Another cool Book List from Grandparents.com, this time books for your grandchildren to read ABOUT Grandparents! I’m going to add these to my Christmas list too – what do you think?
The Grandma Bookby Todd Parr (Little Brown, 2006)
1 year and up
“Some grandmas have a lot of cats, Some grandmas have a lot of purses. Some grandmas give advice … others help their neighbors.” So Todd Parr introduces the many kinds of grandmas in the world. And while every grandma is unique, “All grandmas like to hear from you,” and “All grandmas like to give you lots of kisses.” This simple and colorful book is sure to provoke fun conversations about the sort of grandma you might be.
Here Comes Grandma!by Janet Lord (Henry Holt, 2005)
1 year and up
Here Comes Grandma! is a wonderful little book about a grandma who will do anything to see her grandchild. This lively woman and her faithful dog are shown on horse, train, skis and car. The refrain, “Here comes Grandma!” appears throughout, and young readers will love the repetition. The folksy art is also warm and inviting.
Where is Coco Going?by Sloane Tanen (Bloomsbury, 2004)
1 year and up
Coco is one determined little chick. We don’t know where she’s going but she’s willing to take a taxi, fly a plane, ride a Pegasus, and take a spaceship to arrive at her special destination. So where is Coco going? Grandma’s house, of course! With colorful photographs and a simple text, this book is a good choice for the young set.
The Hello, Goodbye Windowby Norton Juster and Chris Raschka (Hyperion, 2005)
Ages 2 and up
This is an ideal book for kids who spend a lot of time with their grandparents. It’s told from the perspective of a little girl whose grandparents babysit her, and the love between all three is palpable. It’s a delightful story of a happy childhood being built one day at a time, and a perfect book for a grandparent and child to read aloud together. Raschka’s illustrations also won a Caldecott award.
Off to School, Baby Duck!by Amy Hest (Candlewick, 2007)
Ages 3 and up
It’s the first day of school and Baby Duck is terrified. “Aren’t you glad to be big and brave?” Mother asks her. “No,” Baby says. With her schoolbag full of special things, Baby Duck drags wearily behind her family on the long walk to school. Luckily, Baby’s reliable Grandfather waits in the schoolyard, ready with just the right questions to give her the confidence boost she needs. Soon enough, her worries begin to fade. Grandpa even double-checks a few things with the teacher: “Are you mean? Do you sing songs in that schoolhouse? Do you like sandwich with jam, and yellow pencils?” The accurate dialogue and relatable situation make this a book kids will want to read repeatedly.
Me With Youby Kristy Dempsey (Philomel, 2009)
Ages 2 and up
“We’re a pair beyond compare,
a rare and special two,
in all the ways that I am me
and you’re completely you.”
A grandfather and granddaughter enjoy life’s simple pleasures, from watering flowers to walking in the rain, singing and swinging, knowing that they are a very extraordinary pair. The rhymes are simple and Christopher Demise’s artwork is simply gorgeous. Me With You is a love letter to grandfathers, and a perfect gift for a young child.
Henry and Mudge and The Great Grandpasby Cynthia Rylant (Aladdin, 2006)
Ages 4 and up
The 2006 Geisel Award winner is one of the best in Cynthia Rylant’s ever-popular Henry and Mudge series. It’s also an ideal introduction to chapter books for new readers. Henry and his big dog Mudge go to visit Great-Grandpa Bill at “the grandpa house,” a communal house for elders. It’s nice to see a children’s book that deals with nursing homes in such a positive way. Henry and Mudge go exploring and eventually discover a swimming pond. Laughs abound when all the guys, both young and old, take a dip in their “skivvies!”
Grandpa and Boby Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow, 1986)
Ages 3 to 7
What’s not to love about Kevin Henkes? This is one of his earlier works, but his talent is already evident. Illustrated with soft black-and-white pencil drawings, the book describes a very special summer for a young boy and his beloved grandfather. Because Bo and Grandpa only get to see each other every other Christmas and during the summer, the two make the most of each other’s company and enjoy the simple pleasures of life on Grandpa’s farm. Henkes gives Bo’s relationship with his grandfather a sweet maturity and authentic tenderness.
