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A review by katykelly
The Bubble Boy by Stewart Foster
4.0
Like 'Wonder', The Bubble Boy forces readers to see their life if they were not so fortunate. Joe has spent his entire life in a hospital ward of his own, protected from the germs in the everyday air outside that could kill him.
What a life to lead, at 11. What a start for a children's story.
We get to see Joe's routine - the boredom and the medication, the TV and the visits. Joe only has a sister to come and see him (we learn what has happened to his parents early on), who he feels he is holding back from a life of university and friends.
He does get to share the frustrations with a fellow 'bubble boy' over in America, both dreaming of the day they might be allowed out in special NASA suits, what they would do, where they would go.
We also get to meet the busy nursing staff, for whom Joe is just one of many patients in the children's hospital, a long-term occupant amongst cancer patients and those fighting for their lives around him.
A new face turns the story in a new direction - Amir, a new carer talks about aliens - and about helping Joe escape his everyday trappings.
Joe is adorable, more worldly than you'd expect for someone caught in a hospital ward for a decade. His technology keeps him up-to-date with the world around him and a contemporary of readers his own age.
It's a situation you can't imagine, but through Joe you get a feel for his life and how hard it must be. Amir, I wasn't sure about, but the ultimate direction of the story was heart-warming and I really loved it.
Unique story, a protagonist young readers aged 10-13 will root for, and a great book for book clubs and class discussions.
What a life to lead, at 11. What a start for a children's story.
We get to see Joe's routine - the boredom and the medication, the TV and the visits. Joe only has a sister to come and see him (we learn what has happened to his parents early on), who he feels he is holding back from a life of university and friends.
He does get to share the frustrations with a fellow 'bubble boy' over in America, both dreaming of the day they might be allowed out in special NASA suits, what they would do, where they would go.
We also get to meet the busy nursing staff, for whom Joe is just one of many patients in the children's hospital, a long-term occupant amongst cancer patients and those fighting for their lives around him.
A new face turns the story in a new direction - Amir, a new carer talks about aliens - and about helping Joe escape his everyday trappings.
Joe is adorable, more worldly than you'd expect for someone caught in a hospital ward for a decade. His technology keeps him up-to-date with the world around him and a contemporary of readers his own age.
It's a situation you can't imagine, but through Joe you get a feel for his life and how hard it must be. Amir, I wasn't sure about, but the ultimate direction of the story was heart-warming and I really loved it.
Unique story, a protagonist young readers aged 10-13 will root for, and a great book for book clubs and class discussions.