- by Gerri Freid Kramer (Author), Shari Maurer (Author), Sylvester Stallone (Foreword)

From Booklist: Kramer and Maurer met in college, went their separate ways, and met again years later when both had children born with congenital heart disease (CHD). The bond they formed and the information they gleaned led to their coauthorship of this accessible and valuable resource for parents caring for children with CHD. The book starts with the diagnosis of the condition–including a broad range of defects–and goes through the process of hospital visits and surgery. The book is arranged in a question-and-answer format, with pediatric cardiologists and related medical experts providing medical information. The hard medical facts are supplemented by commentary from parents on a range of issues, from helping children cope with the fear of having blood drawn and undergoing heart echocardiograms to dealing with developmental problems that may result from CHD. The book also includes suggestions for helping adult children plan their own families given the need for continued vigilance about CHD. Plenty of charts and graphics help parents understand this most common of birth defects. REVWR Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

“It’s My Heart” a resource book for parents of children with congenital heart defects is available on The Children’s Heart Foundation website. A full text version is available on there site for free or you can also order a hardback version of the book.

- by Michael Ruhlman

From Publishers Weekly: What kind of person operates on babies’ hearts for a living? This is the question Ruhlman set out to answer when he entered the pediatric heart center at the Cleveland Clinic, in Ohio, to observe Dr. Roger Mee, one of the best pediatric heart surgeons in the world, and his team at work. Ruhlman, who has written two other books about people striving for excellence (The Soul of a Chef and Wooden Boats), describes with awe the precision, speed and ingenuity required to repair or transplant an infant’s tiny heart. His gripping OR scenes capture the life-and-death nature of each surgery and illustrate why only perfection is good enough in this new and rapidly developing specialty. As the clinic’s physician’s assistant tells Ruhlman with a bluntness characteristic of the people he depicts, This is a kid, not a Yugo here. The anguish the families endure only adds to the pressure on the surgeons. And while congenital heart defects are the most common kind of birth defect, the book reveals that most parents are unaware of the vast difference between having surgery performed by a virtuoso like Dr. Mee and an average surgeon whom a local cardiologist might feel compelled to refer patients to because of HMO protocols. Ruhlman also provides some historical context, weaving in the stories of the maverick surgeons who pioneered the specialty. Although the medical terminology can slow the reader down at times, most will tear through this engaging and often wrenching account. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

–This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

- by Catherine A. Neill, Edward B. Clark, and Carleen Clark

From Library Journal: Neill and Edward Clark, professors in pediatric cardiology, along with pediatric nurse Carleen Clark, have written a reasonably detailed book for parents on heart defects and diseases in children. They outline how the heart develops in a child and show what can go wrong during the growing process. They also discuss the risk factors for heart defects, explain how heart problems are recognized, and cover treatment options. While the severity of heart problems in children is not minimized, the authors emphasize that most conditions are now treatable. Parents are reassured that none of their actions would probably have caused or prevented their child’s condition. Transplantation and accompanying medical conditions with heart defects are given brief attention. Recommended for family health collections. Janet M. Schneider, James A. Haley Veteran’s Hosp., Tampa, Fla.

Something the Lord Made recounts the relationship between Dr. Alfred Blalock (Alan Rickman) and Vivian Thomas (Mos Def). It begins in 1930s Nashville when imperious cardiac surgeon Blalock hires Thomas, an African American carpenter, as his janitor. When the latter reveals a passion for medicine and facility with surgical instruments, Blalock promotes him to lab tech. Thomas isn’t given a raise, works side jobs to make ends meet, and is expected to be grateful. Along the way, he follows Blalock from Vanderbilt to Johns Hopkins, where they save thousands of lives through their pioneering work, but will Thomas ever get any credit? The film provides a satisfying answer to that question. Joseph Sargent (A Lesson Before Dying) directs with subtlety and intelligence, while Rickman and Mos Def are in top form, often underplaying where most actors would do otherwise. Something the Lord Made won the 2004 Emmy for outstanding made-for-TV movie. –Kathleen C. Fennessy

- by Cheryl J. Wild

Is a resource that succinctly addresses and provides answers for these complex disorders…explains infections, tests, treatments, and risk factors. Written in a warm and sympathetic style, a unique feature of this book is Draw-On-Hearts–illustrations of the heart that enable physicians to draw the exact location and structure of the child’s defect, and what the heart will look like once repaired.

- By Hani A. Hennein, M.D. FACS (Editor), Edward L. Bove, M.D. (Editor)

Comprehensive text provides medical and surgical therapies for hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Topics include fetal echocardiography, staged palliation, long-term outlook, and the treatment of advanced disease. Contains detailed halftone images and numerous illustrations.DNLM: Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome–surgery.

- By G. Wayne Miller –Rob Lightner –This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

The surgeon-as-rock-star mystique seems like it must have come straight out of Hollywood, but the myth had to begin more concretely. A good candidate is Minnesota’s Dr. Walt Lillehei, the hard-working, hard-playing father of open-heart surgery, whose life is told in garish color in King of Hearts by journalist G. Wayne Miller. From his early brilliance, recovery from deadly lymphatic cancer, and dramatic repair of seemingly hopeless heart cases to the disintegration of his career at its peak thanks to an army of personal enemies and conviction on tax evasion counts, his story is consistently surprising and engaging. Fast cars, hard drinking, and plenty of women filled his time when he wasn’t turning lives around with a few strokes of his scalpel, and the reader will find the surgeon’s actions almost unbelievable–rarely endearing, but occasionally saintly. Combining this melodramatic biography with the fascinating story of the struggle for open-heart surgery, considered impossible little more than a generation ago, Miller makes a compelling case that the daring scientist was simply another side of the arrogant, absent-minded playboy. No ordinary biography, King of Hearts is breathless reading–you’ll find yourself surfacing every few chapters to remind yourself its nonfiction.