… An Old Lady Who Swallowed Fly Guyby Tedd Arnold (Scholastic, 2007)
Ages 4 and up
When Buzz and his pet fly, Fly Guy, go to visit grandma, she’s so excited she accidentally swallows Fly Guy. “CLURK!” And then … Grandma swallows a spider to catch the fly, then swallows a bird to catch the spider, and so on. With grandma as the “old woman” in this lighthearted riff on the classic children’s song, this promises to become a popular choice for younger kids and early readers alike.
Song and Dance Manby Karen Ackerman (Knopf, 1988)
Ages 4 to 8
While Grandma makes dinner, Grandpa takes the children into the attic, where he keeps a trunk full of costumes and props from his days on the Vaudeville stage. The children watch as their grandfather tap dances, sings, and tells jokes. When the show is over, the children applaud and Grandpa packs away his things, assuring them that he wouldn’t trade a day with them for a million good old days. The illustrations are full of life and helped the book win the 1989 Caldecott Medal.
My Hippie Grandmotherby Reeve Lindbergh (Candlewick, 2003)
Ages 4 and up
“I have a hippie grandmother
I’m really glad she’s mine
She hasn’t cut her hair at all
Since nineteen sixty-nine”
Written by the daughter of Charles and Anne Lindbergh, My Hippie Grandmother is told from the perspective of a young girl who enjoys nothing more than a day with her grandmother, who works in the garden, pickets City Hall, drives a purple bus, and has a cat named Woodstock. Funny, rhyming text and bright colorful illustrations make this story of a girl’s devotion to her grandmother a total pleasure. Kids will adore it, whether or not they have a hippie grandma of their own, and adults will have a smile about the baby boomer generation becoming grandparents.
Bee Treeby Patricia Polacco (Putnam, 1993)
Ages 4 to 8
When Mary Ellen gets bored with reading books, Grandpa knows a hunt for a bee tree is in order. Half the town joins the exciting chase for honey, but it’s not until everyone returns home that Mary Ellen makes an important discovery of her own. In an age-old tradition, her grandfather spoons the found honey on the cover of her book and tells her to taste it. “There is such sweetness inside of that book! Just like we ran after the bees to find their tree, so you must also chase things (adventure, knowledge and wisdom), through the pages of a book!” Polacco creates a positive image of a grandfather as a source of wisdom and vitality here.
A Couple Of Boys Have The Best Week Everby Marla Frazee (Harcourt, 2008)
Ages 4 to 8
A couple of boys in our house think this is the best book ever. Our 5-year-old laughs so hard he turns pink every time we read it. One hot summer day, James takes a long drive to Bill and Pam’s house so he can spend a week at nature camp with his best friend, Eamon. Bill and Pam are Eamon’s grandparents who live at the beach. But these boys are more interested in goofing around than they are in nature, until the day camp ends, that is, and suddenly finding themselves with nothing to do, they discover a project that’s sure to please Bill and turns out to be “the very best part of the very best week ever.” Bravo Marla Frazee for writing such an authentic, hilarious, and touching book.
Fablehavenby Brandon Mull (Aladdin, 2007)
Ages 9 to 13
J.K. Rowling gets some serious competition from Brandon Mull and his fantastical, captivating book Fablehaven. Kendra, 13, and her brother Seth, 11, think they are in for a boring two weeks at their grandparent’s home in Connecticut. As they soon learn, Fablehaven is no ordinary country estate, but a protected area for magical creatures, plotting witches, and greedy trolls. And guess who the caretaker is? That’s right, Grandpa! If your grandkids like Harry Potter, this would be a great gift.
A Long Way From Chicagoby Richard Peck (Puffin, 1998)
Ages 8-12
In Peck’s modern classic, set in 1930s Illinois, Joe and his little sister travel to their grandmother’s small town for the summer and discover that this tough, witty, larger-than-life, and, yes, manipulative woman can do almost anything. Told in Joe’s adult voice through a series of short vignettes about Grandma Dowdel’s rollicking adventures with the kids, readers are assured that the tales may be outlandish but “all memories are true.”
LaFleur’s triumphant first novel opens with Aubrey, 11, leaving her Virginia home after her father and younger sister die in a car accident and her bereft mother abandons her and her home. The girl finds a new home and new friends when she reaches her grandmother’s home in Vermont. Her ever-patient grandmother helps Aubrey work through her grief and make tough decisions about her future in a powerful novel that reminds kids that they’re never alone as long as they have a grandma.
