remission from cancer but finding it difficult to make friends at his new school. One day, he gives a homeless man so…
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A Story About Cancer (With a Happy Ending)
Author: India Desjardins & Marianne Ferrer Translator: Solange Ouellet
Interest level: 9-13
Reading age: 9+
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A Story About Cancer (With a Happy Ending)
Author: India Desjardins & Marianne Ferrer Translator: Solange Ouellet
Interest level: 9-13
Reading age: 9+
A girl goes to talk to the doctor about her leukaemia. On the way, she considers how having cancer has affected her life. An&…
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The Boy in the Black Suit
Author: Jason Reynolds
Interest level: 14-15
Reading age: 14+
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The Boy in the Black Suit
Author: Jason Reynolds
Interest level: 14-15
Reading age: 14+
When Matt’s mum tragically dies from cancer, it feels like all the joy is sucked out of his life. Then he meets a girl called Love…
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Only One of Me: A love letter from Mum
Author: Lisa Wells and Michelle Robinson Illustrator: Catalina Echeverri
Interest level: 4-5
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Only One of Me: A love letter from Mum
Author: Lisa Wells and Michelle Robinson Illustrator: Catalina Echeverri
Interest level: 4-5
Reading age:
A mum facing terminal illness reassures her daughter that she will always love her, in this beautiful, tender rhyming book written…
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A Good Night for Shooting Zombies
Author: Jaco Jacobs Translator: Kobus Geldenhuys from Afrikaans Illustrator: Jim Tierney
Interest level: 10-13
Reading age: 11+
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A Good Night for Shooting Zombies
Author: Jaco Jacobs Translator: Kobus Geldenhuys from Afrikaans Illustrator: Jim Tierney
Interest level: 10-13
Reading age: 11+
When Martin and his neighbour bond over their love for horror films, he helps him realise his ambition to create a zombie movie. A…
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We Are All Made of Molecules
Author: Susin Nielsen
Interest level: 12+
Reading age: 12+
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We Are All Made of Molecules
Author: Susin Nielsen
Interest level: 12+
Reading age: 12+
High-functioning Stewart is happy at Genius Academy but his life is shattered when his Mum dies from cancer. Ashley is obsessed wi…
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Lola Rose
Author: Jacqueline Wilson Illustrator: Nick Sharratt
Interest level: 10+
Reading age: 9+
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Lola Rose
Author: Jacqueline Wilson Illustrator: Nick Sharratt
Interest level: 10+
Reading age: 9+
Jacqueline Wilson demonstrates her skill by capturing the experiences of a young carer, fearful about what the cancer will do to h…
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The Perfect Shelter
Author: Clare Helen Welsh
Interest level: 4-8
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The Perfect Shelter
Author: Clare Helen Welsh
Interest level: 4-8
Reading age:
It’s the perfect day to build a shelter, the perfect day for a family expedition, the perfect day to play in a den. However, joy t…
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Two Weeks with the Queen
Author: Morris Gleitzman
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 10+
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Two Weeks with the Queen
Author: Morris Gleitzman
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 10+
When his brother becomes seriously ill with leukaemia, Colin is sent to stay with relatives in England. Determined to get the best…
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Artichoke Hearts
Author: Sita Brahmachari
Interest level: 11-13
Reading age: 11+
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Artichoke Hearts
Author: Sita Brahmachari
Interest level: 11-13
Reading age: 11+
This empathetic account of the process of bereavement, a month’s diary, reassures readers that we grow from our experiences,…
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32C, That’s Me
Author: Chris Higgins
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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32C, That’s Me
Author: Chris Higgins
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
Jess seems to have it all. She has a gorgeous boyfriend, Muggs, landed the lead in the school play and her best friend Ali will al…
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Anthem for Jackson Dawes
Author: Celia Bryce
Interest level: 13-16
Reading age: 13+
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Anthem for Jackson Dawes
Author: Celia Bryce
Interest level: 13-16
Reading age: 13+
Megan would never have met Jackson Dawes if she hadn't had cancer. But as the only teenagers on the children's ward, they so…
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The Best Medicine
Author: Christine Hamill
Interest level: 9-14
Reading age: 9+
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The Best Medicine
Author: Christine Hamill
Interest level: 9-14
Reading age: 9+
Twelve-year old Philip Wright is a comedian in the making. Then one day, he tells his mother a joke, and she breaks down in tears.…
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A Monster Calls
Author: Patrick Ness (From an idea by Siobhan Dowd) Illustrator: Jim Kay
Interest level: 11-14
Reading age: 10+
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A Monster Calls
Author: Patrick Ness (From an idea by Siobhan Dowd) Illustrator: Jim Kay
Interest level: 11-14
Reading age: 10+
Connor's mum has cancer and life is changing. There is the nightmare, then there is school, where people avoid him, or persecute h…
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The Fault in Our Stars
Author: John Green
Interest level: 14+
Reading age: 13+
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The Fault in Our Stars
Author: John Green
Interest level: 14+
Reading age: 13+
John Green tackles the subject of teenage cancer with sensitivity in this witty, life-affirming young adult romance.
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The Honest Truth
Author: Dan Gemeinhart
Interest level: 10+
Reading age: 10
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The Honest Truth
Author: Dan Gemeinhart
Interest level: 10+
Reading age: 10
Mark has cancer. He can't bear more doctors, so he runs away with his dog Beau for company.
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