- by Rick Weber

What would you do if you knew your time was short? Pink Lips and Fingertips answers this question through the life of Jeri Ivison Paholek, who was born with a rare heart defect called common ventricle and given a death sentence by the medical community. Instead of retreating inward and playing it safe to extend her years or embarking on extravagant global adventures, Jeri chose to impact the world. You won’t approach life the same way after reading this book.

- by J. Willis Hurst

Just what makes that mysterious noise in your chest day and night, night and day? And how does the heart actually work, anyway? If your grandfather just happens to be the man who created and edited the world’s favorite textbook on the heart, you might get some pretty interesting answers to your “heartfelt” questions. This bright and colorful picture book looks at the heart and circulation is based on a real question-and-answer session between heart expert J. Willis Hurst, his 10-year-old grandson, Stuart. Inside the book, you’ll find kid-tested answers to question like: How does my heart pump? Where does blood come from? Why is the blood in the arteries red? Why is the blood in the veins dark blue? What are heart valves? What is plaque? What is a heart attack? Is heart disease contagious? My heart is strong. What can I do to keep it healthy? It’s a fun exploration of a mysterious aspect of our bodies that will fascinate readers of every age … from 10 to 100.

– by Carol Donsky Newell

Blue Lewis and Sasha the Great is a story about acceptance, love, hope, and healing. Lewis is born with a heart defect that keeps him from having enough oxygen, turning his nails and lips blue. It is hard for him to play with other kids, until his new puppy, Sasha, helps. This story is for young children who may empathize because they are ill, who have to learn how to triumph over adversity, or children who just feel left out sometimes.

- by Karen Woodworth-Roman, Children’s Science Book Review. By Don L. Curry (Author), Jayne Waddell (Contributor), Jeanne Clidas, Ph.D. (Contributor)

Simple, but informative, discussion of the heart and the circulatory system. Book design and illustrations are functional, however the photos are good. Ends with a good “words you know” review of vocabulary. Includes an index.

- by Paulette Bourgeois (Author), Brenda Clark (Illustrator)

Franklin’s shell has cracked, and he needs to be a brave turtle when it’s time to go to the hospital.

- by Anna Marie Jaworski (Author), Sarah Lualdi Moran (Foreword), Linda Ball (Illustrator)

Great interaction on each page to read to a younger sibling. Wonderful pictures that come alive. Great tips at the bottom of some pages for parents to help the child being left behind. This book reminds us that in our hectic lives dealing with our sick children that we sometimes forget the younger ones need us more than we realize at these stressful hospitalized times.

- by Debbie Duncan (Author), Nina Ollikainen (Illustrator). (Ages 3 – 12)

Winner of 1995 Benjamin Franklin Award: Best Children’s Picture Book

A Book for Brothers and Sisters of Hospitalized Children. Anna’s little sister, Molly, has been very ill and had to have an operation. Anna tells us all about the experience from her point of view. A sensitive, insightful, and heartwarming story. A support and comfort for siblings and those who love them. The story is moving and rings with authenticity, for author Debbie Duncan based it on her family’s personal experiences. Artist Nina Ollikainen’s beautiful black and white drawings are accurately detailed and capture the emotional atmosphere of Anna and Molly’s tender relationship. 

- by James HoweMaria

Tirone is frightened. She’s in the hospital, about to undergo open heart surgery. And no one – not her friends, not her family, not even her doctors – can tell her what to expect. Then she meets Donald, badly disfigured in a fire years before. The other kids in the hospital call him Monster Man, and tell Maria to stay away from him. But Maria sees the human being hidden behind Donald’s scars and his bitterness, and finds in him what she needs most of all — answers to her questions, and a friend.

- by Kelly Huegel (Author), Elizabeth Verdick (Author)

Grade 5 Up

In the first section of this book, Huegel introduces 10 young people, each of whom has a chronic illness. They explain how they were diagnosed; medical management; and how they deal with family, friends, and school. They share how they have fashioned a satisfying life for themselves despite the limitations their conditions might impose. The diseases discussed are hemophilia, diabetes, epilepsy, asthma, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, congenital heart defect, and lupus. Each chapter is accompanied by a small black-and-white photograph of its subject, followed by questions and answers about the disease and a list of resources including organizations, books, and Web sites. Part two discusses strategies for managing an illness; maintaining a relationship with a doctor; dealing with friends, family, and school; battling fear of hospitals; finding a support group; and planning for the future. The text, written in a conversational, sympathetic tone, is sprinkled with upbeat quotes. Advice is terse, well organized, and to the point, making it easy to remember, if difficult to carry out. There are many books that relate stories about the disease of the month, but Huegel’s focus is on how these kids manage their own lives and how their experiences can help others cope with chronic illness. A good choice for any collection.
Martha Gordon, formerly at South Salem Library, NY; Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.