They listed their choice for top 20 and asked for input. Here are their choices:
The Tale of Peter Rabbitby Beatrix Potter (1902)
You surely don’t have any grandchildren as incorrigible as Peter, but they’ll still love learning lessons alongside him. After all, who among us does not have a temptation we can’t resist, like the vegetables in Mr. McGregor’s garden, or siblings like Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail, ever eager to blow the whistle on us? Potter’s cheerful illustrations have carried generations of kids into Peter’s world, and are sturdy enough to carry generations more.
Goodnight, Moonby Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd (1947)
If your grandchildren will ever sleep over in your house, this book is as essential for bedtime as a favorite stuffed animal. While academics study how Brown created the perfect bedtime story — is it the cadence, the word choice, the way the words force the eye to dart across the page? — all you need to know is that you cherished it, your kids cherished it, and your own sleepy bunnies will cherish it, too.
The Very Hungry Caterpillarby Eric Carle (1969)
Carle could fill a Hall of Fame by himself (and in fact there is a museum dedicated to his work), but this is the story we’ve found young children to identify with most. As the caterpillar east his way through snack after snack, on page after page, kids’ giggles will grow as he does. And in the end (spoiler alert), he becomes a butterfly. Flawless execution makes this a classic.
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!by Mo Willems (2003)
One of the most recent books in our Hall, and the most interactive, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! is a silly, irresistible story about, yes, a pigeon who desperately wants to drive a bus. And Willems brilliantly gives the young reader the responsibility of keeping the bird from the driver’s seat. You’ll be amazed at the relish with which your grandkids scream “No!” and the persistence of this clever pigeon.
The Snowy Dayby Ezra Jack Keats (1962)
The story couldn’t be simpler: A boy wakes up, finds that snow has fallen over night, bundles up, goes outside to play, comes home, takes a bath, goes back to bed, wakes the next day to find the snow still there. But Keats’ quiet, soothing tone and sweet, inviting images make this a book kids want to hear over and over again. No fantasy, no talking animals, just a brilliant artist telling children a bedtime story.
The Mittenby Jan Brett (1989)
The Mitten is as heartwarming as a book gets. A grandmother knits her grandson a pair of white mittens, and cautions him not to lose one in the snow. Naturally, he does, and in one rich illustration after another, more and bigger animals move into the cozy space until one of them sneezes the glove right off the group. Throughout these developments, the boy’s discovery of his failed promise mutely plays out along the edges, until the two stories unite in a happy ending.
Madelineby Ludwig Bemelmans (1939)
If you haven’t picked up this book for many years, you may discover that you know every detail of every picture by heart but have no memory of the words, or the story about the 12 little girls in “an old house in Paris that was covered by vines.” Revisiting it with a grandchild today will transport you to Paris and bring smiles to both your faces.
Green Eggs and Hamby Dr. Seuss (1960)
It never fails to delight young children and it somehow never bores adults even after frequent re-readings, but Green Eggs and Ham is also a remarkable achievement because Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel) wrote it using just 50 different words. In doing so, he won a bet with his publisher and created one of the world’s most beloved books. Your grandchildren will like it, like it in your house.
Caps for Saleby Esphyr Slobodkina (1940)
A tale perfect in its simplicity, Caps for Sale follows a hat peddler as he takes a walk, lies down for a nap, and, upon waking, finds a tree full of precocious monkeys mocking him in a way that children love to imitate. Slobodkina, born in Siberia, was one of the founders of the American Abstract movement, and it shows in her carefully executed art work, where hills resemble tailored cloth and bushes look as much like broccoli as they do topiary.
Where the Wild Things AreBy Maurice Sendak (1963)
Who doesn’t love putting on a pair of wolf pajamas and making mischief of one kind … and another? Max’s existential journey into the night’s darkness has a strangely comforting effect on children, as they learn to tame and love the monsters in the room even before they start imagining them to be there.
Zen Shortsby Jon J. Muth (2005)
Muth’s captivating drawings and pitch-perfect storytelling earn Zen Shorts a space in the Hall. As he relates separate stories to three separate siblings, Stillwater the panda conveys messages of forgiveness, selflessness, and acceptance, with a good deal of humor.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factoryby Roald Dahl (1964)
Many kids discover this story on film (and hopefully the 1971 original and not the dreary 2005 remake) before they read it, but just as Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory offers surprises at every turn, so does Dahl’s book. When Charlie Bucket, a poor boy living with his parents and grandparents (both sets), finds one of Wonka’s five Golden Tickets, he wins a tour of the factory, which had been closed to visitors for years. We all know what he will find there, and what he’ll really win, but the journey is delicious especially for children experiencing it for the first time.
Little House on the Prairieby Laura Ingalls Wilder, illustrated by Garth Williams (1935)
If your ancestors were of the sod-house variety, this book should touch a genetic chord. Even if it’s not your family history, Little House and the other books in Wilder’s series provide amazingly detailed information of a simpler time and life. Get the boxed set for your grandchildren and read them together in order
A Little Princessby Francis Hodgson Burnett (1904)
Burnett’s immensely popular story for girls, the source for several film and TV adaptations and stage shows, began as a magazine serial in 1888. Fully fleshed out as a novel several years later, it tells of 8-year-old Sara Crewe, daughter of a wealthy man who sets her up at a London boarding school while he seeks fortune in India. When he dies, the school’s cruel headmistress makes a servant of Sara but never changes the girl’s generous, positive spirit. Sara remains a princess, and girls will love her and cheer her eventual salvation.
Charlotte’s Webby E.B. White (1952)
The bestselling children’s book of all time, before a certain young wizard named Potter came along, E.B. White’s quiet classic tells of Wilbur the pig, a runt who is saved from the ax by 8-year-old Maine farm girl Fern, and then kept from the slaughterhouse by his devoted friend Charlotte, a literate spider. Children who have yet to encounter Charlotte’s Web will be forever grateful to the adult who introduces it to them.
The Phantom Tollboothby Norton Juster, illustrated by Jules Feiffer(1961)
Juster’s masterpiece is the kind of book readers first encounter as kids but then revisit again and again. The plot finds 10-year-old Milo at home, bored, bored, bored, and as always, wishing he were somewhere else. He gets his wish when a tollbooth magically appears to transport him to another dimension where he discovers danger, adventure, and perhaps the cleverest wordplay in all of children’s literature.
A Wrinkle in Timeby Madeleine L’Engle(1962)
L’Engle’s Hall-of-Fame fantasy famously and ironically begins with the cliché, “It was a dark and stormy night,” but takes its readers in a bracingly original direction from there. A mysterious stranger appears that stormy night and tells Meg Murry and her brother, Charles Wallace, that there may be a way for them to rescue their long-missing scientist father — by passing through a tesseract, or a wrinkle in time and space. They do so, with the help of a friend, in an adventure that thrills and empowers young readers.
Shilohby Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (1991)
Ages 9 to 13
How far would you go to help an animal in need? That’s the question Naylor’s heartfelt novel asks. Marty Preston, an 11-year-old in rural West Virginia, suspects that a neighbor is abusing his beagle, and resolves to do whatever it takes to rescue it. Tween readers will feel for Marty but also experience his ethical dilemmas in a book that skillfully folds those questions into an iconic tale of a boy and his dog.
Hatchetby Gary Paulsen (1987)
Ages 9 to 13
Paulsen’s heart-stopping and poetic novel remains the modern blueprint for the boy-alone-against-the-wilderness genre. When a small plane carrying 13-year-old Brian to see his father crashes in the Canadian wilderness, the boy is the only survivor. Thoroughly alone and in constant danger, Brian, with only his wits and a hatchet to aid him, somehow survives for 54 days in a gripping tale that has earned its place in the canon of books for tween boys.
A Family of Poemsselected by Caroline Kennedy, illustrated by Jon J. Muth (2005)
Growing up, Jacqueline Kennedy’s children, Caroline and the late John Jr., were encouraged to write or choose a poem as a gift to her on holidays and birthdays instead of buying gifts. Caroline honored that family tradition when she released this anthology of the family’s favorite children’s poems. Ranging from Emily Dickinson to Sandra Cisneros and everywhere in between, this most personal collection has something for every child to enjoy.
Wow – it was fun to put this together and I appreciate Grandparents.com for getting me started. I hope the list gave you some smiles and some fond memories. I’m not one of those grandmas that saved books well – ours mostly tended to get used up and passed on. So I think this year for CHRISTMAS I’m going to put most of these books on MY list. I can’t wait to share them with Braden & Avery. My son & DIL are fantastic at teaching and SHOWING the importance of reading – these children see mom and daddy reading all the time. And currently DIL is truly enjoying teaching Avery to read! It’s such fun to see her uncovering the magic and she is so far ahead of the curve – I truly think she might have genius potential (not that I’m a good judge, LOL).
Several of these I smiled with fond memories but some were new to me – I had not seen these before: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Zen Shorts, The Phantom Tollbooth and the Poetry book (although that one is pretty new). So I’d love to hear your thoughts especially on those.
I know some of these are way above my Babies’ current reading stage but I can’t wait to share them in a nice big overstuffed chair or even a corner of the sofa next time I’m blessed to read to them at bedtime!
Was so excited to get a call from Son #2 on Sunday. He is usually able to call once a week from Army Basic Training in South Carolina. Surprisingly – the Army even allows them to have a FACEBOOK FAN PAGE LOL sure not like 1979 when his daddy went to basic, for which I’m VERY grateful, LOL
This week Thomas sounded really sick and said he had bronchitis. He was very proud to tell me, though that even WITH bronchitis he passed his 2nd PT test with better scores than the first time and passed his rifle qualification with a 32 out of 40 and earned his ‘sharpshooter’ badge. Thomas has always loved guns, even when little so mom is not surprised but pleased for him to learn to use them in this way, to defend our country. You go, Thomas.
Despite facing threats of disqualification, a 12-year-old girl took first place in a speech contest when she eloquently argued for the rights of unborn children – after an offended judge quit.
“What if I told you that right now, someone was choosing if you were going to live or die?” the seventh-grader begins in a video recording of her speech on YouTube. “What if I told you that this choice wasn’t based on what you could or couldn’t do, what you’d done in the past or what you would do in the future? And what if I told you, you could do nothing about it?”
The girl, a student at a Toronto school identified only as “Lia,” continued:
“Fellow students and teachers, thousands of children are right now in that very situation. Someone is choosing without even knowing them whether they are going to live or die.
“That someone is their mother. And that choice is abortion.”
But what made the 12-year-old choose to speak about abortion?
“It was really a family thing,” her mother explained on the blog Moral Outcry. “I saw Lou [Engle] speak at a conference several years ago. I came back to my family with the Life Bands, and we all wore them, made our covenant, and prayed the prayer for abortion to end. … We were invited to participate in a ‘Life Tape Siege.’ Once my kids heard of this invitation, they all agreed: ‘We have to do that!’ Since then, Lia’s passion for seeing abortion end has continued.”
Despite Lia’s enthusiasm for her topic, her teacher “strongly encouraged” her to select a different one for her class presentation or she would be considered ineligible for an upcoming speech contest.
“[S]everal teachers discouraged her from picking the topic of abortion; she was told it was ‘too big,’ ‘too mature’ and ‘too controversial,’” her mother wrote. “She was also told that if she went ahead with that topic, she would not be allowed to continue on in the speech competition.”
Lia’s mother continued, “Initially, I tried helping her find other topics to speak on, but, in the end, she was adamant. She just felt she wanted to continue with the topic of abortion. So she forfeited her chance to compete in order to speak on something she was passionate about.”
Lia’s teacher was so impressed by the speech that she allowed her student to advance as the winner. Lia presented her speech to judges in front of her entire school on Feb. 10.
The school principal and teachers called Lia’s presentation the “obvious winner” – but the judges suddenly disqualified her the following day “because of the topic and her position on abortion,” her mother said.
Lia’s father later revealed that the judges had a “big disagreement.” One was offended by the speech and voluntarily stepped down while the others reversed their earlier decision – declaring her the winner.
Now Lia plans to take her message of life to a regional speech competition, and more than 130,000 visitors have viewed her presentation online.
“Why do we think that just because a fetus can’t talk or do what we do, it isn’t a human being yet?” She asks in the video. “Some babies are born after only five months. Is this baby not human?
“We would never say that. Yet abortions are performed on 5-month-old fetuses all the time. Or do we only call them humans if they’re wanted?”
She continues, “No, fetuses are definitely humans – knit together in their mother’s womb by their wonderful Creator who knows them all by name.”
What I did Today – Kirk’s Varsity Basketball game – he is starting to feel more at home on the court and really enjoying the game. Was a fun night even if we didn’t win
Boy, do I remember those years. Braden’s daddy Kenny had so many many ear infections. I took him in once when he was almost 18 months old and the doctor said ‘this is it. One more and he’ll have to have tubes placed.’ I think baby Kenny must have heard him because that was the last one he ever got! At least on my watch, LOL. His younger sister April wasn’t as fortunate and did have tubes put into her ears. As the youngest three of my children, thomas, jon & Kirk, started down that road I thought there had to be something I could do. That was when I discovered a wonderful book by an incredible doctor that after today’s issues with Big Daddy Jeff’s doctors I am desperately wishing was still alive or someone like him
The doctor? Robert S Mendelsohn, M.D. He has written two books but the one I’m referring to is How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor. I just got a copy and had it sent to Jamey (hope it comes soon and hope it helps). He has a very interesting perspective and his ideas about how to treat ear infections are different than current medical treatment. They are not for everyone but they worked for our family. Jamey, I hope it helps. Whether you try it or not, I know you are the very BEST mother for Braden and Avery and I love you all. Sure am in a hurry for the next year + 5 months to pass so I can be more of a Grandma than I have been. I want to watch you enjoy the babies, I want to watch Ken & you coach track and football, I want to babysit whenever you need me, I am ready to be the grandma and love my babies. . . . hugs and kisses to all. nona
Story begins = Monday night, Midnight – Jeff had a lumbar spinal surgical procedure on Monday morning, February 9th. It went well and was an outpatient procedure with Dr. Mark Meyer. After returning home and passing the rest of the day uneventfully, Jeff became sick with severe vomiting around midnight. Around noon the vomiting became more severe and he began passing what the doctor thought could be blood so we went to the ER at Memorial North. When we arrived his blood oxygenation was very low and his heart rate was very high so he was admitted, put on an IV, anti-nausea meds, a catheter, heart monitor and oxygen. And that is how this chapter of Jeff’s story began.
Day 1 – Wednesday, February 11th. Horrible morning. Jeff has not had his normal pain medications since he began vomiting at midnight on Monday. He called me at home this morning because the only pain med on order for him was TYLENOL. For those new to Jeff’s story, he has been taking very large doses of narcotic pain killers for over 10 years as his degenerative disc disease has progressed through his back. He has a very high tolerance for pain medication.
I was furious and my mood was made worse by the fact that I was stuck at home without a car and trying to get a rental vehicle to pick me up. We had given an EXTENSIVE history to the ER doctor last night, had made two phone calls to Dr. Mark Meyers office requesting his visit to the hospital OR at least to call in with pain medication orders. NOTHING had been done. So I got on the phone and started calling, ranting and raving. Finally got Dr. Meyer’s office to call the hospital and talk with the attending doctor (who we had still never seen) to get some pain meds ordered. I gave up on the rental car and took a cab to the hospital, arriving right when I was told the assigned doctor, Dr. Vickery, was on the floor and would be seeing Jeff shortly. I rushed to the room, only to find the doctor still hadn’t shown up. I saw a gentleman sitting at the nurse’s station who looked like a doctor (don’t ask!) so approached him, introduced myself, and asked when he planned on seeing my husband, or dispensing some pain medication. He replied that the ER doctor had assigned him in ERROR! He wasn’t on the ‘team’ that was supposed to be assigned to Jeff. He had called the correct doctor and informed her that SHE (thank G** a woman finally!) had a new patient. I asked when she would be coming by. Blank Stare. I asked again. I have no idea was the reply. Can you see the steam coming from the top of my head???? this is like a three stooge episode, MY G**! So before I could rev up to full ‘rant’ stage he told me that he had ‘gone ahead and ordered the pain meds’. I thanked him and explained that from my position as my husband’s health care advocate, this entire system Sucked Big Time and was an atrocious show of the LACK of care continuity within this medical system. He did not respond. I told him I wanted to speak with the new doctor. Blank Stare. I, a patient’s family member, wanted to be given THE DOCTOR’S phone number? The stare said – who did I think I was?
After receiving reassurance from Jeff’s nurse (wonderful Crystal!) that the medications had been ordered and would be brought in as soon as the pharmacy delivered them. I told Crystal that I wanted to speak with the new doctor ASAP, preferably BEFORE I contacted the patient advocate to submit a complaint about all of this. Crystal came in the room with her own phone and allowed me to speak with this new doctor. She is at the other hospital in town, and as soon as she finishes with her patient’s there will be here to talk with us about Jeff’s care and case. I am calmer, Jeff is in less pain and we are waiting . . . . . for round 2, I assume.
The Grandma Bookby Todd Parr (Little Brown, 2006)
